GET ready for some side-splitting laughter when the Stroke Comedy Club returns to Lichfield for its August showcase.

Headlining at Lichfield's George Hotel on August 5 is Richard Morton.

Stand-up comedian, singer- songwriter and winner of the Time Out Comedy Award, Morton is a regular on television.

You can see him on The Comedy Store Show and he's also had his own half hour special, Richard Morton Live At The Comedy Store.

Guest appearances on other shows include The Jack Docherty Chat Show, Tibs & Fibs, Night Fever and Live & Dangerous.

ITV appearances include Jack Dee's Saturday Night, Funny Business, Good Stuff and The Richard Morton Christmas Special.

BBC TV appearances include Gag Tag, The Stand-Up Show, as well as an acting role in the BAFTA-nominated Our Friends In The North. Richard also had several acting roles in Channel 4's Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives series.

A regular on BBC radio, he is featured on the new series of Stand Up 2 and Four At The Store.

He's a frequent contributor to Loose Ends and The Locker Room, and played alongside Caroline Quentin in Cross Questioned. He has also appeared on Radio 1's Comedy Network, Loose Talk and Radio 4's classic Just A Minute.

Richard has built up a formidable reputation as a live stand up, having completed several UK tours with Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Jo Brand, Lily Savage and Phill Jupitus.

A big favourite at the Edinburgh Festival, Richard has completed several sell-out runs at the Assembly Rooms.

Other festivals have included the Montreal Comedy Festival, Kilkenny, and The Reading and Leeds Music Festivals.

The opening act for August is Steve Hall.

As a solo live performer, Steve Hall has provided the support for Russell Howard on his twice extended sell-out national tour and, after taking his own new solo show, Vice Captain Loser, to the Edinburgh Festival last year, supported Russell again.

A finalist in the BBC New Comedy Award and Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award, Steve Hall made his fringe debut in 2003 in the sell-out Edinburgh show, Three Men and a Giant.

Steve has since returned to Edinburgh, with four critically-acclaimed sell-out shows as part of the Comedy Award nominated sketch group "We Are Klang" – shortly to have their own series on BBC 3.

MC for the evening is Lenny Peters. He is a master of the compere's art; able to turn any crowd from a lacklustre mob into a clapping, cheering, delirious audience ready to laugh all night.