ORGANISERS of the Southport Comedy Week are delighted to confirm that funny men Jimmy Carr and Barry Cryer will be performing at this year's event, which takes place at venues throughout the resort from 14-24 October.

Barry Cryer, a true comedy legend with a long and varied career, will be performing at The Southport Arts Centre on Saturday 16 October while the deadpan comic Jimmy Carr, one of the most original and distinctive new stars, will be at The Southport Theatre on Wednesday 20 October.

Other top acts include Pete Price, who has been in the business for thirty years; Jo Caulfield, who writes Graham Norton's monologues, and John Bishop, who has experienced a meteoric rise through the comedy ranks in recent years. The ten-day event will conclude with The Best of the North West with eight of the best stand-ups that the North West has to offer.

Jimmy Carr is the face of Comedy on Channel 4 after the success of 'Your Face or Mine' and the prime-time game show 'Distraction'. He has been a guest on 'Have I Got News for You' and 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' and has had several other presenting roles including '100 Worst Pop Records', '100 Worst Britons' and '100 Scary Moments'. He has also appeared on Parkinson and a Bafta Tribute to Bob Monkhouse.

2004 continues to be a remarkably successful year for Jimmy's live work. This year he has already performed at many festivals including sold-out solo shows at Dublin's Vicar Street and Leicester Comedy Festival and last year sold out an entire month's performances of his Edinburgh Festival show by the second day of the festival.

Barry Cryer has been writing and performing for decades and has written gags for most of the great names in comedy including Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, Dick Emery, Les Dennis, Bob Hope, George Burns, the Two Ronnies, Kenny Everett, Sir Harry Seacombe, Billy Connolly, Jasper Carrott and Richard Pryor.

In the 1970s he appeared with Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin in the BBC Radio series 'Hello, Cheeky'. His television and radio work has included many panel games like Radio 4's 'Just a Minute' and 'Sorry I haven't a Clue'. He chaired three shows in the first series of Clue before settling into the role of panellist. He was made an OBE for services to comedy in 2001.

Tickets for Barry Cryer cost £12 and are available from the Southport Arts Centre on 01704 540011. Jimmy Carr tickets are £15 and can be obtained from the Southport Theatre box office on 01704 500036 or 0870 6077560.

For further details on Southport Comedy Week telephone the events hotline on 01704 395511 or visit www.visitsouthport.com

We have two pairs of tickets for either Jimmy Carr or Barry Cryer up for grabs to lucky Star readers. To be in with a chance of winning just answer this simple question:

Q Barry Cryer appeared with Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin in which BBC Radio series?

Send your answers stating whether you prefer tickets for Barry Cryer or Jimmy Carr, with your name, address and daytime telephone to Southport Comedy Festival competition, c/o Vicky Andrews, St Helens Star, YMCA Buildings, Duke Street, St Helens, WA10 2HZ. Closing date is Tuesday 12 October 2004.