A month after curtain-fall at the Edinburgh Fringe, a select group of the nation's best comedians are making the long journey south... to ply their wares next to the pebbled shores of Brighton.  Now a firm fixture in the national Festival calendar, the Magners Brighton Comedy Festival is in town from the 8th to the 24th October - offering locals and Londoners alike a fantastic opportunity to see the cream of comedy talent at their own front door.

Star quality 

There's no shortage of star quality in this year's programme: Rich Hall, Jimmy Carr and Simon Amstell are among the household names, and such firm Festival favourites as David O'Docherty, Adam Hills and Reginald D Hunter also feature in the packed line-up.  But there are a few wildcard picks too, including Hans Teeuwen (better known to many for his role in the Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective) and the up-and-coming comedy/dance/theatre combo New Art Club.

The Festival benefits from a compact home, with all three performance spaces - from the intimate Pavilion Theatre up to the cavernous Concert Hall - clustered together at the Brighton Dome.  You can browse the programme and book tickets through the Dome's website; with the exception of the gala opening, expect to pay £10 - £15 a ticket.

On the Fringe 

And of course, where there's a Festival, there's bound to be a Fringe.  The Brighton Comedy Festival Fringe packs in another 15 shows - in a lower-profile, but equally high-quality, programme.  Based a short stroll from the Dome, at the award-winning venue Upstairs at Three and Ten, the Fringe runs a week later than the official Comedy Festival; it all kicks off on Thursday 15 October in the company of Robin Ince, and festivities continue right through to Hallowe'en.

The Fringe, too, has no shortage of comics back from an Edinburgh run.  The most eye-catching name is Richard Herring's - he's recording an as-live podcast with Andrew Collins, before scooting off to his "official" appearance at the Dome.  Others who've made the journey south include Edward Aczel, Lewis Schaffer and one of FringeGuru's Edinburgh picks, Durham-based sketch troupe WitTank.

And local talent's represented too - with another FringeGuru favourite, Off The Cuff, taking a mid-week slot on 21 October.  You can check the whole programme and book tickets on the Fringe festival's website.