A "delightful oddball", globe-trotting Irish man and a stand-up superstar all take to the stage at the Marlowe Theatre for a festival first.

Omid Djalili, Adam Buxton and Zoe Lyons are among the stars of the Marlowe’s first Comedy Festival, which runs through to Sunday, July 29.

A sneak preview of an Edinburgh Fringe comedy acts will be held on Thursday, July 26. Apologetic Eton and Oxford alumnus, Ivo Graham - a former winner of the So You Think You’re Funny award for new acts at the Edinburgh Festival - is now a regular feature on shows like Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week. Alfie Brown’s natural stage presence and explosive material make for a thrilling performance every time he hits the stage.

The festival then hits the Marlowe with Adam Buxton’s BUG David Bowie Special, which features music videos, rare clips, animation and comedy. Like Bowie himself, the show promises to be by turns inspiring, moving and hilarious - a must-see for Bowie and comedy fans alike.

Popular regular comedy night, Live At The Marlowe, returns on Friday, July 27 with Reginald D Hunter, Joe Wilkinson, Zoe Lyons and Andrew Maxwell.

Reginald is a US stand-up superstar known for his groundbreaking and sometimes controversial social commentary on the UK. A regular on Have I Got News For You, he has his own BBC 4 documentaries and has appeared at the Marlowe regularly for almost a decade now.

Described as a “delightful oddball”, Joe Wilkinson is best known for his appearances on Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and his role in BBC3’s acclaimed sitcom, Him & Her. Maxwell is a globe-trotting Irish comic, who now lives in Kent. He’s headlined shows around the world and at his own annual Alpine festival, Altitude.

Omid Djalili takes to the stage on Saturday, July 28 with his new show, Schmuck For A Night. Provocative and always entertaining, his credits range from Hollywood to television and live on the West End stage.

Austentatious ends the festival on Sunday, July 29. An improvised comedy, it stars a cast of the country’s quickest comic performers who conjure up a new and unique “lost’” Jane Austen novel based on nothing more than a title suggested by the audience.

Comedy producer Ben Travis said: “I know that the people of Kent have a great sense of humour and are big supporters of comedy, so I can't wait to hear the sound of laughter filling our building."

DETAILS

The Marlowe Comedy Festival runs until Sunday, July 29. The festival is in partnership with Show And Tell. For tickets call 01227 787787, or go to marlowetheatre.com.