Macclesfield is set to host its first comedy festival in the summer with a yet to be revealed line-up of top talent.

The event is set to be hosted at Macclesfield rugby club in August when all Coronavirus restrictions are expected to be lifted.

Organisers say it is the first festival of its kind to be held in the town, with a portion of the day open to the children.

From Nodding Dog Comedy, Kev Rook is helping to organise the event alongside comedy agency Gag Reflex and says while he could not reveal the line up just yet, we should expect some big names.

He told Macclesfield Nub News: "We've pulled together award winners right across the bill. Especially in the evening, you're looking at people with some major TV credits to their name with shows like 'Live at the Apollo', 'Mock the Week' and 'Have I got News for You'."

The return of live events will be welcomed by many, and Kev said he hopes the festival can add to the "rich" Macclesfield cultural calendar, saying the town has been "underserved" when it comes to comedy.

Kev said: "When we did shows last summer after the first lockdown, I've never seen audiences as appreciative just to see something happening. People were desperate to get out of the house.

"I make a point of standing at the exit after a show, on the one hand to thank them for coming, but I also like to see what look they have on their face because you can tell a lot and see how well we've done our job. I've never seen so many people leave venues, literally everyone, saying 'thank you so much, this is exactly what we needed'".

The one-day festival on 7 August will be broken into two parts with a family-friendly section from 12pm to 4pm and an evening line up starting at 6pm.

Acts from the CBBC series 'Crackerjack!' are set to perform in the festival's afternoon portion.

"We wanted to put something on that absolutely everyone in the community can come along to. I've got kids at five years old and one that's nearly two, so I know a big part of the lockdown impact has been on kids," Kev said.

Organisers hope the festival could become an annual event, possibly spanning entire weekends in the future.

For full details of the festival, click here.

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