TWO British comedy greats have confirmed visits to Suffolk as they prepare to take to the road on their latest UK tours.

By JO MACDONALD

Entertainment editor

joanne.macdonald@eveningstar.co.uk

TWO British comedy greats have confirmed visits to Suffolk as they prepare to take to the road on their latest UK tours.

The first to visit will be madcap comedian Lee Evans, who will be at Ipswich Regent on September 16 and 17, as two of a number of warm-up dates before he embarks on his biggest ever tour of British stadium venues.

He will be followed by acerbic comic Ben Elton who, on his first tour since playing to 300,000 people across the country in 1997, will take to the stage at Felixstowe Spa Pavilion on December 15.

Evans is established as one of Britain's best-loved and biggest comedy stars. An ex-boxer, he has captured audiences' and critics' imaginations alike with his irrepressible physicality and disarming charm.

The winner of the Time Out Award for Comedy and the highly coveted Perrier Award, he has been described by the press as "a dazzling comic genius".

He is also a Hollywood star with roles in a number of films, including Fifth Element, There's Something About Mary and Mouse Hunt, to his name.

More recently he has been starring in the West End in the award-winning musical The Producers alongside Mouse Hunt co-star Nathan Lane.

However, live stand-up comedy remains that for which he best known and loved and is that to which he is now once again returning.

His XL tour proper will begin at Birmingham NIA at the end of September and will visit arenas and stadiums in Sheffield, Cardiff, Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Brighton and London. However it is preceded by two months of warm-up gigs at smaller venues throughout the UK, including the Regent, many of which are already sold out.

Meanwhile Elton is hailed as one of the godfathers of modern British stand up and is renowned for his trademark energy and signature delivery.

He is also a highly accomplished best-selling novelist and comedy writer, having worked with Richard Curtis on all but the first Blackadder series.

On top of this he is credited with writing the storylines and script for two of the West End's biggest musical successes, We Will Rock You and Tonight's The Night.

Now he is heading back out on the road with a brand new show to perform to live audiences for the first time in eight years.

n Lee Evans will be at Ipswich Regent on September 16 and 17 while Ben Elton will be at Felixstowe Spa Pavilion on December 15.

Weblink: www.offthekerb.co.uk