"One of the best headliners in the country" is set to come to Kenilworth this August as the Talisman Theatre expands its already-popular comedy night.

Having held sell-out shows in the foyer of the Barrow Road venue, the next gig on Sunday 31 August will take to the theatre's main stage with the audience set to be treated to some of the best comics in the country.

Compered by Harry Jenkins, the night will feature the hilarious Andy Fox and Mad Ron before headliner Ignacio Lopez - who has featured on Live at the Apollo, QI, and Have I Got News for You - closes the show.

"Ignacio is amazing, he is one of the best headliners in the country right now and has been for a few years," Harry - who is also promoting the gig - told Nub News. 

"He has done Live at the Apollo and has just come off the back of a tour that sold something like 15,000 tickets. 

"And then Mad Ron, who's a real personal favourite comedian of mine, he's a character act and I think he'll be perfect for the people of Kenilworth.

"Andy Fox is always brilliant too, so it should be a great night."

Comedy is coming to the main stage at the Talisman Theatre

Born and bred in Birmingham, Harry is no stranger to the Talisman having performed at both the previous two 'foyer gigs'.

Having joked in the previous show that "performing in the foyer right next to a theatre" was a "dream come true" he was so taken by the volunteer team at the Talisman he offered to help take their comedy night to the next level.

"It was just a really, really lovely gig and weirdly the audience just took to me and I took to them," he said.

"There was just a lovely bond after the gig as well in the bar with everyone."

He continued: "I said they should put this in the main room, and they should get a proper headliner.

"I have booked lots of gigs before so said I would help out and sort the line up."

Harry Jenkins has already performed twice at the Talisman

Booking the show in Kenilworth brings Harry back close to where his comedy career took off.

Having performed once as a teenager in Moseley, he took to the stage again in 2022 at The Royal Pug in Leamington Spa after a "bottle of malbec" encouraged him to sign up for a five minute set.

"I've always wanted to be a comedian ever since I was little," he explained. 

"I've always loved comedy, ever since I was 12 and I used to write my own material on my computer which I still have and is completely dreadful. 

"When I was 18, I snuck out, I didn't tell anyone, I managed to blag my way onto a comedy gig in Moseley. I did five minutes and it went alright, it didn't go badly, it didn't go well, it was a very six out of ten, but I loved it. 

"And then weirdly I just never did it again, but not for any other reason other than work, I got really busy.

"But it never left my head wanting to pick it up again. And then I picked it up back again in

December 2022. I did a gig in Leamington and that was it, I was hooked."

Both of the previous two comedy shows at the Talisman have sold out

Since then he has been hitting the comedy circuit, performing three or four times a week and is now pursuing comedy full-time.

Promoting gigs has also taken off for Harry and he runs the ever-popular Comedy at the Castle shows at Warwick Castle and elsewhere in the country.

The gig on August 31 will see Harry compering rather than performing a set of his own material, something he says he also really enjoys.

"I'm doing a lot more compering now - it's completely different," Harry explained. 

"You have to treat stand-up and compering as different things.

"The best advice I ever had from a very, very good compere was that your job when you compere isn't to be funny, it's to be likeable and it's to big up the other acts.

"You go up there, be likeable, explain the rules for the night, big up the acts and create an environment for them to have the best gig possible.

"And your natural humour should come through."

After compering the gig at the Talisman this month, he will then be performing a solo show at the venue in November which will be recorded.

Harry Jenkins will be performing his own show at the Talisman in November

And ahead of both nights, he is encouraging Kenilworth locals to get behind the Talisman and make sure both nights are completely sold out.

"I would really love people to fill out the theatre and make the town have a comedy night to be proud of," he said. 

"Even if it is just three or four times per year, the more people come, the better the line-ups will be. 

"The Talisman is so beautiful and people really need to support it.

"And of course I would love people to come to my show in November - it would be great to perform to more than three people!"

Tickets for August 31 cost just £15 and can be booked online here.

The Talisman Theatre sponsors Kenilworth Nub News.

Without community-minded partners like them, we would not be able to provide clickbait-free news to the people of Kenilworth.