Town hosts sneak preview of Edinburgh Fringe

Several stars who will be appearing in the Scottish capital next month will preview their acts during this month's Telford Fringe Festival, which will also see some renowned poets and musicians wowing the crowds at venues across the borough.

American comedienne Robyn Perkins will celebrate US Independence Day tomorrow, with her show Bad Decision Time. The show, at the Crown Inn in Oakengates starting 8pm, will also feature London comic Edd Hedges.

Masai Graham, the holder of the Funniest Joke of the Edinburgh Festival, will be telling 101 Jokes in 30 Minutes at the Elephant & Castle in Dawley on Friday, where he will be sharing the bill with Black Country funnyman Martin Huburn who will perform his show Tiptonite, which deals with the perils of falling foul of political correctness. The show will also feature Edinburgh veteran Tony Cowards, w ho has written scripts for several BBC radio programmes including The News Quiz and The Now Show.

Master of the one-liner Richard Pulsford and pun-king Roger Swift will be previewing their Edinburgh acts at The Crown on July 11. Tickets for all the Edinburgh previews are £4 if bought in advance from either The Crown or the Elephant & Castle, or £5 on the night. Season tickets are also on offer, allowing people to see any three acts for £9.

Time Flies Theatre Company will also bring its production Play on Words to the Crown on Wednesday, promising a mixture of poetry, laughter and a little bit of poignancy. Singer-songwriter Dave Onions will also be performing at the pub on Thursday, with a style described as somewhere between folk and blues.

Tony Barrett will be bringing his one-man play The Life and Times of the Tat Man to the Crown on July 12, with a limited number of tickets available priced £3.

Husband-and-wife singers Ben and Julieanne Reel From Ireland will be performing a range of music ranging from mid-tempo rock to country and blues at the Crown on July 13, while new Telford indie band Middle Space will be playing at the Elephant & Castle on July 14 at 8.45pm.

The festival closes with an open-mic comedy night at the Crown on July 27, starting at 8.45pm.

Event organiser John Ellis, who owns both pubs, said it would be an exciting opportunity to see some of the highlights of the British comedy calendar.

"It is a way of seeing the stars of the Edinburgh Fringe, without the cost or hassle of Edinburgh to see them," he said.