Lee Evans uses Telford for comedy warm-up

Comic Lee Evans is taking to the stage in Shropshire this weekend ahead of his arena tour this autumn.

He's more accustomed to playing venues that seat between 4,000 and 10,000 fans. But on Sunday Lee Evans will stop off in Telford for an intimate gig at the town's Oakengates Theatre @ The Place.

The popular stand-up, whose father was a nightclub performer, will present a show called Work In Progress, which will comprise new material that he will take on the road for his forthcoming Roadrunner Arena Tour of the UK and Ireland this autumn.

The concert presents a rare opportunity for fans to see Evans in a relatively small venue – as well as getting to hear material from his Roadrunner show before it is seen by tens of thousands of fans later this year.

He's likely to be in pretty good shape, given his regime of running and keeping fit.

Evans also has other tips. "My top tips for feeling and looking good are stay in shape and avoid looking at mirrors," he says.

Evans says he fell into comedy by accident: "It was an accident actually. I haven't quite found my job yet.

"I keep having this discussion with my wife, Molly. One day I'm going to get a job, a job that I was meant to have. I'm not sure anyone knows what job they do really."

A DVD of Roadrunner will then be released on November 21 and Evans' autobiography, Life of Lee, will be released on September 29.

Meanwhile, another well-known Evans will play The Glee Club, in Birmingham, tonight. Simon Evans will appear at the venue on his Fringe Magnet tour.

The comic, known for his appearance on BBC1's Michael McIntrye's Comedy Roadshow, will perform his critically-acclaimed Fringe Magnet routine.

Simon is in high demand as a comedy writer and has collaborated with many other comedians including Dara O'Briain, Sean Lock, Jimmy Carr and Marcus Brigstocke. He is one of the main writers on Lee Mack's hit BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out and recently supported Lee on his 106 date UK tour.

Simon said:?"I did quite a bit of writing over the last few years, largely because I wanted to spend less time on road when my children were young. Being a comedian isn't a very family-friendly lifestyle.

"But it's good to be back on the road. I prefer to perform my own material and to receive the adulation that it deserves, rather than allowing others to pick it up.

"People can probably look forward to my thoughts on such topics as family and the gradual disintegration of society; I'll be talking about everything going to rack and ruin and the world going to hell in a handcart."

Other acts to look out for during the next week include Phil Nicol at the Glee Club tomorrow and Dave Fulton at the same venue from Thursday next week until the following Saturday.

For full details, visit www.glee.co.uk

Andy Richardson