THERE will be plenty to get people laughing with comedy acts of all varieties at this year's Devizes Arts Festival.

The festival kicks off on May 31 with an Audience With Ann Widdecombe in the Corn Exchange which is not billed as comedy but is sure to have plenty of humour as the former shadow home secretary turned reality TV star holds forth on the many aspects of her life in a down to earth manner.

The following night there will be no doubt of the genre of the entertainment as Edinburgh Fringe favourite Paul Sinha takes over at the Corn Exchange with his show called Shout Out To My Ex.

The Scotsman proclaimed his style of humour as densely funny and accomplished as he describes life as a long-term relationship came crashing down around his ears.

A week later on June 9 action comedy will be in the Merchants Suite as mirth meets murder in the world's daftest whodunnit courtesy of C.S.I. Crime Scene Improv.

This act again comes to Devizes via Edinburgh Fringe but no two shows are ever the same as it is entirely made-up on the spot with the help of the audience. No-one knows who the killer is, not even the cast, until the end.

There has been a big demand for tickets for this act and organisers have released a few extra.

On June 14 in the Mercharts Suite Lovehard: Murdered By Murder will as the title suggests also have crime at its heart. Set in 1934 six old friends gather at a country house for a murder mystery party. It features a live score by Nick Charlesworth.

The previous evening there will have been a different kind of comedy as Dirty Dusting appear in the Corn Exchange and three cleaning ladies start up a telephone sex line called The Telephone Belles.

Gladys, Elsie and Olive are cleaning ladies about to be put out to pasture by their manager. Feeling they have little chance of gaining employment elsewhere, they have to boost their falling income.

A wrong number requiring a sex chat line rings into the office and gives them an idea. Their age and appearance won’t matter on the telephone and providing they can keep this from their boss hey could be onto a winner.

But things don't go according to plan.

There will also be free humour at the festival's own fringe when Andrew Watts appears at The Black Swan on June 3 at 7.30pm.

His posh boy humour is intelligent without distancing himself from the audience. Lawyer turned comedian, Andrew is extremely likeable and invariably wins a crowd over as he canters, like an apologetic tsunami, through challenging subjects.

For tickets and information on all acts go to https://www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk