TV comic Ross Noble is to headline a huge night of comedy at Brierley Hill Civic Hall as a showpiece event of this year’s Black Country Festival, it was revealed today.

The Geordie funny man, who has appeared on TV shows including Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You and QI, and is currently headlining a European tour - 'Brain Dump' - will be supported by local acts at the show on Black Country Day, Friday July 14th.

Tickets are on sale now and are expected to be snapped up quickly.

Noble, 40, has built a huge following through his largely improvised live shows and has nearly one million followers on Twitter. He will be supported on the night by local favourite, Jonny Cole, Darren Harriott from Oldbury and Mike Crump, from Dudley. Holding things together as MC on the night will be local comedian and MC, Wayne Beese.

Musical comedian, Jonny Cole, has built a huge following in the Black Country with songs including 'Fat Face' and 'I Found Love In The Black Country' going down a storm with audiences all over the borough.

Harriott was last year snapped up by big London agency Christian Knowles Productions, which also manages comedians including Micky Flanagan and Mark Watson. He has appeared on Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central.

Crump is also an actor and is another touted as a future star. He bagged one of the lead roles in Danny and The Human Zoo, the feature length BBC drama filmed in Dudley and based on the life of Lenny Henry.

Beese is the regular host of the popular Live At The Civic nights at Brierley Hill Civic Hall and was described by Joe Lycett recently as “one of the sharpest comperes I have ever had the pleasure of working with”. Steve Edwards, chairman of the Black Country Festival committee, said:

“The Black Country Festival is all about celebrating everything that is great about where we come from. Black Country folk are renowned for having a great sense of humour. We hope they will support this fantastic event on Black Country Day.

“Getting Ross Noble is a massive coup for us. He is a huge name in the world of comedy and one of the very best acts not just in this country but in the world.

“We wanted to give the very best acts from the Black Country the chance to support him and showcase what they can do on a big stage in front of hundreds of people.”

Tickets, priced at £22 each, are available from the Brierley Hill Civic website.