A COMIC treat is in store at the next instalment of Jan Jack’s Laughter-House.

Jim Tavare (pictured), who has worked across the globe and is a veteran of three Royal Variety Performances, will be in Basingstoke on July 15.

Tavare, who has performed privately at Highgrove, has had his own show, Jim Tavare Pictures Presents on BBC 2, and co-starred in The Sketch Show, which won a Best Comedy Series BAFTA.

In 1999, he wrote and starred in Channel 5’s The Jim Tavare Show and reached the last four comedians in the national series Last Comic Standing.

Laughter-House, which started in October 2007, has hosted the likes of Milton Jones, Adam Bloom and Bob Mills, but Tavare is the best known act so far.

Jan Jack a comic herself, said: “I performed at a charity event with a close friend of Jim Tavare, who was aware of Laughter-House’s good reputation, and offered to speak to him for me.”

She added that at the Basingstoke comedy gig, she ensures there is a balance between professional entertainment and a feeling of relaxed, friendly intimacy for smaller groups and individuals.

Joining Tavare at The Red Lion Hotel, in London Street, Basingstoke, will be Dave Thompson, perhaps best known for playing Tinky-Winky in the Teletubbies. Thompson’s absurdist humour led Ben Elton to write a role for him in his 2000 movie Maybe Babe.

He is a regular collaborator with Harry Hill, and performs at Jongleurs and The Comedy Store. He has also written for TV Burp, co-written Boothby Graffoe’s Radio 4 series and supplied material to several other stand-ups.

Resident compere Danny Dawes will be guiding the evening, which begins at 8.15pm, with doors opening from 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £12 – or £10 to Laughter-House Loyalty Members and small discounts for advance tickets for groups of six people – and can be purchased at The Red Lion Hotel reception, on 01256 328525, or online at We Got Tickets, via laughter-house. vpweb.co.uk.