COMEDIAN Andy Parsons is at The Haymarket on Saturday, 16 September.

A regular panelist on Mock the Week, he is known for his witty political putdowns.

Parsons started his career writing for Week Ending, and Smith and Jones, and went on to become one of the main writers on the groundbreaking Spitting Image. He has performed on numerous radio and television shows including Live at the Apollo, QI, and Saturday Live.

Since winning the Time Out Comedy Award in 2002, he has performed his stand-up all over the world, from the prestigious Montreal and Kilkenny comedy festivals to touring Australia and New Zealand. To date he has undertaken three sell-out national tours and released the DVDs Britain’s Got Idiots, followed by Gruntled.

His new show promises to be a riotous evening of top drawer stand-up.

The publicity for the show asks “Worried about your job? Worried about your family? Worried about yourself? Worried about the health service? Education? Climate change? World War 3? Worried about worrying? Sod it! Come and have a laugh about it. It’s one of the things we do best. Or is it? Was it something we did best but like everything else has now gone West. Or South. Or East. Ah - go on. Take a risk. Put on your lucky pants and your

party shoes – and get yourself on a night out. Or maybe come out dressed in a binbag, top hat and clogs. We could all use a laugh.”

The Big Chris Barber Band celebrates one hundred years of jazz at The Anvil on Thursday, 21 September.

Chris Barber OBE is one of the last British jazz giants still performing and a paragon of traditional jazz in this country. For more than 68 years, he has been active in the music scene promoting, recording and releasing music as well as touring with his band.

This year The Big Chris Barber Band celebrates jazz under the theme, Centenary of Jazz.

The 10-piece band, inspired by the great Ken Colyer Jazz Men, features everything from New Orleans to blues to late twenties’ Ellington, played with extraordinary panache and skill.

Hear songs from the Jazz Age along with Chris’ favourites like Bourbon Street Parade, Jubilee Stomp, Petite Fleur, Ice Cream, and When the Saints Go Marching In, played by one of the finest, if not the finest, band of its kind in the world.

Ireland’s Jack Lukeman kicks off the autumn season in The Forge on the same evening.

The respected performer and multi-platinum selling, award-winning singer and songwriter with the powerful voice is gaining recognition internationally after a spellbinding performance at New York's Lincoln Centre.

Add to that gigs at Glastonbury and The Royal Albert Hall as a special guest of Jools Holland, and you have a true star in the making.

He returns to Basingstoke following a successful support slot earlier this year.

Anvil Arts’ full autumn season is now on sale and the most up-to-date information can be found on the website anvilarts.org.uk.

For more information or for tickets, call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244.