BASINGSTOKE has been chosen by the BBC as a location for its Stand up if you Dare event as part of this year’s Comic Relief appeal – and now the search is on for entrants who are game for a laugh.

Each of the BBC’s 12 regions will hold the comedy night, when people who have never attempted stand-up before will take to the stage.

For the South, the event will be held at the Red Lion Hotel, at the Top of The Town in Basingstoke, on March 11.

The Red Lion has donated the use of its venue for free and all money made from ticket sales will go straight to Comic Relief, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Chris Harris, BBC Radio Solent assistant editor, said: “We are looking for people who have never done stand-up before.”

Each participant will have around three minutes to fill with jokes.

Mr Harris added: “The challenge will be if they have never stood up in front of an audience before, perhaps with some of their friends and family watching – how frightening that must be.”

The volunteers will receive a helping hand before their big night and will have the chance to attend a workshop run by Basingstoke comedienne Jan Jack, who hosts a comedy night called Laughter House at the Red Lion Hotel.

Participants will be given hints and tips on what works and what doesn’t, public speaking, and the finer points of stand-up from professional comedians.

Details of how to buy tickets for the event, which starts at 7.30pm, will be revealed soon, along with the host for the evening likely to be a top comedian.

The best bits of the evening will be shown on BBC South Today.