HAPPINESS and humour really are good for your health. A good chuckle can lift your spirits, help you bond with fellow joke-sharers, and even release pain-relieving endorphins which make everything feel just a little bit better. It’s also very infectious. As the good people at Ilkley Playhouse are concerned about your health and well-being, we naturally want to bring laughter to the folk of Ilkley.

Breadth and depth of humour – something to tickle everyone – is what we aim for. If you haven’t caught our comedy One Slight Hitch, there may still be time – at the time of writing there were a few tickets remain for the three last nights. Failing that, our Stage Fright Comedy Club’s next offering may be just what you need.

We are thrilled to present the first of our special Edinburgh Festival Preview Double Header Special nights (try saying that ten times!), which is coming to the Ilkley Playhouse on June 4: top-class comedians delivered (almost) to your doorstep.

Guitar-playing stand-up Christian Reilly provides musical comedy with a bite. His solo act is sparked by improvisation, energy and music. His snappy pace carries you along and teases laughs from unexpected twists in his stream-of-consciousness delivery. Compared by The Guardian to modern greats Bill Bailey and Rich Hall, he has also worked with Richard Herring. His last solo Edinburgh show, Lost In Music, was both sold out and critically acclaimed. At the Playhouse he’ll be previewing its successor, which suggests a treat is in store.

Next is Brennan Reece, a bright young comic from Manchester. Brennan is the reigning English Comedian of the Year and a finalist in the BBC Radio New Comedy Awards, and is joining us from a sold-out three month tour of Australia. Northern domestic humour then comes courtesy of Dawn Rigby. Dawn’s routine encompasses family, career, dieting and flatulence, at least some of which I’m sure we can all relate to.

Dawn will be joined by rising star Jared Shooter. His energetic style draws you into the bridge between adolescence and discovering the adult world. Jared totes spot-on observational humour about his life experiences, mixed with clever one-liners and anecdotes. The evening will be compered by one-liner specialist Anthony J Brown, whose stylised delivery is unlike any other comedian you’re likely to have come across before. If these names aren’t familiar to you now, we’re sure you’ll hear more about them in the future.

Stagefright comedy nights have a great welcoming and laid-back atmosphere. It’s a great night out with time for drinks and chat as well as superb, quality comedy. There is a competition for free tickets and seating is unreserved, cabaret-style, in keeping with the general informality of the evening. So book now. Remember, laughter is good for you!

We also have our Fleapit Cinema on Sunday, June 5. This month we are showing the wonderful Chicago, a 2002 Hollywood musical exploring celebrity, scandal and corruption in Jazz Age Chicago. It won six Academy Awards in 2003, including Best Picture – the first musical to this coveted award Oliver! in 1968.

Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere, all three giving outstanding performances, it’s a perfect treat for a Sunday afternoon. At just £5, which includes tea and cake at the interval, it’s a pocket-friendly one too. Fantastic choreography, a visual delight and humour too, it will also put a smile on your face. You may even be tempted to high kick your way home!

Finally, on the horizon we have The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter. If you like your humour darker, political and thoughtful, this is for you. Sue Garnett and Dick Hebbert play the Pinter protagonists in a plot that blends of absurdity and farce. It’s a true masterpiece and runs from June 22 to 25.

To book your ticket for One Slight Hitch, Stagefright Comedy Club Edinburgh Festival Preview Special, or any of our events, visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or call 01943 609539. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news, reviews and pictures.