CARNIVAL Fifty Six has announced a comedy line-up guaranteed to deliver giggles galore this summer.

Renowned for his cutting edge comedy and intrepid social commentary, multi award-winning Irishman Andrew Maxwell is a star of BBC’s Live at the Apollo and Sky’s John Bishop’s Only Joking, as well as host of BBC3’s Edinburgh Comedy Marathon. Intelligent, self deprecating and searingly articulate, Maxwell consistently delivers superb sets that are very, very funny.

Aloof in presence and dripping disdain from every perfectly pronounced word, Simon Evans is sizzlingly entertaining as regular television appearances (Mock the Week, Michael McIntyre Roadshow and Rich Hall’s Cattle Drive) and radio contributions (Radio 4 News Quiz, Armando Ianucci’s Charm Offensive) testify.

Described as one of the leading hidden masters of British comedy, Richard Herring’s one man show delivers high-brow wit and low-brow puerile at breakneck speed. A pioneer of comedy podcasting, most recently with Russell Brand, Stephen Fry and Simon Pegg, expect black comedy, satire, irony and deadpan at the festival.

Matt Richardson is an English comedian best known as a co-presenter on the ITV2 spin-off show The Xtra Factor as well as the drive time presenter on Virgin Radio UK. Richardson also makes regular appearances on shows such as Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Big Brother’s Bit on the Side and is one of the comperes for this year’s comedy stage.

Joining Matt as comedy compere is Billy Kirkwood. Something of a Glaswegian Peter Kay, delivering universal childhood nostalgia with punchy comic rhythms and a dynamic on-stage presence that sweeps all along with him, Kirkwood’s energy never fails to win a crowd.

Deploying the full force of a preacher-like delivery, reminiscent of illustrious forebears such as George Carlin and Bill Hicks, Glenn Wool puts up the fiercest fight against indifference in an audience, across a repertoire of the political to plain silly, that is impossible to ignore.

Phil Nichol fires with a supercharged, head-spinning frenetic energy, covering more ground in the first five minutes than many comics can manage in a 20-minute set. Hold on tight as Crazy Uncle Phil’ takes Carnival Fifty Six on a wild ride of anecdotes, told with a zeal few can match.

Kai Humphries has a wicked line of material and a cheeky chappy stage presence that has seen him play out to big audiences and wide acclaim. Turning a hefty Geordie accent to his advantage, Humphries dives headlong into tales of his shamelessness and obviously true stories of family and friends.

Edinburgh’s Iain Stirling is a Scottish BAFTA-winning and triple BAFTA-nominated comedian with four consecutive sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Providing an intriguing twentysomething perspective on the current state of his nation, he has been hailed as one of Scotland’s hottest newcomers.

Jenny Bede is an award-winning musical comedian and actor who was the Observer & Guardian's Rising Star of Comedy 2015. Voted Best Newcomer at the Musical Comedy Awards, Bede’s insightful, bizarre, and brilliantly dark pop-culture inspired brand of humour, has gained her a popular online following, one which has her set on a collision course with stardom.

Since winning Scottish Comedian of the Year Award back in 2006, barely a year after his first-ever open-spot, Mark Nelson’S dark humour, cutting observations and superb one-liners has seen him firmly established as a heavy-hitting comedy powerhouse. A master of storytelling, Nelson’s irreverent, vulgar and humane consideration of society’s taboos pushes dangerously near the boundaries of good taste.

Chris Betts’ mind is a curious place, where the philosophical meets the ridiculous. His shows are a perfect balance of incisive social satire and complete silliness. A Canadian who deals in off-kilter thoughts with the occasional prod at taboo topics, his set at Carnival Fifty Six is an enticing prospect.

Festival director Craig Blyth said: "This year’s comedy stage will be an important part of the festival and is guaranteed to add a lot of laughs across the weekend.

"There are some great names joining us as well as the very best in emerging comedians, and we would encourage everyone to check them out.

"Carnival Fifty Six is shaping up to be a highlight of the summer and everyone is invited."

C56 will take place over August 12-13 in Dundee's Camperdown Park. For more info and tickets, go to carnivalfiftysix.co.uk