CANADIAN comedienne Katherine Ryan is among headliners at next month’s Halifax Festival Comedy Gala.

She will take the stage alongside fellow Canadian, and fellow cast member of BBC comedy drama Hebburn, Chris Ramsey.

Also appearing in the July 3 show at Victoria Theatre will be Alun Cochrane, Paul Tonkinson and MC Jason Cook.

The three-hour Comedy Gala is the first event of its type to be programmed as part of the annual Halifax Festival.

Organisers promise some of the best names from the UK comedy circuit, who have been seen on TV shows like Live At The Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Mock The Week.

Halifax Festival, which lasts nine days, this year celebrates the arrival of the Tour de France in Calderdale.

The festival promises events for all tastes from June 27 to July 5.

There will be a drive-in movie screening of The Lion King, a pop-up interactive screening of Amelie, and a new theatre piece in the Street in the Sky above Borough Market.

There are plenty of bicycle and French themed activities for the whole family.

Other highlights include a candlelit performance by top folk band Lau, a free family day in the grounds of Eureka!, free outdoor theatre show Bike Story, and afternoon tea with a talk on the history of cake by BBC food historian Annie Gray.

Grizzly Tales of Halifax is a storytelling tour of Halifax's most grizzly locations and horrible histories on Britain's only open-top minibus.

Call 01422 351158 or visit halifaxfestival.co.uk for further information and to buy tickets costing £15.