KOMEDIA's Krater Comedy Club is to take up residence at The Basement at City Screen, York, on Sunday nights from this weekend.

"We're healthy competition for the Hyena Lounge Comedy Club, who have now vacated the premises," says Anna Walker, of Dartington company Komedia Entertainment.

In April, Hyena Lounge relocated its Saturday night bills to The Duchess, and The Basement and City Screen's Picturehouse bosses have now forged a new comedy partnership.

"Komedia will be a great partner for The Basement to provide a new entertainment haven to tickle the ribs of the residents of York," says Basement manager Elle Nelson.

Komedia director Richard Daws shares her enthusiasm.

"York is primed for a new and regular stand-up comedy night, and in booking for the autumn events, the feedback we've had from the circuit comedians about playing The Basement has been excellent," he says. "We're confident we can make Komedia’s Krater Comedy Club a fixture in York in the way we have in Brighton and Bath."

Sunday's opening bill features master of ceremonies Stephen Grant, headliner Chris Turner, Michael Fabbri, Adam Staunton and Laura Lexx ; October 12 lines up Phil Nichol, Stuart Mitchell, Alan Sharp, Adam Rowe, and compere Lloyd Griffith; and October 19 promises Paul Sinha, Mike Newall, Si Beckwith, Sean Moran and MC Bryan Lacey. October 26 rounds off the first month with Paul McCaffrey, Paul Pirie, Sal Stevens, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and MC Paul F Taylor.

Komedia was founded in 1994 by Colin Granger, Marina Kobler and David Lavenders with the principle of nurturing new, creative talent, while running comedy venues in Brighton and Bath, playing host to Harry Hill, Graham Norton, Omid Djalili, Mel and Sue, Armstrong and Miller, the League Of Gentlemen and Matt Lucas in their days as up-and-coming acts.

In 1999, Komedia formed a partnership with Brighton comedian Stephen Grant to open Krater Comedy Club, which has gone on to win the Chortle award for Best Comedy Club in the south and west of England 14 times while programming up to six shows every week. Komedia Bath opened in 2008 in the old Beau Nash cinema, and "now Krater Comedy Club will be bringing the current crop of the best UK stand-up comics to York every Sunday," says Anna.

Run by Daws, Granger and Kobler, Komedia's arts and entertainment programme spans theatre and music to cabaret, comedy and live literature. The Komedia Entertainment management and production company was formed in 2001, since when it has produced tours, DVD releases and BBC Radio 4 series for its artists, as well as co-producing Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show and Count Arthur Strong for BBC2.

Tickets for Sunday's 7.30pm debut in York cost £12, concessions £10, on 0871 902 5726 or at thebasementyork.co.uk