HARROGATE comedian Tom Taylor is to mount an autumn tour of the first and second episodes of his series of Charlie Montague Mysteries.

These delightfully silly murder mysteries for anyone who ever wished Bertie Wooster was a detective will take the form of one-man plays with a revolving gallery of high-society dames and eccentric waiters, all played by Taylor.

Taylor, promoter of the Sitting Room comedy nights in York and Harrogate, will visit Helmsley Arts Centre on September 15 at 7.30pm and play a hometown show at Harrogate Theatre on October 10 at 7.45pm.

Episode One, The Game’s A Foot, Try The Fish will provide an introduction to Taylor's hero, Charlie Montague. "Inspired by the Hippodrome’s latest mystery play, rakish aristocrat Charlie takes out an advert offering his services as a consulting detective and, one breakfast later, finds himself on his first case," says Taylor. "What follows sees the gloriously inept love child of Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse determined to prevent a murder. The chap dies."

Not put off in the slightest by the ups and downs of his first case, Charlie duly accepts an invitation to the opening of a new art exhibition where he is presented with the double-threat of murder and modern art in The Man With The Twisted Hip. Alas for Charlie, he is equally baffled by both.

Taylor is a stand-up comedian, musician, writer and actor who graduated from the University of York with a degree in music. He has worked as a composer and lyricist on such productions as a new family musical and an adaptation of Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge, as well as winning the Audience Favourite Award in the Musical Comedy Awards, supporting Simon Munnery on tour and performing on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 as part of the BBC Radio New Comedy Award.

Tickets for his Helmsley show are on sale on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or at harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

York Press:

Nathan Caton

Meanwhile, the next Sitting Room Comedy Club night, at The Winning Post, Bishopthorpe Road, York on July 6, will present an 8pm bill of Nathan Caton, Scarborough's Paul Tonkinson, Edy Hurst and host Phil Ellis. Tickets cost £10 at sittingroomcomedy.co.uk or on the door from 7.30pm.