THE next two headline acts at the Burning Duck Comedy Club in York, Liam Pickford and Seymour Mace, both received accolades at this summer's Edinburgh Fringe festival.

Next Tuesday's bill at the Black Swan Inn, in Peasholme Green, will be topped by Pickford, who was the runner-up in this year's Chortle Student Comedy Award, an event where he was described by Chortle as having "funny bones and a scatter-gun mind that doesn’t work quite like anyone else’s".

Hailing from Ashton-under-Lyne, Pickford has been consistently confusing and amusing crowds on the North West circuit and he also won the Manchester heat of BBC Radio’s New Comedy Award in 2012 with his surrealist slant on the art of stand-up.

Next Tuesday's support comes from Kate McCabe, an American comic now living in Manchester, who has been warmly received by audiences all over Britain in response to her amiable blend of the observational and the ridiculous. Kate also works with the ComedySportz improvisational troupe.

The guest master of ceremonies will be the returning Edy Hurst, who regulars may remember as the act who knows all the themes for all the James Bond films. The show will accommodate shorter spots in the middle too for rising stars Thom Williams, Ross Brierley and Charlotte Perry. "We haven’t seen Charlotte yet, but apparently she has some very funny material about dinosaurs," says Burning Duck promoter Alistair Greaves.

“We have had a very successful summer season at the Burning Duck Comedy Club, hosting our own Woodsduck Comedy Festival, as well as presenting a comedy showcase as part of the inaugural Great Yorkshire Fringe. So we're now looking forwards to our autumn season and the opportunity to add some exciting new names to our bills, such as Liam Pickford, as well as welcoming back several old favourites.”

Greaves was "especially delighted" when he learned that the Burning Duck's first ever headline act, Seymour Mace, was nominated for a Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award for his show Niche As F***, which he had previewed as part of the Woodsduck Festival.

"So we're excited to announce that Seymour has agreed to return to headline our first birthday show on October 13, along with Jack and Sam from Newcastle's Silly Billies Comedy Club, who will be returning to host the gig," says Greaves. "We'll also have a few other returning acts, such as our semi-regular MC Sean Morley and Harrogate comic Tom Taylor, who's just won the first ever Great Yorkshire Fringe Comedian of the Year competition in York."

A limited number of earlybird £3 tickets for next Tuesday's show, as well as Burning Duck's other shows, are available online at burningduckcomedy.com. "These tickets always sell out," advises Greaves. "We're also looking forward to adding more touring shows and we've already booked local favourite Dan Nightingale, who'll be bringing his Small World Tour to the Black Swan on Monday, October 26."

Doors will open at 7.45pm for next Tuesday's 8pm start. Tickets cost £3 or £4 online or £5 on the door.