Comedy legend Lee Evans has agreed to do a ‘warm-up’ show at Grassington Festival.

Described as one of Britain’s best loved comedy stars, the former boxer is about to embark on 66-night tour of some of the UK’s biggest arenas.

“This is a chance for audiences to see Evans in an intimate setting as he tries out new material for his forthcoming Roadrunner arena tour,” said a festival spokesman.

His live performances are a must-see for comedy fans worldwide, but, as this is work in progress, Lee may perform using notes.

He will kick off the Festival in the Marquee events on Monday, June 27, at 8pm. Meanwhile, the award-winning theatre company Slung Low is putting the final touches to its performance of “Linton Camp: The Correct Frequency for Stories”.

The production is a site-specific drama which uses headphone technology to recreate “the vibrations still held within this extraordinary place”.

Part research based and part fiction, Slung Low will lead their audience through the stories of the children and adults who lived and worked at Linton Camp during its years of operation.

Built in 1939, the site housed World War Two child evacuees as young as five and later became a residential school. Some of the buildings are still standing and will form the backdrop to this new work, which will be performed on Saturdays, June 18 and June 25.

Grassington Festival is now in its 31st year and offers a wide variety of events - from jazz, folk, gospel and classical music performances to celebrity evenings, exhibitions and workshops.

This year’s festival will run from Friday, June 17 to Saturday, July 2. For the full programme or to buy tickets, visit grassington-festival.org.uk.