A local restaurateur at Trattoria 51 is preparing to cook up a storm at the Southport Comedy Night, in the hopes of raising vital funds for Claire House.

During the past six weeks, Attilio Sergi has received coaching from acclaimed funny man, Brendan Riley to deliver witty, stand-up material, which pays homage to his Italian heritage.

The live event is scheduled for Sunday, October 26 at the Ramada Hotel in Southport and Attilio will be joined by nine other brave acts, each performing ten-minutes of stand-up comedy.

Attilio said:

“The run up to the big event has certainly been fun for all. Brendan has helped us refine our material by sharing his knowledge and experience when it comes to constructing a captivating act.”

“I am very much excited to perform in front of hundreds during the evening. I will provide a selection of amusing anecdotes including my personal experiences about when I first moved from Italy to the North West, whilst giving my best Scouse impressions.”

As the Southport Comedy Festival’s finale, the charity evening will provide a fresh and novel take on stand up gags, by enabling members of the public to become comedy kings and queens for an honourable cause.

Brendan added:

“Following the success of last year’s show, the Southport Comedy Night is set to be even funnier and eccentric. It has been fantastic to coach people with either little or no stand-up comedy experience, and see their progression week by week.

“Attilio is a naturally funny guy whose comical presence is instantly apparent. As a result of his hospitality background, Attilio’s communication skills and confidence to engage with the public means he has the gift of the gab. The only thing we had to work on was certain language barriers when it came to colloquial terms and phrases – however I’m certain that Attilio will deliver a hysterical performance!”

The Southport Comedy Night will take place on Sunday, October 26 at the Ramada Hotel in Southport from 7:30pm.

Tickets cost £15 and can be purchased by contacting dan.halliday@claire-house.org.uk – all proceeds will be donated to Claire House Children’s Hospice.

For more information visit www.claire-house.org.uk/event-details/event/790/page/southport-comedy-night-26-10-2014/