MASTER of absurdist irony Rich Hall returns to the Alban Arena next Tuesday, May 21.

The star of the critically acclaimed BBC 4 documentaries Rich Hall’s Continental Drifters, Rich Hall’s The Dirty South and How The West Was Lost plus Channel 4’s topical late night show Stand Up For The Week, he has a grouchy deadpan style.

Since appearing in the guise of his redneck alter-ego Otis Lee Crenshaw in 1998, award-winning Rich has won critical acclaim across the globe by performing to sell-out audiences each year at the Edinburgh Fringe, UK tours and at comedy festivals worldwide.

The show begins at 8pm and tickets at £15 are available from the Arena box office on 01727 844488 or online www.alban-arena.co.uk

Acclaimed character comedian Simon Brodkin, otherwise known as Lee Nelson, brings his brand-new show to the Arena next Friday, May 24.

He will be presenting his unique take on the world with special guest appearances from Dr Bob, Jason Bent and others.

Performing solo stand-up since 2004, he has also written for and appeared on the television shows Al Murray’s Multiple Personality Disorder in 2009, Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show in 2010 and Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People in 2013.

Tickets for the show that starts at 7.30pm are £22.50.

Vienna Festival Ballet return with their traditional production of Sleeping Beauty at the Arena at 2.30pm next Saturday, May 25.

Set to to Tchaikovsky’s score, it portrays the struggle between good and evil as the wicked fairy Carabosse lays a curse on Princess Aurora, proclaiming that she will one day pierce her finger and die.

Tickets are £22.50 with concessions £17.50 and under-16s £14.

Al Murray’s visit to the Arena next Thursday, May 23, as part of his The Only Way is Epic tour has sold out.

n Award-winning film Argo, directed and starring Ben Affleck, is being screened at the Arena at 1.30pm and 7.30pm next Wednesday, May 22.

When six Americans take refuge in the Canadian embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis, U.S. government agent Tony Mendez turns to Hollywood for help. Working with a producer and a make-up artist, he devises a rescue mission that centres on the creation of a fake film production company scouting locations in Iran.

Argo swept the board at all award ceremonies including receiving seven nominations for the 85th Academy Awards and winning three including best picture.

Tickets for the matinee are £5 and for evenings, £7 or £5 concessions.