THE Courtyard's festival of comedy, #CourtLaughing, offers laughs for all the family when it raises the curtain for three days of fun, from Friday June 26 to Sunday, June 28.

For children over six, their parents and anyone who likes comedy without the rude words, James Campbell presents Comedy4Kids, which might or might not discuss lollipop ladies, quantum chromatic disruption machines and tartan badgers.

On Sunday, June 28, Whitehall Senior, Michael Whitehall, father of the more famous Jack, will be Chatting Back at the festival. Producer, talent agent, author and more recently a television personality, Michael Whitehall can also be found on Twitter re-creating some of his favourite paintings.

A further variation on the comic theme comes from Men in General, who mix a capella classics with comedy, advice on relationships, what not to wear and the tender side of blokedom.

Men In General are quintuplets, so they say, separated at birth, recently re-united by a social networking site and now talking and singing Billy Joel, Lou Reed, Red Molly, Marvin Gaye, Joe Jackson, Coope Boyes and Simpson, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Stills, Tom Jones, The Beach Boys, The Spooky Men’s Chorale and other top lyrics.

A five-piece force of male vocal antics not to be missed, this show includes indoor parachute jumping, a road movie, a painting by Edward Hopper, unusual hobbies for men, a pub at midnight and mistakes anyone could make.

James Campbell’s Comedy 4 Kids, Saturday, June 27 at 2pm; Michael Whitehall Chats Back on Sunday, June 28 at 7.30pm; Men in General, Sunday, June 28 at 7pm in the Studio Theatre. To book, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtlaughing.co.uk