Article: COMEDY FESTIVAL: FUNNY BUSINESS; As the first icBirmingham Comedy Festival prepares to tickle your ribs, Festival Director Dave Freak outlines the background to the events and chooses some top names who are booked to perform.(ROP)

The first question everyone asks is 'Why a comedy festival?' Well the answer is pretty simple. It seems Birmingham has a celebration for every other activity - jazz, film, TV, books, songwriting, not to mention carnivals, parades and religious festivities - so why not comedy?

The great thing about comedy is that it spans so many mediums and art forms. To quote the icBirmingham Comedy Festival publicity: 'There's more to good comedy than a few jokes,' and this is something which the festival is keen to explore. Traditional stand-up is just the starting point.

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