LOCAL folks can get a taste of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival this July, and they won't even have to paint their faces blue or get special hand-written permission from Nicola Sturgeon to cross that ancient border to the north.

There's no need to cross any border at all in fact, because the Evesham Arts Centre will be hosting "Work-in-Progress" shows by comics Tom Toal and Josh Pugh.

Josh Pugh, unsurprisingly, is 'A Boy Named Pugh', according to the title of his show.

He's already taken his debut show to the Perth and Adelaide Fringes ahead of a full run at Edinburgh.

A spokesman said: "Catch him before he's huge."

Or indeed before he crosses the border.

Tom Toal promises to be "Better than Before", which is good to know, and he's back in Evesham with a brand new show.

The fun starts at 8pm on Friday July 14.

Tickets on 01386 446944 and from www.EveshamArtsCentre.co.uk