COMEDY: GIG OF THE WEEK

Producing a well-crafted sitcom is one of the hardest jobs in the industry. If just one of the nine shows being showcased at the Channel 4 Sitcom Festival over the next fortnight can be developed into a television series, then the event will be deemed a success. Previous years have attracted such high-class performers as Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey (above) and Pauline McLynn. This year's festival features an equally impressive line-up: Felix Dexter in The Melting Pot and Tooled Up; Windsor Davies and Brenda Gilhooley in Write Back Home, and Nina Wadia, from Goodness Gracious Me, Ed Byrne, and Sean Foley and Hamish McColl of the Right Size in Cabin Fever.

Channel 4 Sitcom Festival Riverside Studios, London W6 (0181-237 1111) to 17 Jul

James Rampton