A COMEDIAN wowed an audience in Nelson to land a shot at a national competition for emerging stand-ups.

Ryan Brown, 38, from Barnoldswick, who specialises in deadpan one-liners, saw off several other acts to win the North West round of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year Competition.

Ryan, who only took to the stage for the first time two year’s ago, is now “gagging” for the next round, which takes place in London.

It could net him headline spots at the Brighton and Edinburgh comedy festivals.

Held at The ACE Centre, Nelson, the evening saw talented new comedians from all over the North West competing for their chance to progress in the competition, culminating in a grand final in London.

But it was Ryan who secured the audience vote and a place in the next round.

He said: “I am a big fan of the great one-liner comedians such as Mick Miller, Tommy Cooper and the American stand-up, Steven Wright.

“I thought that kind of humour was a little out of fashion at the time and decided to have a go myself.

“With one liners it takes and awful lot of time to build up a routine as the material is short and snappy. I just do it for a laugh really but it was nice to win the competition in Nelson.”

The ACE Centre, which holds monthly stand-up comedy nights will host the North West round of competition again in 2013.

*************************** Some of Ryan’s favourite one liners Steven Wright: For my birthday I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.

Tommy Cooper: Man goes to the doctors with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says 'I'll give you some cream to put on it.'

Mick Miller: I went to watch Pavarotti once. He doesn't like it when you join in.