Justin Moorhouse and Ian D Monfort kick off the 2011 season of Edinburgh Previews at the Hyena Lounge Comedy Club in York on Sunday night.

“Over the next nine weeks in the Basement at City Screen, some of the biggest and best names in stand-up will run through their new hour-long Fringe shows,” says promoter Toby Clouston-Jones.

“In the past six years of hosting Edinburgh Previews, the names of acts that have performed to the comedy fans of York have read like a modern who’s who of comedy. Rhod Gilbert, Russell Howard, John Bishop, Mark Watson, Sarah Millican, Reginald D Hunter, Jon Richardson, Lucy Porter and Jim Jefferies have all popped down and this year’s crop is yet another bumper harvest of merry-makers.”

Professional northerner Justin Moorhouse will be making the first of two visits to York in 2011: he will return here post-Edinburgh to play the Grand Opera House on September 28.

You will know him best from his role as Young Kenny in Channel 4’s Phoenix Night, the Peter Kay sitcom that called on Justin to spend the entire second series with his face painted as a tiger.

“His exuberant, larger-than-life personality and cheeky northern charm make him one of the brightest stars on the British comedy circuit,” says Toby.

“After changing management, he’s now being guided by the same team behind John Bishop and Jason Manford, so don’t be too surprised if Justin is playing to sell-out arenas before too long.”

Meanwhile, Tom Binns has created a new comedy character, Sunderland psychic Ian D Montfort, in the wake of the success of his earlier alter ego, hospital DJ Ivan Brackenbury.

“Montfort was a huge hit on his debut at last year’s Edinburgh festival with five-star reviews right across the board, and this might well be the show that propels Binns’s character into the big league of comedy players,” says Toby.

In Binns’s characterisation, Montfort is exposed as a charlatan immediately, stumbling upon the obvious, making basic mistakes and channelling only celebrities with the help of his spirit guide, Jeff.

“Psychics are an easy target but Montfort is at least as charming as he is dubious,” says Toby. “Once a comfortable scepticism has been established, however, he surprises everyone by going on to display some seemingly real feats of psychic perception.

“The knowing sneers give way to a less sure reaction, even some genuine wonder. That the show delivers a bit of magic in the mix is the genius twist here, playing with what the audience expect and how they want to react.”

Dates for the diary for the Edinburgh Preview season are: June 12, Isy Suttie and Elis James; June 19, Phil Nichol and Carey Marx; June 26, Tony Law plus TBC; July 3, Rufus Hound and Alun Cochrane; July 10, Sarah Millican and Sally Anne Hayward; July 17, Pete Firman and Mick Ferry; July 24, Jason Cook and Chris Ramsey; July 31, Andrew Lawrence and Lloyd Langford.

Toby has his pencil poised to fill the June 26 vacancy, waiting to sign up a certain Welsh firebrand that once lost his cool in an unsavoury motorway service-station incident with a mince pie. “It’s looking likely,” he tantalises. • Doors open at 7pm each Sunday for the 7.30pm start in the Basement. All tickets cost £8 on 0871 902 5726 or online at thebasementyork.co.uk. For more information, visit hyenalounge.com