This Friday 7 February sees renowned Irish comedian Ed Byrne bring his latest show Roaring Forties to the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. After hitting that much-maligned milestone of forty in 2012, Byrne has been on a mission to prove that life doesn’t end there – a quest which has seen him play to packed theatres across the country and even returned him to his spiritual home of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

To help him champion the cause of that universal rite of passage, we thought we’d celebrate some fellow comedians who have all made it through their fortieth birthday blues!

Comedy legends Charlie Chaplin and Spike Milligan were both born on the same day as Ed Byrne – 16 April – and both appear on Blackpool’s Comedy Carpet in homage to their distinct comic genius. Their subtle blend of deadpan wit and slapstick silliness is a quality that continues to live on in the likes of Byrne.

But it isn’t just April 16 that’s a notable date for the birth of comedy. 1972, the year of Byrne’s birth also brought legends-in-the-making Frankie Boyle, Nick Frost, Stephen Merchant, Karl Pilkington, Jimmy Carr and even Byrne’s Mock The Week co-panellist and best man, Dara O’Briain to the forefront of contemporary comedy.

So if you’re considering catching Ed Byrne: Roaring Forties at The Grand this week, don’t pass up this opportunity to see a comic star rising to the top of his game…and he might just make you roar too!

Book online or via the box office on 01253 290190