Perrier Award nominee ALEX HORNE is to embark on a 32-date national tour from 1st February 2009. Birdwatching, which played to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, sees ALEX tackle a subject that other comedians would shy away from. Having already conquered science, body language, C4's Countdown and Latin in previous shows, this time he turns his attention to birdwatchers - or twitchers, birders, dudes, ornithologists, whatever you want to call them - a breed of enthusiasts too often ignored (perhaps feared) by the comedy world.

Already commissioned as a book - Birdwatchingwatching (to be published by Virgin on 21st January) - the show tells the tale of a year mostly spent wandering around bird reserves up and down the country in a quest to understand his father and complete the ultimate challenge in birdwatching: a 'Big Year'.

ALEX explains:

"I'm not a birdwatcher, but my Dad is. He's been watching birds for as long as I've known him (over 30 years). Whenever we were in the car on family holidays he'd knock frantically on the window if we passed a kestrel hovering above the motorway and we'd all have to look up and say, 'yes, that's very nice, dad, well done'." "I was a member of the YOC when I was little and still have the shiny badge (an osprey, I think) in a drawer somewhere. But ever since the age of about seven any interest in the hobby (or hobbies) waned. That was until 2006 when I reached the same age my dad was when he had me. He was twice as old as I was (that hadn't always been the case - when I was five, he wasn't 10). I was old enough to be a dad myself, I was married, but I knew nothing about fatherhood - except for the fact that my own father spent all his time birdwatching. So in an attempt to find out what it was that continues to make him tick (and twitch) I joined him on a 'Big Year' - a birding term for a race in which birders try to see as many species as possible in 12 months. We started our good-natured (h)ornithological competition on 1st January 2006."

Did ALEX see more birds than his Dad? Did he learn to love birdwatching? And what have Bahrain , Birdworld and Bill Oddie all got in common? Find out in this dramatically true tale from the Perrier Award-nominee and Chortle Award-winner.

What the press has said about Birdwatching:

Rather like a rare bird - his ostensible subject - he is a fragile delight, covering any subject with a daft, surreal charm.
Stephen Armstrong, The Sunday Times

Much more of a progressively inclusive family comedy than your typical stand up, and the feel good factor is unrivalled... It's well worth your while witnessing Horne's sharp eye, quick wit and excellent audience rapport, as he effortlessly moves the boundaries of the genre itself.
Duska Radosavljevic, The Stage

The Stand Comedy Club, Glasgow - Monday 16th March. Telephone: 0870 600 6055
Sunday 15th March, Edinburgh The Stand. Telephone: 0131 558 7272

Further information

Website www.alexhorne.com