2011 Edinburgh Fringe

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Life-affirming stories don't come much funnier than from the motor mouth of Geordie chancer Jason Cook. Four years at the Edinburgh festival under his belt means four five-star shows to his name, and Jason shows no sign of slacking with The Search For Happiness, this year's hour of gags, anecdotes and his trademark serving of pathos.

Taking a slightly scientific bent, The Search For Happiness charts Jason's search for the human holy grail of happiness. We all search for those moments of happiness in our lives, but how can we find them? Is there anything we can change about ourselves to make them more likely to happen? Using certain parameters - birthplace; profession; marital status; child status - Jason will construct a "truly happy human", then measure his own life against his creation's.

By guiding us through the things in life that make us truly happy, and with his unrivalled knack for brutal honesty and emotional comedy, Jason brings stories from his own life to illustrate all the things we need to find happiness. The Search For Happiness was inspired by Jason's project for Radio 4, Jason Cook's Happiness HQ, where Jason, his mam and fellow comedian Chris Ramsey try to find the happiest people in Britain and explore how to have a more contented life.

Jason started out as part of the renowned Newcastle based sketch troupe, Soup. He made a name for himself around the Tyneside area, most notably during his time spent as a regular compere at The Hyena Club where he honed his sharp, dark comedic talent in front of 300 baying punter. He's also the writer of Die Clatterschenkenfieternmaus and Malcolm and Mirriam.

His debut solo Edinburgh show My Confessions in 2007 was a five-star success, with subsequent shows Joy (2008), Fear (2009) and last year's The End (Part One) keeping up the ridiculously funny work.

Jason blends near-the-knuckle comedy and heart-warming tales to devastating comic effect. His shows have a reputation for providing more than just straight stand-up and command an emotional investment from his audience that never fails to pay dividends.

Catch Jason when he appears on the new series of Russell Howard's Good News.