This Thursday 21st August, nine of the country's funniest up-and-coming comedians will go head to head in a battle to be crowned the winner of the prestigious Foster's So You Think You're Funny? comedy competition.

This will be the 27th year of this new act competition. Previous winners include Peter Kay, Lee Mack, David O'Doherty, Tommy Tiernan, Miles Jupp, Dylan Moran and Aisling Bea.

This year, the search for finalists has taken the Gilded Balloon's competition organisers to Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Dublin, Glasgow, Inverness, Liverpool, London, Manchester and York. The selected shortlist has then gone through to perform at this year's Fringe heats. The organisers say: "The competition has been tough so far. The nine finalists have been put through their paces, having defeated competitors in their local showcases and in the Edinburgh heats."

The final will be hosted by Zoe Lyons, with Jason Manford confirmed as the celebrity judge. The winner, as picked by the judging panel, will not only take away the coveted title but will also receive a £2000 cash prize and a trip to perform at Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival.

The organisers point out: "This is trial by comedy fire, with comedians given just eight minutes to impress the expert judging panel."

Jason Manford will be joined on the panel by Gilded Balloon boss Karen Koren, Universal's Angela Squire, Melbourne Festival's Susan Provan, Just For Laughs' Zoe Rabnett, Helen Hawkins from The Sunday Times, and Bruce Dessau from The Evening Standard.

Below are the nine acts due to take part in the final, accompanied by the short biography they have chosen to supply...

Aidan Strangeman: Stand back everyone, Aidan Strangeman has a bomb: A musical comedy bomb! You'll be hilariously maimed by his destructively catchy songs before you finally succumb to horrific, rib-shattering happiness. You're welcome. Front row not recommended.

Benji Waterstones: Benji is a trainee psychiatrist struggling to adjust to a new life in London. Expect neurotic tales from the other side of the doctor's desk from this softly-spoken storyteller.

Christopher Macarthur Boyd: Christopher is an up-and-coming Glaswegian comedian, in as much as it would be impossible for him to go downhill. He still lives at home with his mum and dad in the suburbs, and is currently unemployed.

Elliot Steel: Elliot steel is really young. How young you ask? Like super young. So young in fact that while you're reading this he's currently being babysat as he isn't legally allowed in the building even though he's from Croydon and has drunk alcohol before.

Eshaan Akbar: Eshaan's dad advised him to "become a comedian, because you have a funny face". He did. Now his dad avoids making eye contact with him. He hopes you won't do the same when he tries to make you laugh.

Gary Meikle: Gary has a great stage presence and looks like a seasoned pro already, his stories are based on his playfully dark opinions all the while being punchy with great anecdotes peppered throughout his set.

Jim Smith: Jim is a beef and sheep farmer from Perthshire. After years of writing and performing comedy in young farmer club concerts he has since made the leap into stand-up telling tales about life as a country lad.

Joe Hart: Two parts nerd, one part gay and one part comedy is the recipe just in case you'd like to make your own version of Joe at home. He started doing comedy in Southampton and now he's running to the other end of the isles to Edinburgh for some fun!

Mark Daniels: Mark's a gay comedian, who manages to cover Craig David, Blazin' Squad, tube escalators, Twitter usernames and school textbooks in a 5 minute set. He suffers from 'Acute Britishness'. If you think you're a fellow sufferer, you'll enjoy his stuff.