Brilliant portraits of the stars of contemporary British comedy by a Chester-based photographer take centre stage in a new exhibition at the city’s Grosvenor Museum

Titled Reverse Angle: Andy Hollingworth portraits 2005-2014 , the exhibition, which is sponsored by B&Q, runs until May 11.

If you have seen a stand-up comic on tour, bought a comedy DVD or read an interview with a comedian over the last 20 years, the chances are that you will have already seen the work of Andy Hollingworth.

Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Eddie Izzard and Bill Bailey are among his regular sitters.

Sarah Millican, Rhod Gilbert and Johnny Vegas have visited his studio in Chester to make the images that have helped to shape their careers - and all will be on show in this exhibition.

This collection brings together 50 portraits made over the last ten years - Ricky Gervais taking a break on the set of the TV show Derek , Stephen Fry relaxing at the Q.I. Christmas party, Alan Carr high kicking in front of 21,000 fans at Manchester’s MEN Arena and Mickey Rooney contemplating his achievements before a rare UK performance in Liverpool are all featured in this major retrospective, which will appeal to enthusiasts of comedy and photography alike.

Andy’s work has been highly praised by the stars themselves:

Phill Jupitus: “A brilliant job done by Andy Hollingworth, who as a master of improvisation knocks the clowns into a cocked hat.”

Sarah Millican: “Today was ace. I did a photo shoot with the brilliant Andy Hollingworth for my next Edinburgh show. He’s awesome, and I normally only use that when talking about pudding.”

A 50-page full-colour catalogue with accompanying text by the photographer is on sale at the museum shop, available exclusively during the exhibition.

Andy will be giving free guided tours of the exhibition on Saturdays, March 8, April 12 and May 10, starting at 2pm.

These talks will offer a unique opportunity to hear the stories behind the shoots and their subjects, as well as pitching your own questions about the photographs on display.

There will be two lectures by Adrian Sumner at 1.30pm:

Wednesday, March 26 - Photography: Truth or Dare

Monday, April 14 - Beneath the Painted Smile: A Survey of Faces in Art

And two activities for children and families are planned at 2pm on the following dates:

Thursday, February 20 - Celebrity Dressing Room

Thursday, April 10 - Hollywood Handprints.

The Grosvenor Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10.30am-5pm and Sunday 1-4pm, admission free.