Harry Shearer, Stephen Merchant and Elizabeth McGovern lead cast of Christmas Without Tears

The company has been announced for Christmas Without Tears, a charity evening at King's Place Concert Hall.

The Office star Stephen Merchant and Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern will join Judith Owen and Harry Shearer (The Simpsons), who created the event in 2005 to combat so-called 'yuletide blues'.

The evening, proceeds from which will got to Shelter and Copenhagen Youth Project Camden, will include music, comedy and variety, with other acts to include Lizzie Ball and Classic Kicks, Jacqui Dankworth and jazz pianist and singer Charlie Wood

Talking about the event, Shearer said: "The show started as a party in our home to try to comfort Judith, a Welsh woman prone to melancholia, who could not stand that the fact that Christmas in Southern California was about 78 degrees and sunny… [Christmas Without Tears] became a charity event and performance in 2005 when they staged it to aid the people of New Orleans after Katrina.

Guests in previous years have included Tim Minchin, Alfie Boe and Maureen Lipman

Christmas Without Tears runs at King's Place Concert Hall on 8 December 2016.