Vashon Theatre will be the site of a fierce and funny contest next week, when the annual Seattle International StandUp Comedy Competition returns to the Island for one of the final rounds in a month-long search for its top comic of 2009.

The competition began on Nov. 4, with a field of 32 comedians hailing from a number of different cities, including

Austin, Boise, Boston, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Toronto, Tulsa and Sydney, Australia.

Now, after a punishing 19 shows in 15 venues across Washington, only five comics are left standing to compete on Vashon, and after that, there are only three more rounds before a winner is crowned on Nov. 29 at the Moore Theatre in Seattle.

At stake is more than $15,000 in prize money, with the winner receiving the lion’s share — $6,000 in cash plus a recording contract with Uproar Entertainment, a top comedy label.

Organizers said the field of contestants has never been stronger and that this has been a banner year for the competition.

“We considered literally hundreds of applicants and had to turn down many who in ordinary years would have been invited,” said Ron Reid, who is producing the event.

The Seattle International StandUp Comedy Competition will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Vashon Theatre. Tickets, $20, are on sale now at the theater and at brownpapertickets.com.