Award-winning Gloucestershire theatre company The Offstage Theatre Group are set to provide very funny comedy that is made up entirely on the spot.

‘Tony Slattery’s Crimes Against Improv’ stars comedy improvisation legend Tony Slattery, who will be joined by alumni from Cheltenham’s first improvisation group ‘Off The Cuff’ at the Cheltenham Playhouse on Saturday 26th January.

During the course of the evening, with comedy improvisation “on trial”, the audience will decide at the end whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty, judging on the performance.

Producer and performer Barnaby Eaton-Jones has been bringing the stars to Gloucestershire over the last few years, with his Robin of Sherwood audio recordings for ITV Studios and his ‘I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again… Again!’ stage shows.

He said: “To have enticed someone of Mr. Slattery’s standard, who is both brilliant and unpredictable, means that all of us need to be on top of our game to match his quick wit and cheeky personality.

“I grew up addicted to ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ on Channel 4 and to be improvising alongside one of the main regulars of that long-running television show is an honour and a privilege.”

A regular guest of the famous Comedy Store Players in London, Tony Slattery has appeared many times on Channel 4's ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’, as well as appearing in films such as ‘Peter's Friends’, ‘The Crying Game’ and ‘How To Get Ahead In Advertising’.

He's also made appearances in BBC's ‘Robin Hood’ series, ITV's ‘Kingdom’, ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Bad Girls’. His stage work includes the lead in ‘Me & My Girl’ in the West End and ‘Crimes Against Improv’ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

On form as ever, Tony Slattery said: "I'm so excited to be visiting Cheltenham! I can't wait to visit all the world-famous sites – Millennium Pier, the John Hancock Centre, Lincoln Park Zoo and, of course, the very court building where the most famous mob boss of them all, Al Capone, was finally convicted of tax evasion.

“Hang on, sorry, that's Chicago. I've turned over two pages in my encyclopaedia by mistake.”

The show features Allan Lear, a Liverpuddlian stand-up comedian and Tony’s favoured improvising partner, David Clarke, recently to be heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra in ‘I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again… Again!’ and Barnaby Eaton-Jones, who will be producing the show as well as performing.

Verity White, lead vocalist of local group the ‘Verity White Band’, Dan Parker, a blues guitarist and vocalist with local band ‘Hard Stairs’ will also be performing.