Kettering comic James Acaster's homecoming gigs

The Kettering-born comic performs Reset at The Core at Corby Cube on Tuesday September 27 and then at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton on Saturday October 1.

It follows on from his two other shows which have also been about crime.

He said: ‘In my head these three are a sort of crime-themed trilogy that are all actually about uncertainty.

“This one’s about how I’m about to go into the witness protection programme.”

And his home town is regularly mentioned in his shows.

James added: “‘I don’t know why Kettering is the thing I want to talk about, but there’s something about it.

“When I started comedy, I’d look around and go: what makes me different from other people? And no other comedians come from Kettering!”

As part of the tour, he will also play at Kettering Arts Centre, a gig that has sold out, so what’s it like to play a hometown gig?

He said: “Great. I’ve taken every tour show to Kettering and they all turn up to see the local boy.

“The venue’s a church that’s now an arts centre, but it’s the church that I went to Cubs in, it’s where I had primary school services, it’s where my youth group met – so it has been a massive part of me growing up.

“When I was in Cubs I wet myself during prayer time and it was the most humiliating time of my entire childhood, so it feels nice to go back there and be like, ‘I’m doing all right now’.”

He will be a familiar face on television thanks to semi-regular appearances on satirical panel show Mock the Week.

And while he might enjoy it, he was apprehensive about it at first.

James said: “It’s so much fun. It’s all my mates on it now, so you can just have a laugh with them.

“The reputation for the show being aggressive is over now. When I did my first episode, I went there with invisible knuckledusters on, going ‘Bring it!’ but everyone was so great. Dara [Obriain] doesn’t let you flounce – if you throw something out there he doesn’t just watch it drop and move on.”

Show tickets are likely to sell out fast so book as soon as possible.

For more details about the gig in Corby call the ticket office on 01536 470470 or visit www.thecorecorby.com.

To book tickets for the show when it comes to Northampton, phone the box office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk