Popular UK show, Hancock's Half Hour, is set for a revival with performances at the Malvern-based Forum Theatre.

Tony Hancock, born in Birmingham on May 12, 1924, was spotlighted in the classic BBC sitcoms Hancock's Half Hour and Hancock, created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

The comedy was first broadcast on radio seven decades ago and later its TV version drew audiences of 20 million, with performances in Malvern scheduled for September 21.

The rerun of Hancock's Half Hour will tour across the UK, making stops at London's Leicester Square Theatre, Playhouse Whitely Bay, Blackpool Grand Theatre, and Leeds-based City Varieties, starting next month.

The seminal show will be brought back to life by Grimsby-born actor and playwright, Mr John Hewer.

Mr Hewer has reworked three lost episodes including The Auction, The Russian Prince and The Bequest.

He has also showcased his vast range by embodying characters such as Harold Steptoe, Spike Milligan and Tommy Cooper in stage shows.

Mr Hewer said: "As a performer, you want to be meticulous. We cannot bring Tony, Sid, Hattie, Kenneth and Liz back to life, but we can honour their genius, and Ray and Alan's, with these affectionate revivals of these golden, ageless scripts, and, hopefully, extend the legacy to younger audiences and the next generation.

"There will always be a part of any individual performer which you cannot mask, and it would be unwise not to admit and accept that. The audiences are equally savvy. However it's that shared mutual love that makes these revivals such a pleasure to both perform and to witness, and I'm extremely proud to be recreating Hancock, and bringing these particular episodes, lost from the archive, to life, for the very first time since the original broadcasts in 1956 and 1957."

Steptoe and Son co-creator Ray Galton praised John's stage adaptation saying: "The affection for the original shines through in this fine production. I'm delighted that the scripts and the characters continue to be cherished after all this time."