Radio star and comedian Jeremy Hardy will be bringing his take on everything from hip-hop and death to Blue Peter and the American Civil War to town in his new stand-up show.

Radio 4 regular Hardy is back on the road this Autumn, entertaining audiences with his views on CBeebies, Michael Gove, gender, class, ego, Leni Riefenstahl, misogyny, capitalism, Lassie and more.

"Obviously, I'm a professional misery guts," he says.

"That's what we do in this country. We have a sort of Wartime chipper resignation. We're cheerful, even though everything is absolutely ghastly.

"The misery guts persona works so well for me because, for a start, people aren't sure how genuine it is.  But they also like characters such as Victor Meldrew, Tony Hancock and Leonard Cohen.

"Throughout post-war British comedy, there have been characters like Captain Mainwaring and the Steptoes. 

"We like that attitude because life is quite hard and disappointing and a lot of things go wrong.

"Life is what happens when nothing else works.  There is no point having a grandiose plan, because suddenly the roof falls in and you have to re-think and do something different.  That makes people feel powerless."

Hardy is a regular on several Radio 4 shows including The Newsquiz, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, and Just A Minute. 

He is the author of My Family And Other Strangers and Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, and his recent television credits include BBC’s QI, Mock The Week and Grumpy Old Men.

He says he will touch on the goings-on of the Coalition Government in his show because "it’s fascinating to see how they got themselves into this ghastly mess and how Nick Clegg has become such a lost and tragic figure."

Hardy says: "Class is a big issue in politics at the moment.  There is a big difference between the old-fashioned, noblesse oblige, paternalistic Tories, and the current lot for whom government is like the first day of the grouse season.

"Also, in the old days, politicians used to be older than me. They were like the bad guys, or the bosses.

"But now I'm older than most people in the government, I understand those grumpy old colonels who write to The Daily Telegraph complaining about how things have gone to the dogs.

"It must be enormously annoying when you're 150 years old and fought in the Boer War and you're seeing how all these 30-year-olds are messing things up."

Jeremy Hardy; Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom; December 6; 8pm; £14; call 01372 742555; visit www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk