First dates in 17 years

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are planning their first UK tour in 17 years.

The pair are going back on the road after Shooting Stars was axed by the BBC last year.

They have three warm-up dates scheduled at Leeds’ City Varieties Music Hall in mid-March, which will feature a mix of new and established characters, including some from their cult 2004 sitcom Catterick.

Appearing as a guest on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, Reeves told host James Martin that ‘for merchandise – because I’ve been doing quite a bit of pottery recently – I’m going to make some mugs. Instead of T-shirts I fancy a craft stall. So handmade mugs, macramé hats. You could sell some of your chutneys.’

Mortimer has previously asked his Twitter followers what sketches they should bring back, saying: ‘We WILL do Catterick characters ... HAND,’ No other performers have been confirmed at the moment.

The pair reunited for a one-off live show at Camden Highlight in August, with a series of sketches based upon their recent web clips for Fosters lager. But if the warm-ups are successful, this will be their first tour as a duo since 1995.

They also performed a Shooting Stars live, as part of a double-bill with the Fast Show, in a residency at the Hammersmith Apollo in 1997.

Shooting Stars was cancelled by the BBC last year, and despite winning best panel show at the British Comedy Awards last month, has not been picked up by any other broadcaster. Reeves is currently appearing in his CBBC sketch show Ministry Of Curious Stuff, alongside Dan Renton Skinner, best known as Angelos Epithemiou from the show.

Tickets for the Leeds shows – expected to be March 18 to 21 – have not yet gone on sale.

Published: 25 Jan 2012