THE bizarre world of Royston Vasey comes to Bournemouth next week as BAFTA-winning comedy legends Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson, recreate characters from BBC2’s 1999-2002 black comedy series.

Here’s what The Awesome Foursome had to say about being back on the road again after 12 years...

What inspired you to go back on the road again?

SP: It’s the perfect time. The live show is the most fun version of The League of Gentlemen that we do. We’d been talking about doing something for a while. Having just made the BBC2 anniversary specials, this is a natural time to go back on the road while it’s on people’s minds. And after such a long time away, there is a real appetite for it. We’re not forcing it onto people; wherever we go, we are constantly being asked about when we are bringing it back. So we thought, “Why not do it now?” We can’t wait.

So you’re coming back for the right reasons?

MG: Yes. The lovely thing is we are doing it because we want to do it and not because we have to do it. Many reunions tend to be for the money and have a sense of desperation about them. But this isn’t like that. We have talked for ages about doing something again because we never split up. We just stopped doing it. So it’s very special to be doing it with a happy heart rather than a sense of obligation.

How did you go about reviving these famous characters?

JD: We just started thinking, “What’s happened to Pauline and Tubbs and Edward in the past 12 years?” If enough time has passed, it’s exciting imagining what has become of them. At that moment, we realised how much richness there is in those characters. We didn’t have to dig very deep to start having those conversations.

What are you most looking forward to about touring again?

RS: The fact that we will be forced to spend more time together – that’s a great thing. We really enjoy each other’s company. These days we don’t get to spend as much time together as we would like. But I never laugh more than when I’m with these guys. It’s great to be able to keep that going through our work.

Is it true that after 30 years, you four are still very close?

SP: Absolutely. The extraordinary thing is we were all friends before any of this even existed. It’s all grown out of our friendship. The fact that we are able to keep working together, having known each other for 30 years is very moving. A lot of people don’t get to do that.

Which characters are non-negotiable?

SP: You have to do Pauline. People love her. They love a woman with power, and Pauline has great power, as long as she has got a pen in her hand! But there are so many other characters that have to be done: Tubbs and Edward, obviously, the Dentons, Les McQueen, Papa Lazarou and Hilary Briss. There are loads, and we don’t want to short-change people.

Finally, what do you hope audiences will take away from the show?

RS: When we first started discussing what a League of Gentleman revival would look like, we came up with lots of clever-clever ideas. But in the end, we decided the best way to bring it back was as if it had never been away. It was just on again. That’s what it feels like. We hope that the live show will communicate that feeling of men in their 50s having the time of their lives jumping around on stage in silly costumes.

The League of Gentlemen Live Again! tour is at the BIC on Tuesday, September 25.