MONMOUTH Savoy patron Griff Rhys Jones is heading to the historic venue this May with his stand-up show The Cat's Pyjamas.

The Not The Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones star is also a supporter of heritage conservation, and agreed to become a patron of the historic theatre and cinema some five years ago after appearing there, even doing the honours by cutting the tape on the new loo extension!

Griff will be performing a free-style routine of funny observations and comic stories, touching on: "The developing national permacrisis, Age, Family, Fraud, Nostalgia, The Tik Tok generation, Crocodile smuggling and noodling in Australia, Travel, Dogs, Hotels, Drink and Midnight trains!"

Questions and improvised interaction with the audience means the show varies from night to night.

And that takes him through adventures, holidays, burning boats, and anger-management, to meetings with rock celebrities and royalty, or as Griff puts it "wherever my associations wander".

The Cat’s Pyjamas follows Griff’s last hugely successful international tour, All Over The Place, which saw him play to capacity crowds across the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

As well as his ground-breaking shows with the likes of Mel Smith and Rowan Atkinson, Welsh-born Griff has made countless TV appearances, including multiple documentaries – most recently Griff’s Canadian Adventure (Channel 4) – as well as fronting shows on building conservation like BBC's Restoration.

Griff Rhys Jones: The Cat's Pyjamas is at Monmouth Savoy on Friday, May 24. Tickets priced £24 are available from the box office or via monmouth-savoy.co.uk

The Savoy has a nationwide reputation for hosting top comedians, with Reginald D Hunter appearing there last weekend and a host more lined up in the coming months.

Taskmaster star Ivo Graham is there on Sunday, April 7, followed by near the knuckle legend Roy Chubby Brown on Saturday, April 27.

Clive Anderson wings in on Friday, May 3, Simon Evans on Sunday, May 5, Owen Money on Saturday, May 18, Georgie Carroll on Saturday, May 25, Richard Herring on Sunday, June 30, and Hal Cruttenden on Saturday, September 7.

The Savoy Theatre stands on the oldest known theatre site in Wales and is also one of the oldest working theatres in Wales. It is currently managed by the Monmouth Savoy Trust. It was first used as a theatre was in 1850/51 when it was known asThe New Theatre.