FOR a generation of sketch comedy fans many of the characters created and portrayed by English comedian David Walliams hold a special place.
Little Britain was one of the most iconic, and sometimes controversial, comedies of the 2000s, and launched the careers of Walliams and his collaborator Matt Lucas.
Their characters like bitter receptionist Carol Beer and her catchphrase "computer says no", well-meaning disability carer, Lou Todd, and gay prime ministerial secretary, Sebastian Love, continue to resonate 18 years after the original series ended.
These days Walliams is also known for being one of the world's most successful children's authors. His book sales have exceeded 56 million copies and have been translated into 55 languages.
But his latest live stage show, An Audience With David Walliams, has given the 53-year-old a chance to reacquaint himself with those old Little Britain friends.
"I play some of those Little Britain characters in the show and that's been amazing because I haven't played those characters for a long time," Walliams told the Newcastle Herald on Tuesday.
"Matt [Lucas] and I did the lockdown special of Little Britain [in 2020], which we had to do separately and it was for comedy relief in the UK.
"But before that, we hadn't played them for a decade or more. So it's been really fun and having the reaction that the show has had. People have been pleased to see them."
Australia has long been one of Little Britain's biggest markets. Walliams and Lucas brought their live stage show to Australia for the first time in 2007 at the height of the series' popularity and packed out the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
Since then Walliams has been a frequent visitor to the country.
"It's a such a beautiful place," he said. "The scale of it is always amazing to me. The views. You don't get that in the UK much.
"I always think I could live here. But I've got a 11-year-old son, so no time soon."
On his current visit to Newcastle the keen swimmer visited Nobbys for a dip and checked out the lighthouse.
Walliams famously swam the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar for charity.
"If I could, I would swim in the sea every day," he said. "I'm always excited to be somewhere you can swim in the sea."
However, the latest trip to Australia hasn't been all splashing about. Walliams' appearance earlier this month on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show made headlines when the comedian and controversial broadcaster Kyle Sandilands traded insults during a heated 25-minute interview.
Walliams said he really enjoyed the exchange.
"It's weird, people say you'll only hear about interviews when they go wrong," he laughed.
"I've never done anything that's created so much press. I just walked in and I'd never heard of the show.
"The PR people were a little hesitant to put me on the show because they knew he'd be a bit rude and talk about sex, but it was best interview I've done."
Limited tickets are still available for An Audience with David Walliams on Wednesday night at the Civic Theatre.
