COMEDIAN Jimmy Carr will return to Grays in March to perform a warm-up show for his upcoming Work in Progress tour.

The TV funny man, who also hosts the Channel Four show 8 out of 10 Cats, will be at the Civic Hall on Blackshots Lane on Tuesday, March 11 and Tuesday, 8 April.

Carr, whose stand-up shows have been seen by more than 1.5 million people, has performed preview shows at the Civic Hall before and is keen to road test his new show in front of a Grays audience.

His first visit to Grays in August 2007 was one he won’t forget.

The show was interrupted 15 minutes in when a door to the right side of the stage burst into flames. The comic returned to the stage 30 minutes later carrying a fire extinguisher.

Mark Jennings, Civic Hall Manager, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy Carr back to the Civic Hall to preview his forthcoming tour. I fully expect these two shows to sell out in record time, so get in early!”

Tickets cost £15 and are on sale now. They're available from the Thameside Theatre Box Office in Orsett Road. The Box Office telephone number is 0845 300 5264.