IN 1951 the landscape of British comedy changed dramatically when The Goon Show burst onto the airwaves of the BBC Home Service. The show's stars, Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, brought a brand of surreal, chaotic humour unlike anything that had been heard before and revolutionised the way radio comedy was produced.

With its bizarre characters, fantastical plots and hilarious running jokes, The Goon Show captured the imagination of the British public and made household names of its three actors, all of whom would go on to achieve fame across the globe. The show’s influence is still felt today with comedians like Eddie Izzard citing the show as a major influence.

Sadly all three of the original Goons are no longer with us but to celebrate the centenary of Milligan's birth, Apollo Theatre Company, are bringing the show's madcap comedy back to the stage in the first major theatrical production of the show in its illustrious history.

"I was brought up on the Goons," says Julian Howard McDowell, who plays the role of Sellers and also co-directs the show with Tim Astley.

"My father was a forces radio presenter in Cyprus and the Goons were very popular with the troops. I would do the voices of Bluebottle and Henry Crun in the playground at school to get a laugh and deflect the bullies."

During the show, Julian, alongside Colin Elmer as Milligan and Clive Greenwood as Seacombe, attempt to recapture the singular lunacy and brilliance of the trio by re-enacting one of three chosen episodes, namely Tales of Men’s Shirts, The Phantom Head Shaver of Brighton and The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea.

"The producers of the show, Apollo Theatre Company, also brought Round the Horne to the stage in 2016 in which I played Kenneth Horne," explains Julian.

"We’re hoping to recreate what it must have been like to be in that BBC studio in that moment, recording three episodes of The Goon Show and we'll be bringing the chaos, absurdity and hilarity of The Goon Show to life with a live band, live sound effects in a celebration of Spike's finest creation in this, his centenary year."

Broadcast in the the UK between May 1951 and January 1960, the show was developed by the cast members, all of whom had served in the military during World War Two and became involved in entertaining the troops.

Milligan was the creative force and main writer, but he was often assisted by a co-writers such as Larry Stephens or Eric Sykes, who were determined to mock those in establishment and offer a different farcical view of a world which was still recovering from the war and where the dignified "stiff upper lip" attitude still prevailed - something which Milligan, especially, wished to question.

"It is hugely exciting because this is a show even closer to my heart than Round the Horne," explains Julian. "We have already received a very enthusiastic response from Goon Show fans both old and new."

Isn’t it a massive risk trying to reincarnate a show that was so unique to the performers and so much of its time?

"We’re not attempting to bring them back to life or even pretending to be them," insists Julian. "We’re hoping to recreate what it must have been like to be in that recording studio on the day of transmission.

"I think everybody had a different idea of what they looked like because it was radio but we’ve worked hard on getting the voices right. Colin has been listening to recordings of Spike non-stop for four and a half months!"

Julian is convinced that Milligan's sense of humour is as popular today as ever and has the evidence to back it up thank to his day job running one of actress Pauline Quirke’s Saturday drama classes in Brighton where he says the kids love Spike’s silly verses.

"As principal at the Pauline Quirke Academy, Brighton West, I know first hand the influence of Milligan today," he adds. "The students love Spike’s silly verses. It's is the sheer joy and often absurd creativity of the writing that has influenced and continues to influence comedy today."

The Goon Show is as Theatr Clwyd's Anthony Hopkins Theatre from Monday November 5 to Wednesday November 7 at 7.30pm with a Wednesday matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets from £10 are available from the box office: 01352 701521 or www.theatrclwyd.com