Internationally renowned musical comedian Rainer Hersch has got the festive funnies, and brings them to The Stables on Saturday (Dec 20) night.
Since 2009, Rainer has fronted the annual April Fools Day Concert at the Royal Festival Hall, but he is just as at home on a stand-up comedy stage as he is in a concert hall.
Saturday's date will take ticket-holders on a musical journey and a half - fasten your seatbelt and get set.
'From The Beatles to Mr Blobby, Harry Belafonte to the Human League and Benny Hill to the Military Wives, the race for the Christmas number one tells a unique story about the past half-century of British pop culture.'
Charlotte Page - who has been the principal lady in more than 40 operas and musicals throughout the world - will guest alongside Rainer and his band the Christmas Crackers.
Give yourselves a Crimbo gift - take a ticket to a delight of a night out.
Rainer tackled our On Track questions...
The song that first awakened your musical senses
The first song I can clearly remember was Joy by the short-lived British group Apollo 100.
I remember hearing it on the radio in the '70s and telling my mum that the bit I really liked was the tune in the middle, which she identified as 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' by Bach.
Don't know how she knew that.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
Well, in CDs. I have got a hi-fi, which cost about £5000 when I bought it 10 years ago - the speaker cables alone were about 500 quid.
But I listen to most things through iPhone earphones - I somehow managed to drive over the left earphone about six months ago so it is now not even in stereo.
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me.'
I went to a summer school in Dartington in about 1984 and was involved in a production of an opera.
The buzz was so intense, I remember thinking that then.
Your best on-stage memory...
Once, compering at a stand-up club in South London I realized half the audience were from Sweden. I asked one of them 'Whereabouts in Sweden?' They said (rather snottily) Swedish accent: 'Gothenburg...do you know anything about Gothenburg?'
I said 'Yes, that's where Batman lives, isn't it?' The audience laughed for about five minutes.
And the worst show you've ever done
Too many to mention. In my early days, performing as a guest-spot on a bill with Jo Brand and Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, me and my double act partner died so badly, I climbed out of the changing room window rather than go out through the audience.
Reeves and Mortimer died too, by the way.
I had almost forgotten this story until William Cook, who used to write for The Guardan, did a book about comedy in which he asked various acts what was their best gig and what was their worst.
Vic Reeves said that he had once done a show in South London that was so bad, one of the guest-spots climbed out of the changing room window.
Fame, of a sort.
What made you take up conducting?
I started using musicians in my shows. Professional musicians need a conductor and that requires study.
Which one song by another artist do you wish you'd written?
Beethoven, Choral Symphony
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, or conductor, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Beethoven. I would carefully copy out the score for the Choral Symphony adding my name to the bottom.
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to?
I am always thinking about music and different ways of approaching it.
That is why I am doing this Christmas No1 show.
There are so many styles contained in the classic No1s - from folk (Mull of Kintyre) to classical (Bohemian Rhapsody) to straight pop and rock (Merry Christmas Everybody).
And any genre of music you simply can't stand?
Never really got Bebop or Hip Hop. Basically any music that is called something-op.
Finally, plug Saturday's Stables gig for us - what's on the menu?
A jamboree of chart Christmas number ones. Singalong! Our special guest is the wonderful Charlotte Page.
It's a bloody great Christmas treat - raucous, fun and full of music you love. Catch it now before we go massive.
Tickets are on sale at £17.50. Call for yours on 01908 280800 or visit www.stables.org
