COMEDIAN Ross Noble will temporarily vacate his crown as the king of improvisational comedy to make his musical theatre debut in the 2015 British tour of Mel Brooks’s The Producers.

The North Eastern surrealist will dig out the lederhosen to play Franz Liebkind, the short-fused, carrier pigeon-keeping, former Nazi, brought on board by impoverished New York producer Max Bialystok and downtrodden accountant Leo Bloom to assist in their plot to put on the worst musical of all time.

“I’m very excited about appearing in The Producers,” says Noble, who can be seen in Neo-Nazi, villainous mode at Leeds Grand Theatre from June 8 to 13 next year.

“I’m a huge fan of the show and for anyone who loves comedy, the chance to perform the work of Mel Brooks is amazing.”

He will be switching to the teamwork of musicals after his solo tours of Britain and Australia in Tangentleman, a standup show that visited York Barbican for two nights in October.

Alongside him, in the role of Leo Bloom, will be fellow comedian Jason Manford, who welcomes the news of Noble’s musical theatre bow in the Olivier and Tony Award-winning hit.

“Ross is one of the most exciting and inventive comedians the UK has produced,” he says. “He’s one of those rare breed of comics who simply has funny bones. It’s a genius bit of casting.”

Based on Mel Brooks’s Academy Award-winning film, The Producers depicts how Bialystock and Bloom plan to pull off Broadway’s greatest scam by producing the worst show ever and running away to Rio with millions, but then they learn that showbusiness can always find a way to kick you in the teeth.

Eccentric characters and the song Springtime For Hitler add to the joy of a show that is produced by Adam Spiegel Productions and directed by Matthew White. Tickets are on sale at £18.50 to £40 on 0844 848 2700 and at leedsgrandtheatre.com