TICKETS are now on sale for the world premiere theatre tour of Gangsta Granny.

The show will call at the Mayflower Theatre from March 30 – April 3 next year.

Gangsta Granny (Gilly Tompkins) and her grandson Ben (Ashley Cousins) helped David Walliams - writer of the bestselling book on which the show is based - in their bid to ‘steal’ the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London this week.

But two Beefeaters (actors Benedict Martin and Richard James) were on hand to thwart the villains.

The world premiere of Gangsta Granny is being staged by Birmingham Stage Company.

David Walliams said: “It's a huge thrill seeing Gangsta Granny about to have this whole new life on the stage in Birmingham Stage Company’s new production that will be hitting Southampton in March.

“As well as Granny herself & Ben I like the characters of Ben's mum and dad. They have an obsession with ballroom dancing which should be funny so I can't wait to see them live on stage.

“The great thing about seeing Gangsta Granny in the theatre is you will get to share it with an audience. So hopefully you will laugh and cry along with everyone else. That's what makes theatre so special.”

Walliams, who is one of the judges on the popular Britain’s Got Talent TV show, creator of the ground-breaking comedy series Little Britain and star of the recent BBC TV Agatha Christie series Partners in Crime, has now also become the best-selling author for children in the country and Gangsta Granny is his most popular book.

David began his publishing career at Harper Collins in early 2008 with his debut novel The Boy in the Dress.

In 2011 he published Gangsta Granny, which was shortlisted for both The Red House Children’s Book Award and for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. At Christmas 2013 a TV version of Gangsta Granny was shown on BBC One with an all-star cast, including David Walliams himself.

Tickets for Gangsta Granny at the Mayflower are available from 02380 711811 or online at mayflower.org.uk.