RICH Hall is widely regarded as one of the funniest comedians to come out of the USA in recent times, and he's set to amuse an audience at The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury.

Rich is on a nationwide tour called, appropriately enough, with only a little touch of minimalism, ‘Rich Hall: Live’.

A spokesman said: "Rich’s straight-talking and acerbic comedy leaves his targets reeling and his audiences in stitches. He sends up whichever country he is in, but perhaps reserves his most trenchant scorn for his native USA.

"His highly original deadpan style is rumoured to be the inspiration for the marvellously cantankerous barman, Moe Szyslak, in The Simpsons."

But what makes him tick?

“I love being on stage", he said.

"I love the fact that when a live show is over, it’s gone. It's happened, and it will never happen like that again. It can’t be replicated. That’s a great magical moment.”

He added: “In every single show, there are always two or three moments where I’m thinking, wow, where did that come from? You’re constantly thinking on your feet.”

The comedian has made very successful appearances on such TV popular shows as ‘QI’(BBC1/2), ‘Live At The Apollo’ (BBC1), ‘Channel 4’s Comedy Gala Live At The O2’, ‘Have I Got News For You’ (BBC1), and ‘Stand Up For The Week’.

So where will his ambitions lead him next?

“I’m really looking forward to going to the nether regions of Scotland,” he says.

"I like to go to places where I’m not worried about competition from other comedians!"

The audience in Tewkesbury can expect to hear their ancient town celebrated by Rich in song.

He explained, “I try to tap into what is happening locally and address that musically by writing an improvised song based on the town I’m in."

But there's method in his musical madness.

Rich said: "Once they realise you're not just trotting out your regular act, people think, oh, he’s made a real effort. He’s on our side, so we're on his side.Then you can take them anywhere. I like to do something custom-made every night."

The stand-up's other trademark is anger. He's OK with being angry

Rich said, “It is always good to articulate anger. If you don’t, you’re merely preaching to the converted and asking, have you ever noticed? Yes, we are paying you to notice things we haven’t already noticed!”

What makes him angry in the world right now?

Rich has just been in the US making ‘How to Kill a President’, a documentary, this time about negative campaigning in the Presidential race; so American politics are bound to feature in his new show.

The comic will certainly be addressing the question of whether the extraordinary, controversial businessman Donald J Trump can actually win the presidency.

Rich said: "There is a lot of gnashing of teeth about Trump, but it’s merely entertainment. He’s doing what he has to do to get attention. He is saying the most outrageous things and tapping into a collective sense of anger.”

But, Rich adds, “Eventually Trump will come under the same scrutiny as everyone else. So you want to build a giant wall along the border and make the Mexicans pay for it?

"How exactly are you going to do that, then?"

Rich Hall will perform at the Roses on Saturday, November 5.

Tickets and further details on 01684 295 074, and at - www.rosestheatre.org