Children’s favourite Noddy and his chums roll into the Leatherhead Theatre this week with a brand-spanking new show set to delight kids of all ages.

With no expense spared, the lavish £500,000 production, courtesy of Essex’s Premier Stage Company, is guaranteed to put a smile on the face and serves as the perfect backdrop to Noddy’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

And co-writer and director Jason Francis is promising a whizz-bang 70 minute spectacular.

He confides: “It is an incredibly lavish production.

“All the characters are in these big mascot-like costumes and we have the actors who have voiced Noddy on television doing the voices so it is all very authentic.

“The dialogue is recorded in advance so it is all in the timing, but then we have these two actors playing evil characters and they interact with the audience to get the kids going.

“It is a 70-minute show with a 20-minute interval and it really flys by.”

The Enid Blyton creation has remained popular through the decades, remaining in the public eye while other favourites like Paddington and Rupert the Bear have faded into the background.

And Francis has his own particular take on Noddy’s long-lasting fame.

He adds: “He is the perfect cartoon hero.

“He is part Peter Pan and part James Bond - he is always saving the day.

“There are very few brands that have survived the test of time but Noddy is still going strong - 60 years is an incredible achievement.

“What we have done is tweaked things slightly - we have freshened Noddy up and made him a bit trendier.

“Big Ears has become a bit older and wiser - he is now a bit of a grandfather-figure to Noddy.

“But everything that people love about Noddy and Toytown is all still in place.”

Leatherhead Theatre actually gets to host the premiere of the production before it sets off on a year-long jaunt around the nation, which includes a visit to Epsom Playhouse on August 7/8.

But rather than look ahead to the slog with trepidation, Francis is relishing the prospect.

He reveals: “It is going to be tough but we are all really looking forward to it.

“We are on the road for the whole year, visiting 100 different theatres in all and that is a massive undertaking.

“But we are really keen that every child in the country is within travelling distance of one of the performances, as this is a show that deserves to be seen.”

Noddy, Leatherhead Theatre, July 18, 1pm & 3.30pm, £10, 01372 365141