Sir Walter Raleigh on the phone to the head of the West Indies Company in England, trying to sell him on the benefits of tobacco; a gentle driving instructor with the worst learner in the world; and jolly songs about poisoning pigeons in Central Park and pollution.

Some of the best sketches and songs by stand-up comedian Bob Newhart and singer songwriter and satirist Tom Lehrer, big stars of the 1950s and ‘60s, are lovingly brought back to life in a new show coming to the Wyllotts Theatre in Potters Bar this weekend.

Another Evening with the Humour of Bob Newhart and Tom Lehrer is the follow-up show to the hugely successful An Evening with…, that actors Andrew Meller (Newhart) and Peter Gill (Lehrer) toured the UK with about three years ago – and it’s proving just as popular as its predecessor.

“We’ve chosen another selection of songs and sketches from their wonderful repertoire for this show,“ says Peter, 44, from Cheltenham. “There seems to be a real demand for nostalgia shows at the moment, I think it’s almost in the human psyche that we want to look back to happier days.“

Bob Newhart was famous for doing very funny monologues – the most famous of which are The Driving Instructor and Bringing Tobacco to Civilisation – while Tom Lehrer had a slightly darker, but still very funny, bent, which found voice in his satirical songs.

“He really is very, very clever,“ says Peter. “His songs have survived the passage of time – some of them are a bit too un-PC for most audiences, but they were very cutting-edge at the time. He was also a maths professor at Harvard University, so he was very sharp. His lyrics are clever, it’s very difficult to do – he keeps me on my toes every night!“

  • Another Evening with the Humour of Bob Newhart and Tom Lehrer is at the Wyllyotts Theatre, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, on Sunday, March 9 at 7.30pm. Details: 01707 645005, wyllyotts theatre .co.uk