Let's face it, Radio 2 pundit Barry From Watford is the king of community gripers, banging the drum and voicing his concern over all that’s gone wrong in the world.

The grumpy old Watfordian may be long in the tooth but he’s still hitting the mark.

Barry’s character, of course, is the creation of Oxhey actor Alex Lowe, who admits his octogenarian alter ego will be upping the ante at his new Watford Palace appearance for Watford Live!, donning a new shiny suit and a sharper tongue.

Joining Barry on stage is TV’s Peter Serafinowicz, who had a successful three year run with his eponymous sketch show for the BBC before it was axed earlier this year. No doubt he has his own comedy axes to grind.

Apparently Peter’s quite new to the stand up circuit, but has been on a fast learning curve at the Lyric Hammersmith appearing with Richard Herring.

Barry, meanwhile has been sharpening his own wit before the seven million listeners on Steve Wright’s radio phone-in show.

“Barry’s getting a bit more brutal,” warns Alex. “There won’t be so much whimsical musing. He’s going for the jugular. Not that he’s a Roy Chubby Brown or a Bernard Manning, but whereas the show used to be a short play, now it’s closer to stand up.”

So what will Barry be grinding his dentures about now?

“He’s still going on about Watford. He thinks Watford Live! is a fantastic thing because it’s espousing the glories of art in Watford. He’s always bemoaning the lack of cultural venues amid the town’s myriad of watering holes. He’s so disgusted with the state of Britain today.”

Considering England’s woeful performance at the World Cup, might Barry go for the job of manager?

“He may offer up his services as the next England centre forward the way it’s going. He’s absolutely furious about how that guy got into the England dressing room – Emile Heskey that is.”

Alex has been sharpening his wit at stag and hen nights and is soon off to the Edinburgh Festival to do a new show Let The People Decide – a topical number, hosted by Barry with various guests.

“There’s Steve Hope Wynne who does a brilliant David Cameron impression and Lewis McCloud, who ends the show performing as Susan Boyle.

“It’s a kind of kangeroo court with the audience as jury. It’s just what we need in a brave, new Britain.

“What we really want to know is how these profligate celebrities and politicians are going to go about defending society when we’re trillions in debt already.

“Barry’s livid. If he had any more teeth to spit out he’d be spitting them.”

Barry and guests Peter Serafinowicz, pianist punster Duncan Whisby and Barry Castagnola (from the spoof ecowarrior troupe Cyderdelic), are at Watford Palace Theatre on Thursday, July 15 at 8pm. Details: 01923 225671