THE ADVER speaks to Joke Thieves creator Will Mars ahead of the show at Swindon Arts Centre on Thursday, February 5.

What is the concept behind the show and how did you come up with it?

The idea came to me, years ago, in a former job as an overseas sales manager. I used to get my experienced and rookie sales staff to swap sales pitches in training sessions to have fun and liven up how we worked. When I started stand-up it occurred to me, how much fun would it be to shake up all of these comedians and put them in front of an audience with a totally alien set of jokes. And it is a lot of fun, the audiences are often in fits of laughter when they see comics taking on each other's personalities and material. The fact they often take the material and personas into brand new and unexpected directions is where the show really comes into its own. It is then that the audience start looking over to see the comics in the wings, as those comedians are reacting to seeing another version of themselves on stage for the first time.

How have audiences responded so far?

Audiences across the world have been phenomenally supportive of the show. It's an addictive thing, seeing something so fresh and in the moment. You may struggle to explain why you were laughing to your friends at work the next day because everything has to be seen to be enjoyed. That's why we get a huge number of people coming back to see the show over and over again.

How many comedians take part? Who are they?

We will have six comedians taking part in Swindon. All hosted by myself. They will comprise of a few of the regular players as well as a few guests who will be announced nearer the time. Our regulars coming to Swindon include Stephen Carlin, from Comedy Central's Alternative Comedy Experience and the BBC's Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. He will be joined by Will Franken, an absurdist comic from the United States and Joe Rowntree who you may have seen on DAVE's One night Stand not so long back. The full line-up will be announce onwww.jokethieves.com in the days leading up to the show.

What is the best part of the show in your opinion?

The best part of the show for me is the anticipation in the first half. Everyone is laughing at comedians performing their usual material. But, as well as this, they are all thinking about how the next comedian is going to do this material and what it will look like. Comics make this even better for the audience as they nearly always choose their 'hardest to copy' material to perform on these shows. When you know someone is going to be copying you later its human nature to make the original a little difficult. This aspect of the show adds hugely to the laughs as part two unfolds.

What is the aim of the show?

There is no lofty aim to the show. In theory it is an exercise about where the real talent in comedy lies. Is it the performer? Or is it the material that is written? However, the show is just a laugh out loud experience and everyone enjoys it, the comedians, the audiences and myself. See you all in Swindon on February 5th!

The show starts at 8pm at Swindon Arts Centre on Thursday, February 5..

Tickets cost £11 from 01793 524481.

To book go to swindontheatres.co.uk or call 01793 524481.