Starring in an adaptation of an 18th-century farce, this is Gavin Spokes’ biggest role to date, and perhaps his most physically demanding.

He has already sustained countless injuries thanks to the hundred-mile-an-hour slapstick of One Man, Two Guvnors, including getting knocked out on stage during a live performance.

The award-winning production, directed by Nicholas Hytner, was brought to the West End in 2011, and is now touring the UK, coming to Brighton’s Theatre Royal over the Christmas period – fitting, as the action takes place in the city.

“It feels like you are watching a cross between a posh panto and an end-of-the-pier revue. Some of the play is set on the pier and people will be able to see the detail in the set,” says Gavin.

This is undoubtedly a breakthrough role for the actor who says that James Corden (The History Boys; Gavin and Stacey), who first played the lead role of Francis Henshall in the West End, has paved the way for actors who don’t fit the mould of the traditional leading man.

“The difference for me with this production is that I’m playing a lead, and I don’t usually play the lead,” says Gavin. “It’s kind of like playing Hamlet, but in a comedy, as you are on stage for two hours.

“I have to have lots of energy for the performances – I spend most of the day in bed!”

Gavin originally auditioned to be James Corden’s understudy, but didn’t get the part, so is delighted to be taking up the baton.

“Coming out on tour it was nice to go round the country and see my chubby face on billboards - I do feel very privileged.”

The play is based on The Servant of Two Masters, by 18th century Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni, in the commedia dell’arte tradition, which translates as comedy through improvisation.

One Man, Two Guvnors is really a variety show, as it features satire, fast-paced physical comedy, and live music, with songs by Grant Olding.

Set in Brighton in the 1960s, the story centres around Francis Henshall who, fired from his skiffle band, becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe.

But Roscoe is really Rachel, posing as her own dead brother who has been killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers.

For extra money Francis also takes a job working for Stanley Stubbers, but as a consequence must keep his two “guvnors” apart.

There is satire and song aplenty, with live skiffle band The Craze performing as part of the show.

“It has a lot of the tradition of panto about it. To have the Christmas slot in Brighton is a perfect marriage,” says Gavin.

“Commedia dell’arte has been the biggest influence on modern comedy.

“All the characters in pantomime are based on commedia dell’arte characters.”

He adds that elements of this art form can be seen in the work of household names such as Morecambe and Wise, Laurel and Hardy, and television comedy series Fawlty Towers.

Richard Bean, who adapted the 18th century comedy for the National Theatre, wrote it for people who don’t usually go to the theatre, says Gavin.

In fact, this is the largest tour ever programmed by the National Theatre, visiting 37 cities.

“It’s really exciting, there are a lot of gags that go down well in a lot of the country,” says Gavin.

“It’s great to take it to places the National Theatre has never been.

“The audiences change – sometimes people will be way more reactive in one place than another. In each city the theatre has its own following.”

Gavin says that the show does not pretend to do anything clever, and is purely funny.

However this does not mean that the production is a breeze for the actors; quite the opposite is true in fact.

“Comedy is technically really hard to do,” explains Gavin, who goes on to say that one of the particular challenges with this production in particular is working at “a million miles an hour”.

“When I did it in the West End, I ruptured my shoulder, knocked myself out and hurt my wrist,” says Gavin, proving that actors sometimes really do suffer for their art.

“It got to the point where my body was beginning to struggle, so my understudy got to go on for a week.”

Co-stars include Norman Pace, of the long-running BBC comedy Hale and Pace, and Emma Barton, who played Honey Mitchell in Eastenders, and also appeared in Spooks.

Gavin was always the joker as a youngster he says, and admits to being the class clown.

“I did impressions of teachers, and sang at school,” he says.

In the late 1990s he attended the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and has since worked in theatre and television, most recently appearing in the Headlong production of George Orwell’s 1984.

Gavin’s previous National Theatre work includes the West End production of One Man, Two Guvnors and Jamie Lloyd’s production of She Stoops to Conquer. He also played Hardy in Laurel and Hardy for the Watermill Theatre.

n One Man, Two Guvnors is at Theatre Royal, Brighton, from December 16 to January 5. For tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/brighton or call 0844 871 7650.