Ricky Gervais has announced a new run of 'intimate' London shows

Ricky Gervais has been going back to his stand-up comedy roots, and fans in London will be able to reap the benefits.

The co-creator of The Office and Extras has announced a series of ‘work in progress’ shows, following his well-received ‘Humanity’ tour.

A new Netflix show, After Life, is also on the way, with his Extras co-star Ashley Jensen also set to be involved.

However, for those fans keen to see his work in person rather than just on streaming services, Gervais’ latest announcement is very welcome news.

Related: 15 questions from The Office that still need answering

Given the long gap between 2009-10’s ‘Science’ stand-up tour and the more recent ‘Humanity’, few expected the comedian to return with new material so soon.

However, it may yet be the case that the work in progress gigs, intended as a precursor to the forthcoming ‘SuperNature’ show, which has also been picked up by Netflix, won’t be converted to a fully-fledged tour for a little while.

“My next tour, #SuperNature, looks at the absurdity of superstition, magic and all unsubstantiated beliefs, and celebrates the conclusion that Nature is already Super enough,” Gervais tweeted three days before the announcement.

It will be his sixth stand-up show after ‘Animals’, ‘Politics’, ‘Fame’, ‘Science’ and ‘Humanity’.

Tickets for the six new sets will go on sale on Friday 20 July and, while there has been no specific venue announcement from Gervais, it’s likely that they’ll be more intimate, and thus sell out quicker, than his usual venues.

It’s more than a decade and a half since The Office brought his name and work to a huge new audience, but Ricky Gervais is still someone who can draw huge crowds for a variety of different projects.

Want more great reads? Sign up to the ShortList email

(Images: Getty)