Peter Kay broke off from his goliath arena tour to take part in three secret charity performances in his hometown, Bolton.
The comedian, 50, managed to fundraise £80,000 for the Octagon Theatre after performing on Sunday.
Tickets for Kay’s three two-hour ‘intimate’ sets sold out ‘within minutes’ of going on sale to theatregoers.
The former Phoenix Nights star’s 121 date tour, which kicked off in 2022, also saw a great deal of demand with the comic having to add five extra tour dates to the roster.
When he hit the Octagon stage, which seats 390 people, he was welcomed with roars of clapping.
Peter Kay broke off from his goliath arena tour to take part in three secret charity performances in his hometown, Bolton (pictured in 2012)
He managed to raise £80,000 for the Octagon Theatre through a series of intimate performances (pictured)
He said to the crowd: ‘It’s nice playing here because I’ve been playing arenas. I prefer this because it’s nice and intimate.’
Remembering his time working at the box office venue, he shared all the mischievous pranks he would pull before he eventually got the boot.
The gags included impersonating a council employee and telling a rude customer their water was going to be cut off, as well as informing a Coronation Street star they couldn’t come in because of their white jeans.
He also recounted how he once dozed off in his uniform during a show, quipping that it ‘wasn’t a good advert’.
The Bolton native also told of his stints at a local video store named Rentertainment and a budget supermarket called Netto – both of which he was ‘let go’ from.
Kay revealed comedy was his ‘best job’ to date, and he cheekily joked that he hadn’t been let go ‘yet’.
Whilst he personalised the act to his hometown crowd, he also treated them to some material from his sold-out arena tour.
He popped out in the second half of the show, donning a Santa outfit, fitting for his speech about festive parties and advent calendars.
The comic reminisced about his time working at the theatre, even confessing that he once refused entry to a Coronation Street actor because they were wearing jeans (pictured in 2010)
He even treated his hometown to material from his arena tour – as well as the more personalised jokes – including a monologue, whilst dressed as Santa, about all things festive
Local fans raved about the performance branding it as ‘absolutely amazing’ and a nice ‘treat’ before the Christmas holidays.
Other viewers praised the comedian for giving back to his home town during difficult times.
Tracie Ross told the BBC: ‘The Octagon theatre’s one of a kind and he’s one of a kind, and getting money back into the arts and getting people back into live theatre is amazing.’
Roddy Gauld, Octagon chief executive praised the local comedian for his ‘generosity’ and ‘making a massive difference’.
He revealed how running a theatre was difficult during these financially precarious times.
He said: ‘Costs have risen, as they have for every business and every household. And as people have less money to spend, that trip to the theatre might be something that they decide to cut down on at the moment.’
The comedian is not the only star to have risen from the small town theatre, with Trainspotting director, Danny Boyle having kicked off his career there as an usher.
The chief executive of Octagon, Ricky Gould, thanked Kay for his ‘generosity’ describing it as a ‘big boost’ for the theatre during financially difficult times (pictured: Peter Kay in 2000)
