The hilarious horrors of history will come to life at the Wycombe Swan Theatre this week, courtesy of local actor Elliot Fitzpatrick.

Two performances will be brought to you by four actors from the Birmingham Stage Company, with the use of 3D ‘Bogglevision’ special effects.

Elliott will appear in both productions, playing Zeus and Aristotle in Groovy Greeks and then Alfred the Great, King Arthur, King Edmund, King Cnut, Thorkill and Ragnar Hairy Trousers a Viking in Incredible Invaders.

Elliott grew up in High Wycombe but now lives in Croydon and has a close affiliation with the theatre, he explains: “I used to do a lot of youth theatre productions so I know it very, very well and I worked in the box office for quite a few years.

“This will be my first professional performance there, it will be really nice.”

Groovy Greeks, will take you from savage Sparta to angry Athens where you can compete in the first ever Olympic Games, meet your match with a Minotaur and be zapped by Zeus! Incredible Invaders will then look at when the Romans invade Britain and the Celts are crushed.

Elliott adds: “There’s lots of blood and guts and gore. You hear screams and cackles from the kids and from the parents.”

Horrible Histories began as a book series in 1993, with titles spanning much of British history.

Author Terry Deary says: “I started writing Horrible Histories because a publisher asked me to write a funny history book. I discovered an amazing secret; children love hearing about the dangerous and the disgusting things that people used to do to one another.

“They want to learn about the foul food, the terrible toilets and the torturing teachers. They even love my jokes that are older than Queen Victoria’s granny. Who’d have thought it?”

Wycombe Swan Theatre, St Mary Street, High Wycombe, Groovy Greeks on Wednesday, March 9 at 7pm, Thursday, March 10 at 10.30am, Friday, March 11 at 7pm and Saturday, March 12 at 10.30am. Incredible invaders on Thursday, March 10 at 1.30pm, Friday, March 11 at 10.30am and Saturday, March 12 at 2.30pm. Details: 01494 512000, wycombeswan.co.uk