WHAT have a rotund bumbling pirate, a classic children's cartoon, Joe Pasquale and the Palace Theatre all got in common? Captain Pugwash, that's what, me hearties!

High pitched TV comedian Pasquale's Shoebury based production company, OddPost Entertainment, are sailing the salty old sea dog's adventures to brand new audiences, with the Black Pig harboured at the Westcliff venue for three days, from Thursday, May 29, to Saturday, May 31.

This lavish production has spared no expense, with top of the range props costly enough to empty the biggest treasure chest of Blackbeard himself, completely bare of gold doubloons.

More than £250,000 has been spent on building the entire Black Pig ship - including a walking plank - and OddPost have even assembled their own treasure island. They are even using the original theme tune. You could say they've pushed the boat out for this one - I'll get my coat!

"The production values are of the highest standard, because we wanted to make this the best show possible," said Oddpost director Shaun Cornell.

"Yeah, but it's too big'" butted in his partner Pasquale. "We can't get it all in the Palace Theatre. It's too big for the stage, so we've had to scale down the boat a bit and make our island a bit smaller. But it still looks awesome."

The lead role of Captain Pugwash is well filled - with the aid of a special fat suit - by Richard Alan, who has trouble getting out of character, sitting opposite me still wearing a make-up moustache and continuing to squeak in his alter-ego's voice.

"I love playing the old pirate," he smiled. "In fact, I find it hard to let him go - we have grown very close.

"It is a demanding role to play, especially wearing this big padded fat suit to pull off Pugwash's figure. I can't get out of it sometimes - I get stuck!

"And it restricts what I can do. I can only walk sideways - he is a very two dimensional character."

"A bit like you're acting," chuckled Cornell.

Sitting here with a production team and the main actor, wearing smiles as broad as the seven seas, you can feel the great affection they have for taking this iconic cartoon's small screen success on to the big stage.

This is a labour of love for the whole crew, which makes for a special performance. Although, they deny being a crack gang of feverish Pugwash nerds, desperately plotting to bring the pirate back to TV screens by brainwashing theatre goers as part of their cunning plan.

Oddpost have already taken another cult classic kid's TV show on tour - Rentaghost, complete with Timothy Claypole, Mistress Meaker and Dobbin, the panto horse with a duel personality.

The production toured the country and after making its maiden voyage at Butlins, before a short stint at the London Aquarium, OddPost hope Captain Pugwash's Palace Theatre outing will lead to similar success.

"We really want to set sail across the country," said Alan, whose voice was slowly beginning to return to normality. "Captain Pugwash has enduring popularity. We are expecting a lot of adults in the theatre, who enjoyed the show when they were young, to introduce it to their children, breeding a new generation of Pugwash fans.

"For me personally, it is a great experience being in the performance. Bumbling on stage through the curtains and seeing the cheering crowd.

"We've really worked hard to make this a great show, from the props, to the costumes and even the sword fights, which have been specially arranged by our fight director, Matt Sterling, who has been in films like Harry Potter and Zorro. It's all very professional."

Originally created by John Ryan, Captain Pugwash started life on the pages of Eagle comic in the Fifties, before making the jump to the small screen.

But one thing always remains the same, the dastardly attempts of the heroe's arch nemesis, the bushy bearded Cut Throat Jake, to sink Captain Pugwash in his own ship - the Flying Dutchman.

On this occasion, Captain Pugwash has entered himself in the Pirate of the Year competition, but Cut Throat Jake, who has just escaped the brig, is determined to win the award himself, by claiming the winning treasure on Chumbawumba island first.

"It's a great story, full of all the usual madness and mayhem you expect from Pugwash and his crew," smiled Pasquale.

But just how did the former I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here star, who used to live in Grays, get involved with Oddpost in the first place.

"I met my partner in the company, Shaun, at Butlins Bognor Regis about 20-years ago," he explained. "He was working there and I'd somehow set fire to myself on stage. I didn't mean to do it and had nowhere to stay.

"Shaun felt sorry for me and let me sleep on his bedroom floor. We've been mates ever since and grown very close. But we haven't picked any curtains together yet."

Finally, Pasquale dispelled the biggest of all Captain Pugwash myths - the popular misconception that many of the Black Pig's crew possess double entendre names like Roger the Cabin Boy, Master Bates and Seaman Stain.

"It's not true at all," confirmed Pasquale. "Some TV critic made it up years ago in an article and it seems to have stuck. But it's all just Chinese whispers."