The Missing Hancocks: Live in Edinburgh! (Show A)

Though the BBC is rightly celebrated for its comedy output, the effort made to preserve its early offerings was severely lacking. Such is the case with Hancock's Half Hour in both its TV and radio incarnations. 102 episodes of the latter were recorded between 1954 and 1959, 20 of which haven't been heard since.

With the scripts available and a coterie of admirers intent on bringing them back to life, Radio 4 was met with enormous acclaim when it broadcast five re-interpretations last year. Now audiences may enjoy another handful of episodes, this time directed by Neil Pearson for the stage.

Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's writing rarely strikes a bum note, and the work presented here is in keeping with the high standards on which they built their reputation. The cast, meanwhile, evoke the spirit and phrasing of their long-dead heroes without succumbing to stuffy reverence. The pieces are performed like radio recordings, but allow for enough dramatic flourishes to justify use of a visual medium.

It's unlikely many will be so familiar with all 82 widely circulated originals that these "lost episodes" can be considered essential additions to the Hancock cannon, but they make a fine introduction to The Lad Himself. In recent years, more interest seems to have surrounded the troubled personal lives of Tony Hancock, Kenneth Williams, Sid James et al., and so this serves as an overdue reminder of the joy they brought to others.