Secret agent and national treasure Dick Barton returns to the Warehouse Theatre from Friday and this time he's time travelling.

Following on from last year's Young Dick episode, The Devil Wears Tweed, the theatre returns to the older version of the character, made so popular in the 1950s BBC radio series, in Dick Barton: Quantum of Porridge.

It is the eighth episode in the theatre's highly successful stage adaptions and sees our hero reunited with old chums Snowy and Jock before being hurtled through time by some mysterious porridge he keeps being force fed.

In the end he finds himself in 1953 battling to ensure Queen Elizabeth is safely installed on the throne and that he doesn't inadvertently run into his younger self, with no idea what would happen if he did.

This year, Dick is played by Robin Kingsland, with Chris Dickens playing the younger Dick, while Croydon actor Jonathan Busby lines up in his first ever professional role as Jock.

"All the rehearsals have gone really well and it's been good fun," says 21 year-old former Whitgift pupil Busby.

"This is my first professional job after leaving drama school which is wonderful seeing as I am from Croydon and it's my local theatre.

"Before rehearsals I knew of Dick Barton but didn't really know anything about him.

"When I was a lot younger I came to see one of the Dick Barton productions here but I don't really remember it very well so the history had to be explained to me.

"He is kind of like a forgotten national institution and it did really well when it first came on the scene."

The production again brings together the theatre’s artistic director Ted Craig with Stefan Bednarcyzk, who has written the lyrics and been musical director of all the Dick Barton series, and Duncan Wisbey, who starred in the first three Dick Barton instalments and has written the most recent four.

As ever there will be original songs, plenty of laughs and a multi-talented cast switching between acting, singing and playing music.

"There's a lot songs and that's very nice for me as I have learned piano and drums in the past and I get to play them in this," says Busby, who was working part time as a barman at the venue before landing the role of Jock.

"I have also learned the double bass for the production too which is a nice thing to play and I have a couple of songs which I sing with other people."

Dick Barton: Quantum of Porridge, Warehouse Theatre, Dingwall Road, December 11 to February 21, Tues 6.30pm, Weds to Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm, £11 to £14. Call 020 8680 4060 or visit warehousetheatre.co.uk.