BOFF Whalley has spent his career standing up for the little man.

As a founder member of Chumbawamba, the politically-inspired pop band whose hit Tubthumping was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, he’s found inspiration fighting injustice, oppression and standing up for the rights of the working class.

Now, the Burnley-born guitarist has branched out with a new musical celebrating the good old days of the music hall.

Big Society will gets its world premiere at the famous City Varieties in Leeds in the new year with comedian Phill Jupitus taking the lead role.

“The show’s set in a music hall in 1912 and the colourful cast of characters find their livelihoods are under threat from the Ministry of Taste,” said Boff.

“It’s meant to be fun but with a serious message behind it.

“I got the original idea from seeing a picture of David Cameron and Boris Johnson when they were at Eton together.

"They were both dressed up like little Edwardian gents and it just struck me that picture could easily have been taken 100 years ago.

“Then when you think about it, not that much has changed over the years.

"We might think we’re all more sophisticated but really nothing much has changed.”

Boff (he got the nickname in the early days of Chumbawamba for being a bit of a boffin) deliberately chose a music hall as the setting for his new work, which will be performed with Red Ladder Theatre Company.

“When you think of music hall people have an image of The Good Old Days on the TV with everyone in their finery,” said Boff.

“But really the music hall was very much a working class entertainment, somewhere the mill workers and the miners would go after work. It was a fairly raucous affair.”

Big Society is described as a romp featuring 12 new songs, written by Boff, which will be performed by Chumbawamba.

“We’re just getting together now to start looking at the songs together,” he said.

“We hope to record them as an album in time for the show.

"As musicians we have to be much more disciplined working with actors.

"As for the show itself, we’re allowing the cast to entertain.

"I’m sure it will change a lot from what I have written once we get into rehearsals, which is good.

"That was the point of music hall. We also want the audience to interact with the performers.

"In the original music halls, the audiences had to be won over. If you weren't up to it as a performer you got booed off.

“The fact the show will be staged at the world-famous City Varieties will add an extra dimension to it as it’s still an authentic music hall setting.”

n Big Society is at Leeds City Varieties from Friday, January 18 to Saturday, February 4. Details from box office on 0113 243 0808.