THEY have long been theatre favourites with their distinctive brand of literary lunacy.

Never ones to miss out on a trend, LipService Theatre Company have turned their attention to our current passion for Swedish crime thrillers.

The result? Inspector Norse.

It has all the hallmarks of a theatre duo who have made their award-winning reputations by mangling – in the best possible way – some of our best known stories.

Since the mid Eighties, they have tangled with the Bronte sisters, the Knights of the Round Table, Sherlock Holmes and many more.

Together, actresses Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox have produced a series of hits shows, Withering Looks, King Arthur and the Knights of the Occasional Table and Move Over Moriarty among them.

The company is back on tour, this time with its spoof style homage to the power of the Swedish novel.

Inspector Norse is at the City Varieties in Leeds on March 13.

Expect plenty of Nordic references as ex-popstar and recluse Freya Johansson discovers a body in her remote farmhouse barn.

Enter introverted, monosyllabic Detective Inspector Sandra Larsson in her iconic knitted jumper. She and her cop partner Erik uncover a disturbing mystery involving a famous 1970’s Swedish pop band. As the body count mounts and the only suspect is a troll, Sandra and Erik go undercover to solve the case. It also features Nordic walking and some drunken moose.

LipService clearly hasn’t changed and is as madcap and funny as ever.

Tickets online at cityvarieties.co.uk or from Box Office on 0113 243 08 08.