Get ready for a close encounter of the most entertaining kind when pants loving aliens fly into Croydon.

The mischievous gang have travelled to town not to go shopping or visit earthlings, but simply to steal our underwear.

Do not worry though as the extra terrestrials in question are not really here to steal, they are the stars of a show based on the award winning children’s book Aliens Love Underpants.

The production follows the aliens as they ransack the washing line on their search for pants - big and small, red or green.

They love grandma’s spotted bloomers, while grandad’s long johns make for the perfect slide.

Director Adam Bampton-Smith, whose favourite pants are purple with a white trim, said, “This funny and colourful book makes a wonderful stage show, which is just right for a family audience. “It’s simply pantastic.”

The show promises to be silly, quirky and irresistibly fun for the entire family.

It is based on the book which was written by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Ben Cort and has been hugely popular since it was first published in 2007.

This is the first time it has been turned into a stage show.

It has been created by children’s theatre company Big Wooden Horse and produced by Nick Brooke, whose other productions include The Gruffalo, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.

Aliens Love Underpants; Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls, Croydon; May 1 and 2 (Thursday and Friday); 4.30pm both days and 1.30pm on Thursday and 10.30am on Friday; £12.50 and £46 family ticket; 020 8688 9291 or fairfield.co.uk