AFTER 40 years together, Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball's comedy partnership has lasted longer than many marriages. In fact, their unbroken 25-year stint on the quintessentially British panto scene is a pretty impressive record in itself.

Now, the godfathers of British comedy have descended on Darlington to perform as pirates Smee and Yoo - creating a double act as well as a rather dubious pun - in the Civic Theatre's pantomime Peter Pan, which opened this week.

"We've been performing together for 40 years now - we think that makes us the longest working double act in England today," said Tommy, looking rather thoughtful.

But, as with any couple who have spent the best part of half a century bickering, the familiar banter soon starts up. "I knew him when he had hair," said Bobby. "It comes to us all," retorts Tommy ruefully, eyeing Bobby's receding hairline.

As many readers beyond a certain age will remember, it is not the first time the comedy duo have worked in the area.

"We performed at the Fiesta at the bottom of the bill and we performed there at the top of the bill," Tommy recalled.

"I met my wife 30 years ago at the Fiesta," said Bobby. "She was a Fiesta Fawn. When I met her, she was about 5ft 10in because she was wearing these boots and I asked if I could take her out, and she said, 'I don't go out with short men.'"

He later proposed to her in the Flamingo night club in Darlington. "So we like it here, and that's not rubbish," said Tommy. "It has fond memories for us."

The award-winning duo, who hold the British theatre record for the largest sum taken at the box office in one week for the 1989 pantomime Babes in the Wood at the London Palladium, have a great affection for the genre.

"Panto will be here forever and a day," said Tommy. "Forever and ever."

Bobby agrees: "As far as panto is concerned, the families come. It's a family thing. Critics will say it's a kids' thing, but some of the adults shout louder than the kids.

"A lot of acts won't do panto because it's hard work - it's two shows a day - but we have always looked forward to it because there are families out there - mums, dads, grandmas, and the kids."

"And it's the first time some kids will have been in a theatre," said Tommy.

"I don't think humour's changed. I think the humour, the new wave of comedy that came through at the end of the Nineties, that's new. But it's all observation. At the end of the day, funny's funny," he added.

But, like all old-school professionals, they refuse to reveal the secret of their comic genius.

"We were getting sweaty on stage once and Bobby said, 'We're all in the same boat', I said, 'What boat?' and we ended up with a 15-minute routine out of it. That is lovely when it happens," said Tommy. "You can't analyse comedy. We just enjoy each other's company on stage. We don't analyse it."