Jerry Seinfeld is to give four rare performances in London when he brings his standup show to the Hammersmith Apollo in summer 2019.

Seinfeld will perform two shows a night on 12 and 13 July, marking his return to the capital for the first time in seven years. The 64-year-old superstar comedian, who found international fame with his eponymous TV series, has had recent hits with the Netflix special Jerry Before Seinfeld and the Emmy-nominated web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He will arrive in the UK after a residency at the Beacon theatre, New York.

The comic recently gave an interview to the New York Times in which he reflected on the current climate in comedy including Bill Cosby’s sentence for sexual assault, Louis CK’s return to live performance after admitting sexual misconduct and the cancellation of Roseanne Barr’s show after she posted a racist tweet.

Seinfeld said that the intensity of solo standup is what makes it so popular: “The thing about being in comedy is, ‘We hate you, get off the stage’ is what we’re used to. Every comedian has that as part of their life. Getting booed, yelled at, hated. So you almost don’t notice it. You either have the skin for it or you don’t.”

In one of his most recent UK performances, in 2012, Seinfeld performed in Birmingham. “Oh my God, Birmingham, England!” he yelled as he took the stage. “Do you know how many years I have been wanting to come here? Zero! Never even thought about it.”

Tickets for the shows will go on sale on 16 November.