Julian Clary will be at hist camp best at Venue Cymru

Feb 3 2010

Julian Clary

OUTRAGEOUSLY camp comedian Julian Clary is due to flounce onto the stage at Venue Cymru in Llandudno when he brings his provocative Lord of the Mince one man show to the resort.

The show has been garnering rave reviews on its countrywide tour and Clary is revelling in it.

Despite looking years younger he has recently clocked up his half century, but shows no sign of slowing down.

"I’m 50. The shame of it," he reveals.

"This will be an intimate evening, a celebration, no less, of my 25 years in the camp spotlight – how I got there and why I refuse to leave." Come and see me before they put me in a home for tired old knackers."

Since graduating from Goldsmith College University, London in the 1980s with a degree in English drama, Clary has gone on to become one of the country’s most recognisable entertainers, and has turned his hand to comedy, acting, presenting, writing and even performing as a novice dancer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, where he reached the final.

Other TV credits include Friday Night Live, Sticky Moments, Terry and Julian, It’s Only TV But I Like It., four ITV Christmas pantomimes and Who Do You Think You Are?.

He has toured the UK, Australia and New Zealand many times and also appeared in Boy George’s memorable West End musical Taboo and as the MC in Cabaret at London’s Lyric Theatre.

His indelible impact on the entertainment world was recognised in 2001 when he was awarded the big red book’ by Michael Aspel on This Is Your Life.

His autobiography, A Young Man’s Passage, was published by Ebury Press in 2006 and was a Sunday Times bestseller, and his first novel, Murder Most Fab, was published in 2007.

He has just finished dancing with Lilia Kopylova on the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour and his second novel, Devil in Disguise, was published last year.

It’s a catalogue of work of which many others would be envious, and his enthusiasm for taking on new challenges is as great as ever, even though he confesses he had some doubts about taking on an exhausting nationwide tour.

"At first, I thought: ‘Do I want to tour at my age? Will anyone turn up? Am I past it?’ But as soon as I got the show on the road, all those doubts evaporated," he said.

"I’m having a lovely time. Now is definitely the right time to be playing live again.

"It’s going back to basics. It’s how I started in comedy. I get very playful on stage, which makes it great fun.

"It’s a very silly show – I’ve always liked the lighter, more trivial side of life.

"There is no hidden message in this show, no attempt to change the world.

"It’s about fun for its own sake, that’s the service I offer," he added.

Lord of the Mince at Venue Cymru on February 18. Tickets available on 01492 872000 or at venuecymru.co.uk