JULIAN Clary returns to stages across the UK for his 2019 tour, Born To Mince, which includes a date in Dorset.

In what’s described as “an outrageously camp show”, Julian says he will “bare his soul as never before in the interests of light entertainment”.

We caught up with the flamboyant comedian to ask him a few questions.

Your shows are known for their audience participation, so should people avoid sitting in the first five rows?

“No because I wander around now, so you’re not safe anywhere,” he says. “I’ve always found people’s lives are more interesting than mine, and so I’m interested in talking to people and improvising, really.”

“I did a straight play last year, Le Grand Mort, and it was really enjoyable, but I really had to stop myself from talking to the audience. It was in a very small theatre at Trafalgar Studios. I wanted to talk about someone’s hair and their handbag and the shoes they were wearing, and you just can’t apparently. I’m told that, when acting in play, you are expected to say the same words in the same order every night. Who knew?

He adds: “It’s such freedom to be able to say what you want, and maybe go down a blind alley, or create a bit of comedy, magic perhaps if you’re lucky, if the wind’s in the right direction. I do like it more than anything.”

And yet there’s a line in the press release which says ‘this might be the final mince?’. Does that mean you’re thinking of retiring?

“Yes, it was rather lame of me to say that but I suppose it’s because I am 60 during this tour.,” says Julian. “At what age does it become inappropriate to talk about things that I talk about?”

n Born to Mince visits Poole, Lighthouse on Wednesday, May 15. It will also call in to the Octagon, Yeovil, on Thursday, May 23.