Do I have to do this asks Julian Clarey ahead of newly added North East date for 'A Fistful of Clary'

Following his acclaimed, sell-out 46-date tour in 2024, the self-proclaimed “renowned homosexual and national trinket” has announced that he will be fixing to saddle up once more, as he heads back out on the road with a brand-new set of Spring 2025 dates for his hit western-themed stand-up show, ‘A Fistful of Clary’.

The revered comic – who recently featured as part of the series 16 line-up of C4’s Taskmaster – will be heading to the Town Hall in Middlesbrough on Saturday, May 3 as part of a new 28-date extension to that original tour which saw him come to Newcastle.

In this interview below, 65-year-old Julian shares his feelings about going out on tour again, describes what you can expect and reflects on some of his recent adventures:

Seeing as you’re going back out on tour again with an extension, what do you most look forward to when heading out on tour?

Julian: “Oh no. Do I have to do this? Rylan and I were going to go back-packing in Wales. Sigh.

“I love touring, it is a very lovely, creative process. Every night is different. I look forward to seeing how things evolve: a tiny spontaneous idea one-night can become a twenty-minute routine after a few shows. That sort of thing can only happen on stage – no amount of thinking in the comfort of your own home can bring it about.

"I also love travelling around with my tour manager Bertha. She has been by my side for twenty-five years. We have a laugh, or lapse into a nice, comfortable silence as the mood takes us. Bliss."

What inspired the theme for this tour and will you be going full method Western?

Julian: "Placing myself in the macho world of the Western seems like a jolly wheeze. All those un-washed cowboys, spitting and swearing. Not to mention the clothes. There are rich pickings for a camp comic to plunder, I’m sure of it."

You’re well-known for bringing unsuspecting audience members on to stage with you, how do you go about picking them out?

Julian: "I’ll be creating a new Western drama called The Magnificent Seven Inches. For that I’ll need a posse. Sadly I don’t have one with me so I shall have to rely on the kindness of unsuspecting punters. Yes, I’ll be needing some male members. I seem to have a psychic ability to pick the right people 99% of the time. I need to look them in the eye and then I know. Heterosexual men are best fodder for my purposes. They are, after all, responsible for most of the troubles in this world and I see it as my duty to make them pay."

You’re also renowned for your fabulous costumes, what have you got up your sleeve for this tour?

Julian: "I can’t give too much away but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I’ve always wanted to slip into a pair of chaps.

"My costumes are designed by Hugh Durrant who creates all my panto extravaganza. If you’ve seen the London Palladium panto you’ll know that Hugh doesn’t go for subtlety. I’ve said too much.

On the tour, you’ll be returning to your ‘spiritual pantomime home’, having just headlined your 9th consecutive run at the London Palladium, how are you feeling about that?

Julian: “I can’t believe my luck! At this time of life I thought I might be doing the odd gig in a room above a pub somewhere provincial. The Palladium is a truly magical place. I feel truly blessed. As soon as I walk through the stage door of the Palladium I feel overcome with happiness.”

TV wise, audiences most recently saw you on Channel 4’s Taskmaster, how was that experience for you? Did you find yourself becoming more eager to impress Taskmaster Greg Davies as the series progressed?

Julian: "Greg is an Alpha Male, so of course one wants to please him however possible. He’s like Big Brother, all seeing, all important. He might be the second coming, even. I love Taskmaster. It is so silly, so trivial, but I was swept along by it. Alex is funny, too, in a nerdy way."

You also made a surprise appearance on the Christmas Special of ITV’s The Masked Singer, did you enjoy the process of being undercover?

Julian: "The secrecy was half the fun. I can’t tell you – balaclavas, visors, hoodies, gloves even – every time you left your dressing room. Then for the performance being inside your costume is a strangely liberating experience. I was most upset to be knocked out by Carol Vorderman dressed as a Reindeer. What a camp show!”

Where else is the extended tour going?

Wednesday, April 30: Isle of Man, Gaiety Theatre

Thursday, May 1: Salford, The Lowry

Friday, May 2: Harrogate, Theatre

Saturday, May 3: Middlesbrough, Town Hall

Tuesday, May 6: Lincoln, Theatre Royal

Wednesday, May 7: Blackpool, Grand Theatre

Friday, May 9: Ipswich, Corn Exchange

Saturday, May 10: High Wycombe, Wycombe Swan

Tuesday, May 13: Swansea, Grand Theatre

Wednesday, May 14: Hereford, Courtyard

Thursday, May 15: Richmond, Theatre

Friday, May 16: Worthing, Pavilion Theatre

Saturday, May 17: London, The London Palladium

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Leicester, De Montfort Hall

Wednesday, May 21 Bury St Edmunds, Theatre Royal

Thursday, May 22: Peterborough, New Theatre

Friday, May 23: Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre

Saturday, May 24: Crewe, Lyceum Theatre

Sunday, May 25: York, Grand Opera House

Wednesday, May 28: Exeter, Corn Exchange

Thursday, May 29: Southampton, MAST Mayflower

Friday, May 30: Bexhill On Sea, De La Warr Pavilion

Saturday, May 31: St Albans, Alban Arena

Sunday, June 1: Norwich, Theatre Royal

Wednesday, June 4: Poole, Lighthouse Theatre

Thursday, June 5: Aldershot, Princes Hall

Friday, June 6: Chelmsford, Theatre

Sunday, June 8: Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre