Danny Baker talks about his new show and why retiring to Florida will have to wait

“PHANTASMAGORICAL”. That’s how Danny Baker describes his new one-man show, Cradle To The Stage.

Since hitting the road with his first ever one-man stage show he has been entertaining audiences with a medley of stories that are as unlikely as they are eclectic.

Baker, though, is more akin to an East End Peter Ustinov than your typical stand-up comedian. “It’s more of an experience, that’s how I’d describe it. It’s me telling stories and ad-libbing really... it’s not a gentle supper club – it’s closer to punk than Stand-up,” he says.

“I’ve been to shows that have lasted for an hour-and-a-half that have felt like three hours, and mine’s the other way round.”

Its success has taken him a bit by surprise. “I never planned all this. I turn 60 later this year and the plan was to do this tour and then retire to Florida Keys. I thought it would just be six dates but instead it’s become this runaway train.” So much so that a string of extra dates have been hastily added including at the Grand Opera House in York next Wednesday.

He’s enjoyed being on stage and has found audiences the same whether he’s been playing in Hull or High Wycombe. “People say ‘they won’t like you up north’ but it’s an old myth. You can’t divide culture into accents - funny is funny.”

Baker has been a broadcaster and writer for the past 40 years. His recent bestselling autobiographies were adapted into the hit BBC series Cradle to Grave, while regular BBC Radio 5 Live listeners will be familiar with his Saturday morning show.

His career, and indeed his life, has been unusual to say the least. Born and raised in south-east London he left school at 14 to go and work in a record shop in Soho. “Within weeks of leaving school while my mates were still doing woodwork and geography I was meeting Mick Jagger.”

As well as finding himself in the company of stars like Jagger and Marc Bolan he went on to land a job at NME, thanks to a connection with the Ramones.

Over the years he has met an array of famous people ranging from Benny Hill and Tommy Cooper to Bob Dylan and John Lennon. “I didn’t just meet these people I spent time with them. I knew Spike Milligan really well and I stayed with Michael Jackson at his home for three weeks.”

In his new show he regales audiences with tales about some of the famous people he’s encountered, but says it’s not the likes of Lennon or Dylan who people are most interested in. “As with my books, the stories people respond to most when I’m up on stage are those about my old man.”

Despite being his first one-man show he’s not fazed by being up on stage. “I’m like my dad – I lack that gene of being intimidated,” he says. “Also, I’ve been in this business for 42 years so if I can’t hold an audience after all that time then I’m in trouble.”

Even so he is clearly chuffed by the success of the shows. “The plan was to do my whole career but most nights I haven’t got to the point where I leave school by the end of the night,” he says.

“It’s been an unexpected bonus and I’ll keep doing this as long as people want me to.” He’s already looking at doing a follow-up tour next year so it seems Florida’s loss is our gain, at least for the time being.

Danny Baker is appearing at the Grand Opera House, York, on April 26. For tickets visit www.atgtickets.com