Comedian Brian Conley tells KATHERINE MACALISTER why life is one big hoot as he brings larger-than-life character Edna Turnblad to Oxford in Hairspray.

There was a bit of a surreal moment recently when my teenage daughters asked if they could borrow my red lip gloss,” Brian Conley laughs.

Said daughters are currently accompanying Brian on the Plymouth leg of the Hairspray tour, and sporting “We love Edna t-shirts” in honour of their father’s flamboyant drag queen character.

But next week the Hairspray wagon will rock up to the New Theatre in Oxford to begin its two-week stint, come rain or shine. “That’s show business,” Brian tells me, “and that’s what I do.”

But between gigs he takes time out to perform in his own Brian Conley show. “I enjoy it,” he shrugs. “I belong on stage and I’ve always been an entertainer. And this way I have the best of both worlds.”

Brian Conley’s CV is impressive by any standards. Career highlights include multiple series of The Brian Conley Show for ITV, regular appearances at The Royal Variety Show, television comedies The Grimleys and Time After Time and lead roles in hit musicals The Music Man, Me & My Girl, Jolson and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

“It began when I was two. My parents lost me on holiday and found me in the ballroom pretending to pee on the trombonist,” he remembers.

Even so Brian has had to suffer for his art in the musical Hairspray, shaving his legs and chest once a month and sitting in the make-up chair for hours every day. “Everyone knows I’m not really a woman though and the script nods to that. But I have loved every minute of Hairspray. It’s a wonderful show and everywhere we’ve been we’ve had a standing ovation.”

And the lows? “Putting my false eyelashes on every day has been the hardest bit and I had to practise wearing heels for a bit. But I’ve taken to being a woman quite well actually,” he smiles.

“But it’s the Adam’s apple that gives you away the most, nothing including my £2,000 wig can hide that.“ Oh he’s a hoot that Brian Conley. But even he has to look after himself to stay at the top of his form. “After a few weeks the part begins to take its toll until the body and voice get used to the new routine,” he says.

“But I don’t drink anyway. I knocked all that on the head when I was 40 and packed it in. It was the best thing I ever did,” he says seriously. “And the tour hasn’t been too tough because I get back to my home in Bucks at weekends. And I got stuck in Cyprus for a month thanks to the ash clouds.

“So I do enjoy life. But as I don’t cook, dance or like the jungle, that’s my TV career down the pan,” he laughs.

“Instead I have my finger in many pies. But I’ve always been lucky because I like a big sound and a big show, and have the ability to take the audience somewhere and Hairspray is the best show people will ever see.”

* Hairspray opens at the New Theatre on Tuesday. Call the box office on 08448471599.