ONE glance at the tour itinerary for Bill Bailey's latest show Limboland would be enough to make most people just stay at home and lock the doors.

For the tour which began last week takes up four sheets of A4 to list all the 120-plus dates and will keep Bill on the road until the middle of July next year.

But the bearded comedy wonder seems undaunted by what lies ahead.

"It takes a long time to get a show up and running, so you might as well make the most of it," he said. "A live theatre show is a complex logistical operation and that is also expensive so if the demand is there, it makes sense to stay out on the road.

"The other thing is that I do constantly change a show once we're on the road, it is a constantly evolving process so that keeps everything fresh both for me and the audience."

A key feature of Bill's previous sell-out tours including Dandelion Mind and Qualmpeddlar has always been a question and answer session with the audience and Limboland, promises Bill, will stick to that format.

"Every night I do this there's a sense of 'now what's going to happen?' and I think audiences enjoy that too. You can get involved in some banter with the audience which takes on a life of its own and they can be special nights when that happens.

"With Limboland the venues are intimate ones rather than arena shows and they are more conducive to audience interaction and I have to say I prefer that.

"Arenas are rather like live TV shows with all the big screens you have and from a comedian's point of view perhaps aren't that fulfilling as you don't have that direct contact with an audience – it is just too big."

The theme of Limboland is looking at how the perception of our lives may differ from reality and also looking at the question 'what might have been?'.

"Maybe it's my age, but I think we all get to the stage when we look back and wonder, what would happened if I had or hadn't done that? How would my life have turned out? said Bill.

"For me I can't complain, I'm not doing too badly and hopefully I'll be standing in front of packed houses in Blackburn getting plenty of laughs but it is human nature I think to wonder what if…..?

"I also think that it's a very fertile ground for comedy so there are a few personal stories in there and my usual ramblings."

And Bill Bailey devotees need not despair, he promises the show will feature its fair share of musical interludes – always a highlight of one of Bill's shows.

Bill is a classically trained musician, having studied at the London College of Music.

"Oh, there will definitely be music," he said. "One of the threads of the show is what brings us happiness and sounds and songs are very emotive things. Just a few notes of a song can transport us to a particular time or place."

Bill Bailey's Limboland, King George's Hall, Blackburn, Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 (0844 847 1664) and Preston Guild Hall, Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14 (0844 844 7710).