Why Duncan loves our humour

Back in 1975, Are You Being Served? was the hottest comedy on television, with John Inman's camp menswear assistant Mr Humphries having millions of viewers in stitches.

The same year Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle worked in a real-life menswear store by day, taking his comedy routine around pubs and clubs at night.

"At the time Michael Crawford was huge, as Frank Spencer, and John Inman in Are You Being Served? was massive. I thought if I could find something in between the two it would make an act."

It seems a long time since Norvelle was prime time viewing in the 1980s, but 33 years after quitting the menswear store, he is still in demand at clubs and theatres across the land, and he will be appearing alongside Ricky Tomlinson at Dudley Concert Hall on February 29 and Lichfield Garrick Theatre on February 17.

And the comic reveals that the region is dear to his heart, being where he first lived during his early days as a club comic.

"I used to live in Sutton Coldfield when I first started out," he says. "I had an agent from the Midlands, and I didn't know where to base myself - I was still quite young - and he found me a flat above this house. It was a lovely place."

And he says there is always plenty of banter when he performs in the region.

"There's the Black Country humour, I always look forward to working round there. There's a definite type of humour in Dudley and around there, that you don't find elsewhere. They remind me a bit of the geordies.

"In London you find they are a bit more reserved, but in the Black Country or Newcastle they seem to go for it, you get a bit more back."

Norvelle's act on stage is just that - he isn't a real life Mr Humphries, and is not nearly as camp as he comes across on stage.

But the father-of-two says there is something of himself in the stage persona, and admits he has always been a showman.

"I've always been a bit camp," he says. "If you offered me a blue car, a silver car or a yellow car, I would go for the yellow one just to be different.

"If I'm in the garden I have to go over the top with colours and plants, and if I'm buying clothes I always go over the top."

And while it seems no TV schedule today is complete without a liberal sprinkling of Graham Norton or Alan Carr, Duncan says it was much more difficult trying to be established as a camp comic in the 1970s, particularly in the traditionally macho club circuit.

"Back in the 70s, it was not really the thing to be camp," he says. "Nowadays it's on all the time.

"I was performing at this club in Scotland, and it was not going well. This big burly man stood up to leave, so I shouted 'chase me, chase me' and he sat back down and started laughing, and it became a catchphrase."

Norvelle admits a TV comeback is unlikely, saying there is little of the traditional variety entertainment on screen today.

"It's all reality shows, Wife Swap and things like that. I wouldn't want to do anything like that."

Duncan, who turns 50 this year, says he has considered retirement on many occasions, believing there comes a time when every comedian should call it a day.

"The phone used to be ringing all the time, I used to have four or five bookings every week, now it's one or two. I have often thought about packing it in, but I suppose, as long ask people want me I will carry on."

How would he like to spend the rest of his life?

"I would really like to run a garden centre. I have got the premises."

Yet there is one TV reality show that Duncan would be prepared to make an exception for.

"I would like to do I'm A Celebrity, I think I would be really good on it," he says.