GYLES Brandreth may have cast off his "ridiculous eighties jumpers" from his time on breakfast TV, but the self-deprecating humour is still there in spades.

The former MP and author is now having an almost unnatural amount of fun in a new arts venture, Zipp, which has been winning strong critical acclaim.

Billed as the "RyanAir of musical theatre", it takes on everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Cole Porter, promising a staggering 100 musicals in 100 minutes.

Remarkably, it is guaranteeing audiences a full refund if they are not able to complete this seemingly improbable feat.

Adopting a tone of mock hurt, Gyles bemoans the unsurprising fact that there have been no takers for his offer of a solo version of The Full Monty as part of the rip-roaring performance.

He said: "It's a big party every night. It is a happy show and people seem to like it which is great as we are able to draw on all the big shows from the 20th century."

After playing panto alongside Bonnie Langford, this is not the first time he has trodden the boards. Yet he is hardly known for his singing talent, conceding that his voice has been described as "a cross between Rex Harrison and Kermit the Frog."

Despite his own acknowledged limitations, he has plenty of praise for the professional cast of seven who make up the Pocket Musical Theatre Company in this whitewater rapid of a show.

He is especially looking forward to the Guildford Arnaud dates from March 8-13 as the week marks a double birthday - his own 55th and his mother's 90th - and is anticipating a fine celebration.

According to Gyles, his writer-wife Michelle, whom he describes as "brilliant, beautiful and talented", has been a great supporter of his stage move. She is apparently glad to see him re-direct his energies away from politics, having put up with him as MP for Chester. In 1997 that chapter of his life dramatically came to a close.

"I was kicked out as an MP and, as Michelle says, it was a rare occasion that brought the community together - 67,000 people turned out to vote against me."

You may be forgiven for thinking he might be a little resentful of such a seemingly inglorious departure. However, his approach to life has been stoically upbeat and says "you have to live for the day and give a little whistle".

It would be impossible to think of him as anything other than a political animal, after his ambitions were moulded as a scholar at Oxford University.

Asked to name a career highlight, he swiftly replies it was as government whip to John Major's administration. This doubtless fostered much material for his best-selling diaries, Breaking The Code, which unravelled Westminster's web of intrigue.

He recalls one of his finest hours as having introduced the marriage act in 1994, which allowed couples to hold non-church weddings in venues other than registry offices.

"When I went into politics, I wanted to make a difference rather than a noise. It's like William Blake said you create good by small things which make a difference.

"Most MPs are not as bad as they are made out to be, and a lot of my friends are in politics, indeed one of my costumes, a kimono, has been supplied by John Prescott."

Of course, there's more to him beyond an astute commentator on the machinery of government. Many will have seen him regularly guest on shows including Countdown and Have I Got News For You, and he also a contributes to several Radio Four programmes.

There seem few literary subjects he will not tackle. He's written a work on Sir John Gielgud, scripted TV series and penned a history of pantomime - which perhaps explains his fine sense of comic timing throughout our chat.

Though very much a Londoner, the irony of his playing a show in the Surrey area is not lost on him.

"As I get older, it seems I am slowly moving closer and closer towards Guildford," he says in reference to numerous house moves.

Not that he is at all unhappy. His domestic life in Barnes appears pretty cosy - married with two cats and three children - the latter "having turned out perfectly thanks to my wife".

As for interests outside work, Gyles enjoys keeping himself busy. With Michelle, he founded the National Teddy Bear Museum leading to his involvement with a musical based on Winnie The Pooh creator A A Milne.

"I like wandering about towns and looking at interesting buildings. When I am in Guildford, I shall be in search of Lewis Caroll's grave as I like walking around graveyards."

So if you see someone loitering around local churchyards, don't worry, it's only Gyles.