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Rob Brydon, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
ROB Brydon has so many identities that it's hard to tell which one is really him.
Is it the quick-witted panellist on Stephen Fry's quiz show, QI, the naive but well meaning Uncle Bryn, from Gavin and Stacey, or the exhausted father craving his bed after a successful night's stand-up?
But, although viewers may find his real personality hard to pin down, the Swansea-born actor-comedian-presenter and now chart-topping singer never forgets what makes him the man he is.
In fact, he has refused work because it would keep him away from the things that are most important to him in life - his wife and four children.
"I've turned a few things down that have turned out very nicely because it means six weeks in Bulgaria.
"That's proper being away from home," he says.
Brydon also seems to benefit from a strong sense of self-awareness.
"I can read a good script and still not do it if I don't think I can be good in it, you know," he insists.
"I get offered a lot of parts that I just don't see what the point is or what I'd gain from it. I think if I can go to QI and be funny, it's better for me than being in a detective show."
With a Bafta nomination - the awards are next week - a new job as host of BBC1 panel show Would I Lie to You and a sell-out stand-up gig at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall this month (plus a new date on October 1, with tickets still available), he can afford to be choosy.
Then there's the small matter of a Number 1 hit single for Comic Relief - (Barry) Islands in the Stream - performed as Uncle Bryn with Ruth Jones (as sitcom co-star Nessa), Tom Jones and Bee Gee Robin Gibb.
Series three of BBC Wales' Gavin and Stacey will begin shooting in June and July.
"It was the best thing ever," he says.
"It was seriously, no hint of irony, one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.
"Going out to Las Vegas to shoot the video with Ruth and Tom Jones was just a dream come true."
The current tour, which the 43-year-old began in Wales before Christmas, involves "some of that Brydon magic".
"The audience can expect me entertaining them obviously, with what I find funny," he explains.
"I talk about things in my life. I also talk about the birth of my fourth child, he was born at home unexpectedly, and I talk to the audience about relationships.
"There's also a musical element to it - there will be singing."
As much as Brydon welcomes his busy professional life, there are some nights when he just wants to catch up on sleep.
"When you are you are out there, you have to kind of commit yourself, you can't take it lightly," he explains.
"You're there to do a job and it's my job. You're there to entertain people or they won't want to see you again.
"You've got to get the sleep and look after yourself.
"Well, I have anyway - I'm not sure Russell Brand needs the sleep."
Rob Brydon, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, April 28 & October 1. Tickets 0151 709 3789 or www.liverpoolphil.com
