We spoke with Phill Jupitus ahead of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's run in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre

Phill Jupitus is a jack of many trades if not all of them. Not content with just the successful stand up comedy career for which he's most famous, over the years he's also dipped his toes in radio and now musical theatre.

He's part of an all star cast performing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre that includes Jason Manford (Caractacus Potts), Martin Kemp (The Childcatcher) and Michelle Collins (Baroness Bomburst). Jupitus is playing the roles of Lord Scrumptious and Baron Bomburst in the show and is looking forward to performing in front of an Irish audience.

"I'm comfortable here. I just like the feel of it. It's got a very good feel for a performer. You're used to a story. As a nation you've all got a way around a story. You sort of like to listen and when you don't, there is always a reason for it."

Indeed Jupitus is no stranger to Irish audiences. It was in Ireland that he revived his stand up comedy career following a hiatus where he was a breakfast DJ on BBC Radio 6 Music.

"I kind of made my first steps back into Stand Up in Ireland in Galway in the Roisin Dubh. I did the Iveagh Gardens a couple of times. So I've gigged here quite a bit. I've always had a really good time gigging in Ireland. Great audiences. Up for a laugh."

Fans who are familiar with Jupitus from his stand up or his appearances on shows like Don't Mind the Buzzcocks might be surprised to see him take a segway into musical theatre but the star says that it was actually Buzzcocks that got him noticed by musical producers.

"I got a call from a casting agent called David Grindwad he asked me to come in for a chat. So I went in and they said 'We think you should do musicals.' At the time I was a stand up and I did Buzzcocks so I said "Why do you think I should do musicals?" And David went "Well it's the intros round on Buzzcocks. I can hear that you can hold a tune. I mean I know you're only going 'duh duh duh duh duh'.....but you're doing it in tune. That's pretty much it for a musical. If you can hold a tune you're grist to our mill my friend."

It all started from there. Jupitus was eventually cast as Edna Turnblad in a production of Hairspray and has since then appeared in productions of Spamalot and The Producers among others. This is will be the first time he's performed in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre but he has been an audience member before.

"I was in 'The Producers' on tour but by the time it came to Dublin obviously my part was played by Ross Noble. So I've actually watched a show in the audience. It's a great theatre. Beautiful theatre."