BEING a nerd, owning a cat, meeting your heroes or becoming a dad, whatever Ed Byrne casts his curmudgeonly comic eye over the end result is a show that's sure to please even the most discerning of crowds.

Supported by fellow Irish funnyman Karl Spain this new show promises to be a night you won't want to miss.

Ed has been busy since he last was on tour. His many TV appearances over the last couple of years have included hosting BBC 1's Live At The Apollo and being a regular panellist on Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You, as well as various other new comedy shows.

For nearly two decades he has been pleasing crowds up and down the country. So it is quite appropriate that his new show should be entitled, Crowd Pleaser.

Ed is a stand-up who always strikes up a terrific rapport with his audiences, his is a magnetic presence on stage. We meet for a cup of tea and you can take my word for it – he is just as compelling and comical off-stage.

"You get this unrivalled buzz from playing live," he beams. "When you're on stage, you keep finding new lines. You keep getting better and improving, which is, of course, the same thing!"

The comic, nominated for the coveted Perrier Award at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival, expands on the theme: "There is this brilliant speech in the film Mr Saturday Night, which Billy Crystal's character gives about what stand-up is. He says, 'When it's good, when it's cookin', you got 'em, they're yours. You can take 'em anywhere you want, you're powerful. You prowl the stage like a panther. It feels so good; the laughs go right into your blood. You can be a schmuck in the afternoon, but you're the king of the night. "

So what can Ed's fans expect from Crowd Pleaser? The comedian discloses that he will be talking in this show about the recent arrival of his first child, a gorgeous baby boy, and seeing the funny side of his wife's pregnancy.

"I couldn't wait to be a father," deadpans the Irish comic, who has released two very successful live DVDS, Pedantic and Whimsical and Different Class.

"I was desperate to get my wife back! The first three months of her pregnancy were like living with an alcoholic – 'I feel sick, I need a wee, get out of my way!'

"She was also afflicted with pregnancy brain. She couldn't remember the name for anything. It was funny when she met her father who has his own 'senior moments'. Neither of them could remember the name for the hand of a clock. My mother-in-law and I bonded over the fact that we were shackled to a pair of idiots!"

Able brilliantly to mine his own life for laughs, Ed will also be discussing "coming out" as a nerd.

"Judd Apatow movies and the popularity of Simon Pegg have made being a nerd far cooler," reflects the comic. "So now I'm enjoying letting my inner nerd come out to play a bit more. I'll be happy to drop a few nerdy references into the show.

"Did you know, for example, that an anagram of Ed Byrne is 'Be Nerdy'? That in itself doesn't prove that I'm a nerd, but the fact that I worked it out does!"

In Crowd Pleaser, Ed will also be performing a typically hilarious routine about owning a cat. "We treat pets better than we do humans," he smiles. "We found this cat by the bins and fed it, and it ended up living with us. You'd never do that with a human being. If you saw a tramp, you wouldn't say to him: 'Come and live in our house'."

During the show he will also be addressing such subjects as children wearing age-inappropriate clothing and how disappointing it can be to meet your heroes. In addition, he tackles the thorny topic of religion. But, in a characteristically imaginative move, he reveals: "I'm not going after the religious – I'm going after agnostics. They're like people who smoke occasionally – make your minds up! It's very easy to take the mick out of religion; attacking agnostics seems like more of a challenge!"

Finally, does Ed concur with Mr Saturday Night's description of the stand-up as "The king of the night"? Absolutely. "There are moments where I feel the only time I'm completely at ease is on stage telling jokes," he says. "It's the only time when I feel I know what I'm doing and am in control of everything. Think of the way I put down hecklers on stage – I'd never talk to anyone like that in real life!

"I imagine it's the same if you're a champion skier bombing down the mountain at 100 miles an hour – everything else seems irrelevant. The comedian Adam Bloom calls it, 'Life Fright'. That means you're happy on stage, but everything else feels intimidating.

"I just love doing stand-up."

And we just love watching him do it!

For details and ticket information for the Torquay show call 01803 290 288 or visit: www.princesstheatre.org.uk

For Plymouth call 0845 146 1460 or visit www.plymouthpavilions.com