Husband Hunting

It's true. Julian Clary really is passing up the opportunity for a Down Under double entendre. However, his antipodean fans should rest assured that the 'Lord of Mince' will be in fine, camp form when he lands here in search of suitable husband.

Speaking to The Music from his home in rural England, Clary explains the rationale behind his MICF show Position Vacant: Apply Within. “I'm not particularly turning anyone,” he says, “but I do drag men from the audience; and I have a cattle prod and I herd everyone into a sheep pen. There are a number of elimination games and by the end of the night I have a husband. The climax of course is a beautiful wedding ceremony.”

Over the course of his 30-year career, the star of shows like Sticky Moments and Prickly Heat has not only established himself as a kind of out-there Wilde/Coward love child but as an author, panto star and stand-up comic. It's also fair to say that he qualifies as a 'gay icon' and thus he is more than pleased to have his say on the lingering marriage equality debate. “I should think that by the time I've finished with Australia any resistance will be futile,” he declares. “Obviously the world is ready is for gay marriage. Well, not everywhere, but civilised countries like Australia.”

For Clary, born in the late '50s and schooled in the '70s, life as a gay man has become much easier over the journey. “It's been demystified, so there's not shock and horror. It's like, so what; and the world really is a better place in that regard.”

As to whether our increased easiness with sexual orientation has taken some of the sting out his comedy, Clary is similarly clear. “A laugh is a laugh and that's really what I'm interested in. It's not the whole crusade that it used to be; not about horrifying the right-wing, which I used to enjoy very much. So yes, it's kind of evolved, although it is still my stock in trade. I suppose now we all talk about it together rather than me needing to be more confrontational.”

His 2014 visit will be Clary's eighth Australian tour, so although he is not one for obvious Down Under puns he is a fan of Oz. “To me going to Australia is like visiting a much-loved friend who's had a few drinks and greets me at the door with arms wide open. When times are hard for me, like when I've been in trouble with the media or whatever, I often think to myself, 'Let's go to Australia'. It's also a very good-looking place.”

Cue: several new husbands.