FOLLOWING the success of BBC’s Cradle to Grave starring Peter Kay and dipping his feet into ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, broadcaster and writer Danny Baker introduced his family and other larger than life characters in this entertaining and unique stage show.

With no script, structure or even a sniff of a plan, Baker used only a clock to guide him to the interval and the good folk of Burnley were treated to a first half of 97 minutes which went by like a flash.

In a 41-year career from the NME to television, local and national radio and scriptwriting for amongst others, Chris Evans, Ricky Gervais and Jeremy Clarkson, Baker launched us on a whirlwind talk about his colourful life.

It amounted to a fantastic and warm evening of terrifically funny tales of his explosive and comical father known as Spud, life in south east London and leaving school to work in record shops with faces like Elton John and Mick Jagger popping up.

Baker has a joy of life and it truly is infectious as he recalled an uncle’s funeral, Spud’s enterprising activities in feeding and clothing the household and young Danny’s own blissful childhood from playing on the estate and neighbouring dumps or bombsites, schooldays and entry to the business we call Show.

The nostalgia is far from romantic; it is simply true, detailing a slice of working class life that has completely disappeared from today’s London.

The second half included a Q&A with Baker telling stories of big household names and their darker sides but always leaving the audience with hearty laughs.

In interviews, he claims he has no dark secret and is shallow. He credits his career to “dumb luck” but there is so much more to Danny Baker as his talent for storytelling shows.

As he approaches his 60th birthday there is talk of him retiring to his beloved Florida, however, the call of the stage may play a big part in the ex-punk rocker’s third chapter.

After the show Baker signed programmes, t-shirts, books and had pictures and chats with a long queue of people adding a further 90 minutes to proceedings.

If you are a bus or train ride away and can get a ticket please do, it will be worth it as you catch your breath coming away from the theatre, even if you have missed the last bus home.

DANNY CLEARY