COMEDIAN Bill Bailey is spending a long time in Limboland, his tour show that visited "Scarbados" last autumn and returns to North Yorkshire for York Barbican shows on Monday and Tuesday night as part of his extended travels.

In Limboland, the 52-year-old Bath comic, musician, television show panellist and presenter takes a journey through the halfway place in which he finds himself: "the gap between how we imagine our lives to be and how they really are," as he puts it.

From his global roving, Bailey recounts the saga of a disastrous family trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights; he rails against a world that does not match up to our expectations; and he contemplates the true nature of happiness.

No Bill Bailey show would be complete without music, so he promises a protest song, a heart-rending country and western ballad played on a Bible and a fabulously downbeat version of Happy Birthday.

Familiar from his regular contributions to BBC2's Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Q.I., Bailey last played York Barbican in his Qualmpeddler show in October 2013.

On the evidence of last year's Scarborough Spa Theatre show, Limboland is a place where you will find Bill Bailey's name and show title in neon lights; a street light of the Gene Kelly Singin' In The Rain variety; a bank of keyboards, assorted guitars, a music sheet stand; and Bailey prowling around in black shirt and trousers and his trademark remnant of flowing locks. There is something of the heavy metal/Spinal Tap world about his Limboland, but he could equally be the wittiest college lecturer you've ever met or the life and soul of a post-work Friday night at the local.

He can play the clowning yet truthful Shakespearean Fool, whenever he dabbles in political comment; he is a storyteller of poetic language and physical grace, and he is a wonderfully gifted musical satirist, especially when sending up Moby's songwriting with audience participation to boot.

There have been more philosophical Bill Bailey shows, not least Qualmpeddler, but Limboland is an enjoyably mad yet sane, daft but delightful place to be. Do visit there on Monday or Tuesday, but first check for ticket availability on 0844 854 2757.