"BEING on screen is all very well," says Dylan Moran, "but there's nothing like roaring into a stranger's face to make you feel alive."

So far, most people will only be aware of the Moran through his TV work, including How Do You Want Me and the cult Channel Four sitcom Black Books.

But the shambling deadpan comedian first became well-known for his stand-up show, scooping the So You Think You're Funny newcomers' comedy competition award in 1993 and the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1996.

Moran has just taken to the road again with his latest tour, titled simply Monster, which comes to the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth next month.

Billed as "the largest nine-year-old girl in the British Isles", Moran has won widespread acclaim for his live act, which sees him playing with language, experience and the absudity of life in the manner of a demented jazz musician.

The tour follows a summer spent filming The Actors, a comedy in which he stars opposite Michael Caine. The film is due to be released next spring.

His biggest hit to date, though, has been Black Books, in which he played Bernard Black, the eccentric, foul-tempered proprietor of a grubby bookshop.

The show, created by Moran, won a Bafta for Best Sitcom and a Bronze Rose at the Montreux Festival.