If you had to name a comic less likely to star in an imaginary remake of Men Behaving Badly, then Miles Jupp would possibly come to mind.

But the urbane theology graduate, who possesses one of the poshest voices in comedy, was known to his school friends as Gary (the character played by Martin Clunes in the 1990s hit sitcom) and admits to a singleton lifestyle for a few years after university – but mostly to serve his devotion to cricket.

“When I moved to London I shared a flat with a few others and someone would turn on Sky at 7.30 in the morning and it would stay on 2.30 the next morning,” he says. “I wasn’t working very much then so sometimes I watched a match from first to last ball. Yes, I admit it was a life of takeaways and box sets, but hardly laddish.”

But now Jupp, 34, and his wife, Rachel, whom he met at Edinburgh University, don’t even own a television and, as the father of four young children (including twins born during the London Olympics), the comic’s days of ball-by-ball viewing are long gone.

“I’d like to be able to stay up all night watching but when you have young children that’s not really an option. I can’t sacrifice sleep at the moment.”

He’ll be wide awake, though, when he brings his new comedy show to the Arts Centre tomorrow night.

He describes the show, called Miles Jupp is the Chap You’re Thinking Of, in typically deadpan style as: “Just me telling stories in a needlessly wordy 90 minutes.”

In it Jupp covers the joys and tribulations of parenting in the modern age – “people describe it as child-centred, but is there any other kind?” – hot drinks, the ageing process, other people’s pants, “and things that make me angry”.

That last one comes as a surprise as Jupp is softly spoken and affable.

“My default setting is pretty calm,” he agrees, “but my emotions are quite near the surface and all sorts of things can bring the anger out. It comes from nowhere and goes back to nowhere within five minutes.”

What sets him off? “Silly little things – trying and failing to speak to a human being on the phone when I’m calling a business, pointless honking by drivers, people who dawdle, objects being in the way of something I’m reaching for...”

Jupp is known to a generation of children as Archie the Inventor in CBeebies’ Balamory and was named comedian of year at the 2001 Leicester Comedy Festival, the same year he won the So You Think You’re Funny competition at the Edinburgh Fringe.

He was last on the comedy circuit in 2011-12 with a nationwide tour of Fibber in the Heat, his hit show about how he accidentally came to be a reporter for a newspaper covering – what else? – an England cricket series in India.

– MICHELLE TOMPKINS

Miles Jupp’s show at the Arts Centre in Devizes Road Friday night starts at 8pm and has a 16+ age rating. Tickets are £13 from 01793 614837.