LES Dennis' career continues to go from strength to strength and in his latest role it is no more Mr Nice Guy as he takes plays a ruthless lawyer in the hit musical, Legally Blonde, which is coming to Aylesbury. He talks about the show's 'Scouse mafia', Family Fortunes and advice from Julie Walters.

Dennis will début in Legally Blonde, The Musical at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre playing Professor Callahan missing the first few weeks of the tour.

The 58-year-old and former Dancing on Ice contestant Ray Quinn, have been thrown in the deep end as they have only just been able to start rehearsals due to prior work commitments.

And he is very excited about the show, which has been a huge hit in the West End and is based on the film featuring Reese Witherspoon.

He said: "I saw it in the West End. It is a wonderful musical. It is along the same kind of lines as Hairspray which I was in last year.

"The story is really good and very clear. It is a kind of rags to riches Cinderella story. This girl we think isn't the brightest proves to be brilliantly good at what she does.

"It has got everything that the film has."

And he said for a change he isn't playing the nice guy and instead a ruthless lawyer. It's a bit different to his previous role- playing the hapless Smee in The Mayflower's pantomime in Southampton, Peter Pan.

He said: "It was really good. Peter Pan is a wonderful story and my little girl [Eleanor] is nearly four. She is obsessed with Peter Pan and I think she will love Legally Blonde.

"There are dogs in it and it is all pink. She will love this and want to see it again and again."

The show has won seven major awards, including the Best Musical 2011 in the Oliver Awards, and follows Elle Woods after her boyfriend dumps her for someone more serious. She decides to follow him to Harvard Law School and win him back, where she discovers it's so much better to be smart.

It is the first time Dennis has worked on stage with Liverpudlians Claire Sweeney and Quinn, although he knows them both.

He said: "None of us have worked together. It will almost be like the Scouse Mafia for a couple of weeks."

Dennis said he still gets recognised regularly which he said is fine, as he would worry about if he wasn't as people easily forget, and he is enjoying how diverse his career is at the moment.

He has just finished working with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for Life's Too Short, which he said was "great fun" and where he became good friends with Cheggers and Shaun Williamson. He said: "We became this little trio. That was fun. Keith has become a mate. It is only when you work with people that you get to know them."

And last year he starred in a film called Wounded as Barry the icecream man. His first film was Intimate Relations in 1995 alongside Julie Walters and Rupert Graves.

He said: "All my scenes were with Rupert Graves, who is brilliant in the TV series Sherlock. That was a great experience. Julie was around when I was working on it. She was very supportive of a comedian who had never been known for acting. I took her advice and have been doing it ever since."

And of course, he is well known for being the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years until 2002 and he praised the version, hosted by Vernon Kay He said : "It is a celebrity run show and I think he does it really well. When I heard he was going to do it I rang him up and wished him good luck, That is what Bob Monkhouse had done to me."

And Dennis has lots more to look forward to. He said: "I am really excited this year. I feel like I have got this and I have got another project which we are still waiting to be able to announce, which I hope to be able to do very soon. I don't think that was my best year, I just think what's next."

Legally Blonde The Musical is at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from January 31 to February 4 at 7.30pm with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets range from £17.50 to £45. Book at 08448717607 or go to www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury.