Comedian Jason Manford on making his nail-biting return to the stage, life during lockdown, his hectic work schedule and finding time for home life and his six children.
Were you nervous about returning to the stage after such a long time away due to the pandemic?
Yes, and it’s very odd to be nervous again. Obviously, you get nervous energy but to actually be like, ‘Can I still do this?’, is something I haven’t had for a long time. So, to be back on stage and for it to be going so well is really satisfying and really good fun.
Do you cover Covid in the new show?
It is very much about recent times. There will be a point, I suppose, where it’s not as topical but at the moment we’ve all been through something absolutely mental and sometimes you just need someone to acknowledge that and talk about it.
I did a lot of the writing during lockdown so much of it is about the times we’re going through, but invariably you start off with certain subjects – such as talking about the vaccine – and end up on a different tangent. They’re just leaping-off points really.
Why is the show called Like Me?
We live in this mad world where being liked on Facebook releases endorphins in the brain. I find that fascinating and also as a comedian being liked is literally what pays my bills. I had a guy once who said: “The thing that annoys me about Jason Manford is the fact that he wants people to like him.” I remember thinking: “Gosh, I’m in a real Catch-22 with that guy because I can’t ever get him to like me when that’s the thing that annoys him most about me”!
You also perform in stage musicals and TV dramas, host quiz shows and have your own radio show. When do you find time to rest?
Rest? I had 18 months of rest! Actually, I think I spent two weeks during lockdown doing nothing, then I started volunteering and doing various other things. I just can’t sit still for long. I did keep busy during lockdown but that’s who I am. Now I look back and think “I probably should have rested a bit more” but I just couldn’t.
You’re a dad of six – when do you find the time to have a home life?
I do three or four nights a week on tour and then I’m home for the other nights, so it works out really nicely.
You’ve been out on the road for more than a year on this tour – you must be exhausted?
It’s like exercise. The more you do it the better you become. Also, I’ve got the sort of personality and on-stage presence where people feel like we’re just having a chat. They join in. You’ll say something and they’ll shout out “I’ve done that too!” I love that. Just hearing that laughter again is magical. I’ve missed it.
Jason Manford’s Like Me comes to Ovo Hydro, Glasgow, November 12, and Aberdeen P&J Live, FTH Theatre, Falkirk, Eden Court, Inverness, Perth Concert Hall, November 19-22
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe