Interview: Jason Manford

31 October 2011

Comedian Jason Manford is currently on a huge nationwide tour of the UK, continuing a busy year which will be topped off by the release of his new DVD in November.

The day after the Pride of Britain Awards, we spoke to Jason as he was on the train home from London.

Despite connection problems (which he blamed on the iPhone: "They're not for ringing people, are they? They're for playing games"), the comedian opened up about family life and writing his book.

"I should write a sitcom out of this conversation," Jason joked, after we were connected for the 6th time. "Good job it's not a radio interview, isn't it?"

-You were at the Pride of Britain Awards, how was that?
It was just...inspiring, but also a bit like...there's only so much you can cry! You don't want to give your tears too early, cos you know something sad is coming.

It was really good actually, I'm glad I went. I was a bit in two minds, cos it's almost too sad to watch on the tele. It was lovely, it sorta puts things into perspective a bit.

-You're on a long touring stint at the moment. How is it being on the road that often?
I only really tour two or three nights a week, so it's nice. You've got four or five nights doing bath and bedtime, two nights on tour.

Having done five nights sorting this kids' baths out, trying to put them to bed, you can't wait to get on tour! Then, after two nights on tour, you're missing them, so it's nice to go home. It's been timed just right, to be honest.

-Well, you have your third daughter now, there's the family - is it not as difficult as it could be, trying to balance that?
No, it's not. Everyone's got a job, haven't they? Everyone would much rather be at home 24/7, chilling out with the kids and having a laugh all the time, but you've got a job to do.

It's funny, I suppose...yeah, most people are 9-to-5 and they're back every night, but that's not the situation I've been in. You just get used to it.

-Apparently you said last year you were planning to take a break from comedy and touring after these shows. Is that still the case?
Well, I think it was a little bit mis-quoted in the sense that I was going to stop doing it. I certainly said I was gonna take a break at the end of the tour - obviously I've got to write the next one, anyway.

You would have to take that time off, unless you write like Jimmy Carr, like a machine! So yeah, I'll probably kick off again in about 2013 I think, and do another tour.

-You're getting to do a nice range of venues on the tour, from theatres right up to arenas. Is that a challenge, going between the two?
Yeah, that's why I did it like that really, to keep it sorta fresh for me. Sometimes you get a bit stale, if you're in the same sort of venue every night.

So, I've played little clubs - 100 seaters - right up to 16,000 at the arenas. You use different skills, and there's different audiences response. It's good, variety's the spice of life and all that!

-Earlier this year, you were on Show Me The Funny. How was that for you, getting to mentor those comedians?
It was great! I never really offered any advice unless people asked actually. I think that's a good position to be in, no matter what industry you're in - wait for people to ask ya, rather than going "You know what you're doing wrong?" I did all the gigs as well, they were difficult gigs. It was nice to see the next stage of comedy.

-Patrick Monahan won, so what do you think made him stand out?
He's personable, he's warm, he's likable. You can't fake that, that's the trick really. You can write jokes, or get someone else to write your jokes, but if you're already warm and friendly - that's the first battle really.

-Was there anyone else on the show you'd tip as someone we should keep an eye on?
I think you'll be seeing a lot more of Ellie Taylor. She does seem to be lumbered with...well, I say lumbed, she's a good looking girl. She'll be lumbered with that to a certain extent, but she's a brilliant writer.

-You've done a lot on TV lately, with shows like Comedy Rocks. Do you enjoy that aspect to the comedy?
Yeah, I love it. It's what you're best at - stand up - and if there's a way of crow-baring that into a TV show, I'd do that all day long. I'd like to try other things - I'm writing a sitcom, a bit of acting.

-Do you think comedians are having to be drawn to TV to make a reasonable amount of money from the job?
No, you can earn 30, 40 grand a year doing the clubs. That's the hardest it gets really, doing the clubs. If you're a reasonable comic, you'll earn a living.

If you want to step up a bit and tour, then you've got to do tele to sell the tickets and get people interested.

There's a shift to light entertainment for comedians, which there hasn't been for 20 years or so. A lot of comics are hosting shows, whereas there's not really been anything like that, since Les Dawson and people like that really.

Comics make better hosts, usually, than presenters because we're used to dealing with, you know, normal, everyday people on a day-to-day basis in the clubs. We're better at thinking on our feet - it's our job. It's not just a case of reading off an autocue.

-In the past, you've mentioned people like Billy Connolly and Tommy Cooper as influences. Are there any of your contemporaries you particularly admire?
Oh yeah. Obviously Peter Kaye's a big influence of mine. I mean, all the big acts - Michael McIntyre, John Bishop. There's so many really funny people knocking about at the moment.

I think when the country's on its arse, comedy does well. When there's a recession, riots, all these horrible things, the country starts to feel down, and comedy helps lift them.

-Like me, you're a Manchester lad. How much did that upbringing shape your material?
Loads, really. I've just written a book and it's all in there - stuff about my upbringing, being from Manchester. If you've got a family who laughs together...I feel sometimes like I'm in a family full of comedians, it's just I'm the only professional.

All the stories I tell on stage are all based in truth, you know? You slowly paint a picture that there's a reason this guy's a comedian, it's because his family are all a bit of a laugh.

-You mentioned your book Brung Up Proper - was it hard work writing that?
Oh my god! That's the hardest thing I've ever done, apart from this interview on this bloody train! It was the beginning bit really, when you're staring at a blank page and thinking...what am I going to write? "I was born...I went to school, I became a comedian."

I worked out that there's two sorts of stories. There's the stories people can relate to. Then you have the stories that you think "Oh my god! I can't believe that happened to someone". It's about mixing those two up really, so people have a bit of everything.

-Was it a bit of an extension of your material?
Erm...to a certain degree. You're a lot more honest and open in your book, cos you're not having to rely on punchlines every few minutes. Obviously on stage, there's only so far you can go with a real story, because you've got to add a punchline at the end to keep the audience entertained. In a book, you can be a bit slower and build things up a bit more.

-We should also talk about the new DVD Jason Manford Live - are you excited for that coming out?
Yeah. It's weird, cos I filmed it a few months ago and you sorta forget about it. It's a bit nerve-wracking, cos you've still gotta do your shopping, and avoid the DVD and book aisle. You're like...do I look like I'm loitering around my book?

It's really exciting actually. It's my second one, and there was a point in my career where I never thought I'd have one! The other thing is that you've got faith in it, that's it's a good product. I could never release something that I thought was below par, or ripping people off.

-What stuff are you putting in as bonus features, for the whole package?
Well, that's the only thing I have a little thing about when it comes to the extras. They wind me up, to be honest! I do them because I have to, cos everyone else does them.

There's a Q&A on there, I get some fans to ask some questions after a gig and answer them as funny as I can. It's an afterthought to me. I'm just focusing on the show, making sure the actual product is as good as it could be.

-Between the Q&A and how accessible you are on Facebook, do you think that's important?
I do, yeah. These people pay your electricity bill and your mortgage and that. I always make time after the show and chat to everyone. People still write to you through the post, the old-fashioned way! I still sit down and sort all that out. If anyone tries to get in touch with me, if I can help them out, I'll do that. I've always been personable in that sense.

-What do you have planned until your break then? Is it just the tour and DVD release?
Yeah - tour, DVD, plugging all them. I've done a few book signings, which are fun. Working right up til Christmas really, then I've got five or six weeks off, then a couple of TV series kick off next year. Plodding along really, you're only as good as your last gig.

Jason Manford Live, the hit tour from one off the UK’s favourite comedians, is out on DVD November 14th. Pre-order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk.

Female First - Alistair McGeorge