Comedian Jason Manford likes Aberdeen so much he’s bringing his Like Me tour back to the Granite City this weekend, just nine months after he was here before.
But don’t worry – the stand-up show at P&J Live on Saturday is a different beast from the one that had them rolling in the aisles in February.
“It’s a decent amount different, you add things, things change, naturally,” said the hugely popular funnyman, TV presenter and West End star.
“So unless someone has an incredible memory – even I can’t remember what I was talking about in February – if you enjoyed yourself then, you can easily come again now.
“If anything, the show has evolved and it’s a different entity.”
Jason Manford ‘lived through the same experience’ as his audience
So, what is Like Me – which will also be at Eden Court in Inverness on Monday November 21 – all about?
“I guess I would call it a cathartic chuckle as we look back over some of the madness we have been through,” said Jason referring to our collective pandemic experience.
“Like a lot of people during Covid, suddenly my job was gone, I was at home with six children and my wife and it was something that was so alien to me, so alien to so many people.
“For a comic, it’s so rare to have lived through the same experience as your audience.”
However, as we return to theatres and get back to normal life, the painful memories of Covid are starting to fade, so Jason has plenty more material in the bag for Like Me.
“I talk about some stories about my mum’s mad friend, Janet, we talk about school assemblies and we finish the show in quite a spectacular fashion that people have been very much enjoying. So it’s a fun night.
And Jason is delighted by the response he’s been getting as he criss-crosses the UK on his extensive tour that first started in Colchester in September 2021 and isn’t due to end until St Albans on November 26.
Jason wants people to forget tough times for a couple of hours
“I want people to have a great night because I know how tough things are at the moment,” said Jason. “One of the privileges of being a stand-up comedian is that I’m not a doctor, I’m not a surgeon, I can’t save anybody’s life or change anybody’s life, but for a couple of hours, I can help you forget about things a little bit.
“That’s the beauty of entertainment, that for a couple of hours we all come into that room and have a laugh together.”
Jason has a gruelling schedule and he credits the reaction from the audience at each gig for keeping his energy levels up.
“Even if you’re not a stand-up comic, if you’ve got a fun story or a new joke, you think that’s funny, my friends or colleagues will like this and you can tell that story five or six times and you’re never bored of telling it, because the reactions are different.
“The joy you see in their faces is different, so you find your energy from that.”
Despite travelling across the country, Jason is still finding time to relax and enjoy himself as he moves from town to town, city to city.
“My uncle is on a bit of a sabbatical from his job, so he’s my driver for this tour and we’re having a good time, to be honest. He’s never done it before,” said Jason.
“We’re in Scotland for four or five days, so we’ll have a little wander round a town, or play a bit of golf or tennis. It’s all about being organised and getting things booked in advance.”
Jason Manford looking forward to seeing his friends in Aberdeen
Which is why he’s looking forward to returning to Aberdeen so much.
“I have a couple of friends up there and I actually get to stay over and have some time off. And it’s always a great crowd up there, people are just so happy you’ve come,” he said.
Despite the relentless touring – and sight-seeing, Jason still has time for his other projects, including the BBC daytime quiz show Unbeatable, plus Starstruck, the show which sees music superfans transform into an iconic artist.
“I’ve also just filmed Britain Get Singing, to be aired at Christmas, which is a singing competition for lots of celebrities getting out of their comfort zone, but it’s all for mental health and to get people talking about that.”
Between all of that, Jason has been carving a career in musicals, with starring roles in West End shows such as The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Guys And Dolls.
And he still harbours ambitions for some of the biggest parts in the world of musical theatre, such as the Phantom or Jean Valjean.
“I’m a step closer, here and there, a couple of chats with a couple of producers,” said Jason. “You never know what might pop over the next few years.”
Jason says comedy is first love ahead of Aberdeen and Inverness gigs
Given the breadth of his career – musicals, TV presenting, comedy – if he could only choose to pursue one, which would it be?
“If I could only pick one, I would pick stand-up,” he said. “Because that’s the one where you are with an audience, who already like you and I like them, we have a shared sense of humour.”
“And also, I’m in charge of what I say and what I do. While there’s a pressure in that, when you get to the end of it, it’s just you. I really enjoy that and the relationship with the crowd.”
For now, though, he’s looking forward to bringing his different Like Me to P&J Live on Saturday and Eden Court on Monday.
“It’s going to be a tough winter, but if you want a guaranteed fun night out, where you can leave your worries at the door and come and have a laugh, then this is the show for you. Come along and we’ll have a good laugh together.”
For more information and tickets for Jason Manford’s Like Me at P&J Live in Aberdeen, visit pandjlive.com. For his gig at Eden Court in Inverness visit eden-court.co.uk
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