Jason Manford showed fine form upon his second visit to Aberdeen in nine months.
A “cathartic chuckle” was how Manford described his Like Me show and this proved to be the case.
The popular stand-up delighted the Saturday night audience at P&J Live with his relatable humour, encouraging everyone to leave their troubles at the door and enjoy themselves.
He poked fun at the mundanities of day-to-day life with understated panache. Other elements such as the rip-roaring finale added variety to the overall performance.
A man of many talents, Manford may not have pushed his comic boundaries to the limit.
But come the final aplomb, it was certainly a job well done.
Morning legends! What a night. Up early doors this morning to fly up to Aberdeen for my last week away of the tour.
Aberdeen, Falkirk, Inverness & Perth this week before Manchester & St Albans next week. Ooh it’s early one baby! pic.twitter.com/SlGdzjrnYN— Jason Manford (@JasonManford) November 19, 2022
Jason Manford
Some people may have remembered that Manford’s previous Aberdeen show at the Music Hall back in February was also branded as the Like Me tour.
While I didn’t attend his February performance, the comic ensured that his latest show would be a “different entity” when he talked to the Press and Journal recently.
But even if he followed the same script, quite frankly, the audience would’ve enjoyed themselves regardless.
Manford was met with widespread applause inside the busy P&J Live arena as he waltzed onto the stage.
Many were up for a good time, especially with it being Saturday night and all, and Manford quickly fired into punchlines before handing over to the support act, Mark Nelson, who’s unabashed comedy certainly spiced things up for the evening.
Intimate feel
Performing comedy on an arena stage is no easy feat.
It can be very easy for those sat quite a distance away to feel disconnected from the show.
But seasoned comedians like Manford have the skill to make a room full of thousands feel as intimate as a room of 50.
He had the audience in the palm of his hand. His timing was sharp and he showed an intelligent knack for knowing when to lift or rein in the energy levels.
The majority of the show felt like a chinwag down the pub; it was as though the familiarity of Manford’s Mancunian accent wrapped the crowd up in a comfort blanket.
The only thing missing was a pint in hand.
Peter Kay-esque
Elements of Manford’s performance harkened to the likes of Peter Kay.
Indeed, it was watching Kay himself that encouraged Manford to pursue stand up nearly two decades ago.
And now in command of his own arena stage, decked only with a stool and table for water in the same ilk as the Bolton comic, this formative experience has certainly come full circle.
Manford sought out the familiarities of day-to-day life in his jokes and weaved them throughout his performance.
Everyone in the audience could relate. Whether it was doing jobs around the house, the politics of tea-making or the nostalgia of school assemblies, these shared stories formed a connection in the room and had the crowd nodding their heads along in solidarity – as well as bending over with laughter.
For me, some punchlines were a tad predictable and failed to hit the mark. Impromptu moments harnessed by the audience were brilliant, but scarce.
Glancing around at others however, the majority of the audience lapped up Manford’s performance, with joyous laughter echoing around the arena.
Subjectivity shows that comedy is alive and well, I guess!
Energetic finale
On top of being a revered comic, Manford is also known for strutting his stuff on the West End stage.
He brought a welcome dose of music-fuelled razzle dazzle – without giving too much away – to lift the performance to its peak for the finale.
The crowd loved it. Huge cheers were all that could be heard as Manford exited the stage to a standing ovation.
A job well done? It would be hard to disagree.
Manford’s winning comic formula was proven once again tonight.
Having been treated to him twice in nine months, one thing’s for sure – Aberdeen isn’t sick of the sight of him, just yet.
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