Joan Rivers, famously, had all her jokes on a massive card catalogue system, managed by her assistant.
Comedian Jason Manford has YouTube — and it has inspired his latest stand-up tour, Best Of, which he brings to Dubai on August 25.
The hilarious Mancunian, 35, was watching a rerun of one of his own stand-up routines when it struck him that a lot of the material sounded fresh — and he couldn’t even remember doing it. So he decided to work some of it into a new performance, which draws as much of its comedy from the audience as it does from his memories.
“I caught an old appearance on telly late at night — I think it was at the Apollo — when I was like 24, something I was doing with Al Murray. I watched myself for about 10 minutes, and I could not remember any of it. I don’t remember writing it, I don’t remember performing, and then I thought — who else remembers it? It was 11 years ago. So I thought, let’s see what comes up.”
The result was a show in which the audience is encouraged to ask him questions. “I think it adds to the anything-can-happen feel of the night. Invariably, some of the classics come out and it’s been a really nice mix. But it’s very different to my usual comedy shows.”
It’s a return to the UAE after three years for Manford, and he zeroes in on one of Dubai’s idiosyncrasies. “The great thing about Dubai is, the audience changes so much. Half of the people that saw me last time probably don’t even live there anymore and there’s loads of new people. Technically, you could probably bring the same show back every three years.”
We caught up with the dad of five, speaking from London, where he was sitting by the banks of the Thames working on TV scripts (more on that later), ahead of his sold-out show for The Laughter Factory at the Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach on JBR.
What was the process of sourcing material for the show?
I have stuff written down, I have transcripts of my DVDs, and then I just watched stuff — I literally typed my name into YouTube. I have 20 years to choose from. It was a really fun process, actually — watching stuff that you can’t remember, being told by a comedian who is your favourite comedian, who has the exact same sense of humour as you. Some stuff I was cringing at, but that just comes with time and maturity. What’s nice is, it’s a mixed bag. What happens is, the audience gives me questions on various things, either live on the night or written down in advance.
What have people asked you?
It’s from the basics, like ‘what’s the worst heckle you’ve ever had’, to ‘what’s the worst stage you’ve ever been on’. Someone asked me the other night what my favourite cheese was, what I thought of Donald Trump, or the England football team. It could be anything. The way my brain works, I guess from years of doing panel shows, is on most subjects you can find something good to say. It’s been really good fun. I’ll probably do it again another time, but I’m currently writing my tour for next year.
What else are you writing?
I’m writing a sitcom for [UK network] ITV and a comedy horror for Sky. I’m just trying to find quiet areas to jot them down. Hopefully we’ll be filming it [the sitcom] in the new year. We’ve got a pilot to do first. It’s a sitcom that’s not dissimilar to me, really — I’ve spent the last couple of years at home with the kids. It’s about a stay-at-home dad whose wife works as a police officer, and the various scrapes and scenarios that he finds himself in. It’s good fun and a bit daft. I occasionally do these things for Sky, I did one a few years ago for Christmas, and this one is for Halloween.
This is your first sitcom, right?
I’ve done a couple of pilots that didn’t happen, but this is the first time I’ve written one. I keep getting sent ones by other people, and I think, ‘it’s alright, but not what I think is the funniest thing in the world, so hey, why don’t I try and do it myself’. It’s a bit of a gamble, it might be rubbish, but you never know until you try.
What have you loved doing on TV over the years — you’ve been on a lot of shows.
I really enjoy being on panel shows. I love doing QI, and Would I Lie To You is my favourite, I think. And Have I Got News For You and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, I’ve done them all really. I’ve become that guy — ‘let’s call Jason’. I am a generous audience — if you are being funny on the show, I will laugh at you. I just like finding different ways to make people laugh.
Any favourite platform?
I can’t tour every year because I don’t have enough stuff. In between those times, I have to find things to do, whether telly or radio or even a play or a musical.
What about doing more acting?
I’d like to. It’s nice not playing something that is not you. When you’re on telly, you’re opening yourself up.
