We spoke to Jason Manford about his career goals, the modern comedy scene and why he's nicknamed Kilkenny as 'Clown Town'.
Comedian Jason Manford is back on the road, touring his new show Muddle Class where he navigates life as a working-class man in a middle-class family.
"I'm from a very working-class background in Manchester, and I've won the showbiz lottery and I do this job. After twenty years, now I'm in a situation where my kids are a bit middle class and they're a bit posh. It's quite hard to raise kids that are posher than you," Jason told RTÉ.
The Manchester man got his start in comedy at the young age of 17 while working in a pub. When the night's act failed to show up, the promoter offered Jason the 5-minute spot and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now aged 39, the comedian's career - and the industry itself - has changed in a multitude of ways. A new found love for the gym has reared its head as life on the road has become increasingly solitary.
"I was finding the day times really hard on tour. I'd be on tour and I'd do a gig and, obviously, when you're on stage all those endorphins are flying around and you're on top of the world and then you come off - ten minutes later you are all by yourself for the whole day."
"Sometimes the audience are the first people I talk to. That's not healthy, is it? So I thought, 'Right, I need to go and do something in the day' and a lot of comics had said 'why don't you start running or walking or [go to] the gym'. At least you get a rush, I suppose... I mean I've not found that rush yet, I'm waiting for it," he said.
If you don’t post a Gym selfie it’s like you’ve not even been!! pic.twitter.com/axqj10V3zl
— Jason Manford (@JasonManford) May 12, 2018
Luckily for the funny man, The Cat Laughs is just around the corner. Described as 'a little summer camp that comedians go on every year', it seems that Kilkenny has become a hub for comedians to gather together every Summer.
"Clown Town - that's what I always call it, because you get to see all your mates that you don't get to see normally. And it's nice to watch other comics, I don't get to do that when I'm on tour by myself."
Hey! Our guy @JasonManford is in town! The Irish are the best at comedy? Who are we to argue with that, eh?#Catlaughs2018 #ManfordAboutTown #FailteIreland #Irelandsancienteast pic.twitter.com/kT9LiJUPZ7
— The Cat Laughs (@CatLaughsComedy) 14 May 2018
While promoting the festival, Jason mentioned that he found the Irish to be the best at comedy, as if we didn't know that already - watch the clip in the video above.
"Over the years, there's peaks and troughs where American comics are in favour, Northern English comics are in favour, Scottish comics are in favour for a bit, Welsh - posh English seems to be the current flavour of the month - but consistently through all that, there's always been Irish comics."
"I think it's just the storytelling... you go out to most pubs in Ireland, and there's someone funny in a corner telling stories. There's just that rich heritage of it".
Back in the day, being a comedian was a fairly simple affair: write the material and get on stage. Now, any comedian worth their salt has a podcast, YouTube channel, live Instagram feed and a controversial tweet to their name.
Despite having a hit podcast and live show on Absolute Radio and a good handle on his social media channels, Mansford says he wouldn't change his start in comedy for the world.
"I'm really pleased that I came into it at the time that I did. I think starting now would be really hard; there are less opportunities actually, now - club-wise and gigging-wise".
Unlike a traditional office job, a career on stage can be highly unpredictable, but the comedian insists that whether you're playing arenas or stacking shelves, it's all about setting goals.
"Whatever job you're in, your horizons have to become your middle distance because, otherwise, it's boring. It's boring for whatever you do."
"I remember even when I worked at Asda, I remember thinking, 'One day, I want to be in charge of the whoops* shelf'. You've always got to have aims and ambitions"
With a CV that includes television presenter, radio presenter, actor, comedian philanthropist and singer to his name, it seems that Jason's goals are right on track.
Jason Mansford plays the Kilkenny Cat Laughs on June 2nd and 3rd - tickets are available here. The comedian returns to Ireland this September to play Vicar St - click here for more info.
(*After consulting with a Manchester native, we found that a 'whoops' shelf is a section in stores where damaged or out of date product is sold at a discount. You learn something every day...)
