Jonny foolishly promised his daughter that he’d play live on stage at the O2 Arena. It wasn’t as easy as he hoped!
Hi Jonny, tell me about your show.
I promised my daughter I’d play live on stage at the O2. Did I do it? Come along and find out in this true tale packed with celebrity encounters, numerous dignity-sapping incidents and an incredible final twist…
This year I’m using a screen for the first time so you’ll get comedy, music, photos and video clips. #HoneyIPromisedTheKid
What does Edinburgh mean to you?
It’s the high point of writing a new show, we write them, we preview them and we hope to tour them, but Edinburgh is where the show is at it’s very best I think.
Who inspires you and why?
My friend Frank Turner. He’s gone from playing house parties we went to together to arenas and stadiums and he’s still a total dude.
Describe your best or worst experiences on stage.
I was performing at The Thistle Hotel in London and I thought it would be impressive to do a forward roll onto the stage. I managed the roll but foolishly grabbed for the microphone wire as I did so. The momentum of my heels passing over my head propelled the mic from its stand and catapulted it into my face. I stood up and hoped the audience might not have noticed. “Hello London, it’s good to be here tonight!” I chirped.“You’re bleeding” said a concerned woman in the front row.
Describe your best or worst review.
I still like the line that describes me as being blessed with “gangly comic looks and an old-fashioned face”. My brother loved that, when we meet up he’ll often greet me with “Ah, here he comes with his old-fashioned face”.
If you weren’t a performer, what would you be?
Well I played guitar in bands for years and at the same time had a string of part time jobs so there’s a 1% chance I’d be on tour as a rock star and a 99% chance I’d be working in a coffee shop.
What was the last book you read?
He Said She Said by Erin Kelly
Which bit of the new show do you enjoy performing the most?
I like doing the ‘Jason Manford Rave’ – it’s a real crowd pleaser.
Imagine that the BBC have asked you to produce a primetime show.What would it be and who else would be involved?
It would be called Donkey’s Den and it would be exactly the same as Dragon’s Den but with comedians and no money.