CULTURE EDITION
When a comedy act couldn’t make it one night, the boss, noticing that Jason had the kind of wit and likeability that works well on stage, asked him to substitute. Though unprepared, he ended up playing a blinder. He soon got a taste for it, helped along by his mentor Peter Kay. In 1999, having done just six gigs, Jason won the City Life North West Comedian of the Year award, and the following year was named Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year. Six years into his career, he was shortlisted for the then Perrier Awards at Edinburgh, and he’s won bundles of other accolades since. This latest tour will see Jason play more than 175 dates. The show is packed with the comedy he’s renowned for, much of it about his six children. “I want audiences to forget the stresses of the day and leave feeling positive,” he says. “The show is about where I am in my life, with things changing quickly. My little darlings are turning into young women, so I talk about dealing with that – a rich source of comedy!” Jason’s diverse CV includes starring in countless TV panel shows, pantomimes and musicals. In his memoir Brung Up Proper , he talks about how being funny can be an important life skill, and that comedy should be on the national curriculum. “Kids come out of private school with the confidence that they belong in any room. State school children often don’t have that.” Jason Manford will be performing at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on 14 February from 7.30pm. Tickets are priced £18-£37
S can the room at a Jason Manford gig and you’ll see happy people nudging each other and exchanging knowing nods. Whether the Salford-born comic is talking about relationships, life on the road or paddle tennis, being relatable is among his top creative priorities. “I watch how the audience responds and feed off it,” he says. “That’s how I end up finding material that, on paper, might not feel like much, but suddenly you see the audience respond in a certain way and you think ‘hang on, I’ve got something here’.” “After being funny, relatability is the next most important thing for me,” explains Jason, who is celebrating 25 years in comedy and touring with his new show A Manford All Seasons . “I love it when people say ‘it’s like listening to one of my mates down the pub’ or ‘it’s like you had a camera in our house’. I love that because it means I’ve put the work in and got it right.” Coming up with funny stories from real life seems like a natural progression, given how he started in the business. At 17, he was working at Manchester’s now-closed Buzz Club collecting and washing glasses. Celebrating 25 years in comedy this year, Jason Manford shares the plans for his latest tour Man of the people COMEDY Words ASHLEY DAVIES
I want audiences to forget about the stresses of the day and feel positive
CLASSICAL CAMBRIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS Cambridge Music Festival is set to return in 2025, with performances scheduled at West Road Concert Hall and Trinity College Chapel. The new spring series offers a diverse line-up showcasing a wide range of musical traditions. February highlights include Windborne on 7 February, a full-throated vocal quartet singing with beautifully blended harmonies; United Strings of Europe on 14 February, a young 12-piece string orchestra making their mark on the international scene; and Theatre of Voices on 27 February, an Anglo-Danish vocal supergroup singing some challenging Arvo Pärt compositions. The grand finale on 17 March sees one of the world’s finest pianists, Benjamin Grosvenor, unlock the poetry of Brahms’ Intermezzi and conquer the virtuosity demanded by Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition .
STRINGS ATTACHED The festival’s spring series bridges classical tradition with contemporary flair, including United Strings of Europe (right)
26 FEBRUARY 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook