Curtains: Jason Manford

Jason Manford is a showbiz triple threat. Award-winning comedian, actor, and star of his fifth theatre production Curtains. As the tour of the production kicks off, Jason takes a break from playing Frank Cioffi in the musical whodunnit to chat to Sophie Bates about the show and his future.

The show Curtains is a musical whodunnit, which is a new genre for you. What do you think of the comedic style of mixing a musical with murder mystery?

I think it lends itself to it because a murder mystery can be quite serious and heavy, obviously because someone has been murdered. Here, it’s not being taken too seriously; even my character doesn’t take it too seriously, so it lends itself to be a good, stress-free night out. Sometimes when the world is on its backside and every time the news comes on something is going on, it gets people down. It’s nice to have two hours to just forget about all of that and just have a laugh. There are other characters making everyone laugh and I have to wait for their laughter to die down, which kills me, but I manage.

There is a lot of choreography in Curtains. How did you find that?

Fine really. People ask if I can dance, I would say that I can learn choreography. I wouldn’t use any of it at a wedding, and it takes me a lot longer than the pros, but I can learn it. It’s so lovely once it’s in your muscle memory.

With the show set in 1959 Boston, how easy have you found performing with a Boston accent?

It took a while, I listened to a lot of John Kennedy and watched a lot of Ben Affleck and Mark Wahlberg films. Where I have pitched it is that Frank Cioffi is half-Jimmy Stewart half-Columbo, that’s what I’ve gone for. So, I quite like playing with that, it’s really fun. It’s harder to do your own accent in a show because you keep hearing you as Jason, whereas with the accent you essentially become the character. I like doing accents, I like having a bit of fun with it and doing research.

You and your castmates are touring Curtains until April. Does all the time spent together mean you become close?

Yes. As a comic I spend a lot of time alone, so one of the things I really love about doing these shows is being part of a company and a family. I really take that seriously, I’m basically like everyone’s dad. I really enjoy being around everyone, but by the end of the tour I want to be myself again. It’s lovely being able to mix the two. Also, I’m going to be living with Ore and Carley, who are living together in Cardiff Bay. We all just get involved and do stuff. Like I said, I’m like everyone’s dad on a tour, I organise things. After the show last night, I had spoken to Cineworld in Cardiff and they put a showing of the Joker on for us, because we’ve all been in rehearsals for six weeks and not seen any of the big releases. We are in Sheffield during Halloween, so I’m sorting out a fancy-dress thing for that. I’m a proper dad, and you all become a family.

You perform for large crows in theatre and stand-up. Is there one type of performance that you find more nerve-racking than the other?

Stand-up is in some respects easier because nobody knows what I’m saying until I say it, so no one can check it. Also, if I do make a mistake during stand-up I can just say that I’ve made a mistake and make a joke out of that. In a musical, you are with people that depend on you saying things at certain times because they have something to say. Acting is reacting. With stand-up, I am always focused because that is what I have to do. I can’t zone out at the Motorpoint Arena halfway through a show, because if someone heckles me and I wasn’t listening then I look like an idiot. That’s the great thing that I am able to bring from the world of stand-up – to always be listening. I really enjoy bringing the skills I have from stand-up to theatre and vice versa.

Is there anyone that inspires your own theatre performances?

Yeah. Every so often you work with someone that’s phenomenal and just on another level, and you think I need to bring this up a gear. I was very lucky in that my first theatre job I worked with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton. Michael is wonderful, but Imelda – I think even Michael would agree – she is just unbelievable. She’s kind and lovely but also focused and professional. It was just a privilege to share a stage with her. That was my first big job, so I learned a lot from her.

You have worked alongside a number of celebrities over time. Is there anyone that you particularly enjoy working with?

So many people! Being in Scarborough was wonderful because I got to work with my actual best friend Steve Edge, who played my best friend, Bigsy. We have been best friends for twenty years and were each other’s best men at our weddings. So, that was my favourite thing that I have done because I just got to hang out with my mate for a couple of weeks. It was really special. Generally, I get on with everyone. There’s no one that I roll my eyes over working with. John Bishop, Sarah Milligan, Michael McIntyre and Peter Kay: I love them as stand-up comedians as well as friends.

What are your upcoming plans for stand-up or TV work?

Curtains is running until April, then we are talking with London and seeing what happens there. I have a new Saturday night game show with the BBC starting in the new year called First and Last, which is a really fun and silly game show. Then we are just waiting to hear back from the BBC about another series of Scarborough. With my stand-up, I aim to probably tour 2020-2021. I say as I sit down at an empty page thinking that I need to write some stuff [laughs].

Curtains plays at the New Theatre until Sat 19 Oct. More info here