Comedy legend and award-winning comedian, Milton Jones (as seen on Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow, etc) has already been wowing fans with previews/warm-ups of his highly anticipated new show, HA!MILTON. Bringing the show to a number of venues in the North East including Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Newcastle in the coming months, it’s set to be a feast of laughs for all of us. Damian Robinson caught up with Milton to find out about the warm-up shows and what it’s like playing to a North East crowd.
You’ve performed a few of the warm-ups for Ha!Milton now. How’s it developing?
It’s coming on really well, thanks, and it’s on target. Sometimes the challenge with warm-ups is that you start to find new ideas and new pieces which then need new props and further development, so sometimes you end up with more than you planned. But I’ve got two weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe coming up and that’s a good opportunity to really work on getting the show stable and to know the jokes inside out.
As a physical comedian, I’d imagine that’s tiring?
It’s more mentally tiring than physical, if I’m honest. You have to really concentrate to learn the jokes and sometimes it feels like one of those large electric puzzles where you try to get the bit of electric wire from the start to the end without touching the puzzle. The more you overthink what’s coming next and about the next loop around the corner, the more likely you are to mess it up.
Is there a general theme to Ha!Milton?
Yes. This isn’t a musical but my life is a musical – it’s just that there’s no singing. So it’s one-liners but I’m trying to do longer jokes than usual, which travel a bit, and then try to sing a song at the end of the show. It feels like a challenge to me so it’s good.
You’re known as an abstract comedian. Is it difficult to come up with new ideas?
Well, there’s nothing like people buying tickets for a show that you haven’t written yet to get you going, that’s for sure. I suppose, as an artist, if I can use those words, I’m trying to look for new angles and to play around with bigger ideas. I have an audience who appreciate what I do and it’s a lovely mixed audience where a granddad might bring one of his grandkids, so I try to stay quite pantomime in a way and try to make people laugh whilst not repeating myself.
And you’re doing a number of shows in the North East on the tour. Is there a difference in a North East crowd compared to other crowds across the country?
I do find that a Northern crowd, particularly if it’s a weekend, when they go out, then they’re out. And I enjoy those nights as they have good energy. I’ve played a number of places in the North East and really enjoyed them, particularly The Fire Station which I think is a lovely venue, and I really enjoyed playing there last time.
Milton plays a number of shows in the North East as part of his Ha!Milton show, plus a date in York too. For further information and tickets, head to miltonjones.co.uk.
