DVD review by Steve Bennett

Jason Manford’s style of cheery observational stand-up is certainly of the moment – just witness the success of both Michael McIntyre and Manford’s old mate, Peter Kay. But Manford has an openness and an authenticity that gives his performance more warmth than those bigger stars, whom he could well yet eclipse.

What is most refreshing about his debut DVD is the banter with his home-town audience, which is perfectly pitched between the cheeky insult and the self-effacing wit. He makes excellent use of this innate bonhomie, bouncing many topics around the Manchester Apollo crowd before launching into his own gags – a technique that proves especially fruitful when he solicits suggestions for the most painful human experiences, letting the punters have their laughs before magnifying them with his follow-ups. And the most horrific story he has in this section will surely have you wincing as you laugh.

That he often deals in universal experiences means there can be a degree of familiarity about some routines about driving or hearing noises in the night, say, simply through the very fact they are shared incidents we’ve all already noticed. But Manford usually puts his own spin on it, usually by making himself look the hapless fool in the anecdotes that follow the commonplace observations.

His biggest comic gift, however, seems to be his father, who’s a nacroleptic. That provides some chuckles, of course, but a lot of his ‘dad gags’ make it into the set, too. Manford feigns embarrassment at his silly quips, but they still get laughs on the retelling.

This is the epitome of ‘mates-down-the-pub’ stand-up; a personable chap telling good-natured stories, often at his own expense, simply for the laughs. It’s not a challenging DVD, by any means, but it is a funny one.

Main feature: 86 mins
Extras: Moonchester (4 mins) interview with the Manchester City mascot; Behind the scenes (7 mins); Manford On Manford (14mins) interview conducted by his brother Colin
Released by: Universal Pictures, November 16
Price: £19.99. Click here to buy for £11.98 from Amazon.

Published: 8 Dec 2009