Jason Manford at the Metro Radio Arena: a review

Jason Manford at the Metro Radio Arena: a review

20th December 2018 Off By Abbie Bunting

Jason Manford arrived in Newcastle for his last show of 2018 on his “Muddle class” tour, showcasing his talents to the 6,000 strong crowd at the Metro Radio Arena.

Taking to the stage, Jason Manford has only one objective: to make the crowd forget their worries for one night. He started off by telling the crowd the exact time the show would end: “10pm sharp,” he declares to the audience, although he says it may run over, cheekily asking for payment for the extra material if this occurs.

Manford dives straight into his set, discussing everything from political correctness, family, speed awareness courses and the idea of the two minds.

The first half of the show is centred around the latter idea: the perfect version of ourselves compared to the real version. Setting the alarm for 6am and then snoozing it for an hour. The ideal vs the real. This hilarious and very real concept had the audience rolling with laughter.

The name of his tour, Muddle Class, is a term coined by the man himself, referring to where working class meets middle class. Manford was brought up on a council estate from a working-class background but now he is raising his kids as middle class. The kids eat avocados and speak ‘posh’, much to his brother’s dismay. This hysterical sketch resonates with the audience, causing mass laughter throughout the arena.

The show ends with a recap of his work earlier in the show. The idea of 2 minds, the perfect mind and the actual mind, how we all try to be perfect but always seem to fall short. Manford gives the crowd some advice he received during a hard time in his life: “Even when your struggling it doesn’t mean your failing.”

He encouraged the crowd, in particular the men, to speak up about depression and in other times of need. Once again, Manford uses comedy to raise awareness on the bigger issues. The message was a perfect ending to this Christmas performance.