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 York, 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.
Hi Milton, you’ve done a few of the warm ups for Ha!milton, 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 grandad might bring one of his grandkids, so I try to stay quiet 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 at all?
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 a 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 played there last time.
Milton plays a number of shows in the North East as part of his Ha!milton show. 7th September, York. November 20 Middlesbrough, 21st Sunderland, 23rd Newcastle.