Following on from the success of previous shows Waste of Space and Gobsmacked, comedian Josh Jones brings his new stand-up I Haven’t Won The Lottery So Here’s Another Tour Show to London’s Leicester Square Theatre as part of his current tour.
Jones is perhaps best known to the wider public for his appearance on Dancing On Ice (he left very early on, as he tells us, due to an ankle injury, “but I got my full fee”). He’s made several TV appearances since his debut on Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club in 2020, and has gained a reputation for his cheeky, camp comedy persona.
Born in Failsworth (“a Manchester postcode but Oldham bins”), Jones has worked his way up on the circuit via working men’s clubs and other tiny venues, with material working around being Northern and gay (giving up being Northern would be hard because of losing gravy).
He doesn’t do much crowd work, rather focusing on his family (the awkwardness of men hugging), relationship (“looking after another man’s cat”), posh postcodes, nonagenarian grandparents, and gentrification. He’s very funny and relatable without straying into political or contentious areas in his set.
Unapologetically gay (thanks to an expensive fur coat his dad bought him years ago) Jones’s comedy veers into sex jokes now and then, but without causing any offence. He’s rather endearing performer, whether noting that girls occasionally hit on him despite him appearing in no way straight, or impishly informing us he is attracted to older guys because “nice houses”.
He’s supported by Jenny Hart, a transgender woman from Manchester who pitches herself as “the bad tranny”. Her work is partly musical and extremely edgy, even borderline offensive. It plays on trans stereotypes and situations, while courting topics such as pedophila, the “toilet issues” and “losing your tits”.
Taking the evening together I much preferred Jones’s set, but that’s a matter of personal taste (and being a fellow Oldhamer). I’d certainly seek him out again and will be interested to see how his career continues to progress.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars.
Josh Jones is currently on tour with I Haven’t Won The Lottery So Here’s Another Tour Show – for tickets and details visit https://www.joshjonescomedy.com/.