On Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow

July 2009

More Jon Richardson videos

Jon Richardson began stand-up in May 2003, and within his first year reached the finals of the J20-sponsored Last Laugh competition.

He established himself on the circuit, and in 2006 supported Alan Carr on his 60-date tour.

His debut Edinburgh show, Spatula Pad, was nominated for the if.comedy award for best newcomer at the 2007 Fringe; and in 2008 he won the Chortle Award for best breakthrough act. The following year he was nominated for the main Edinburgh Comedy Award

He also hosts a Sunday morning show on BBC 6 Music, having originally been Russell Howard's sidekick in the same slot.

Jon Richardson: This Guy At Night - Fringe 2009
Live Review

Something goes seriously wrong with time when you watch Jon Richardson. Despite being in a room that was hotter than Hades I genuinely believed that Richardson had under-run. He didn’t; he is just so good he actually bends time.

And this when he is not feeling on form due to a chewing gum incident earlier in the day. Richardson is a perfectionist known for his OCD tendencies, so when he accidentally picked up someone else’s disposed chewing gum with his bare hand before the show it was bound to affect him, but his constant hand-rubbing and furious over-reaction just strengthened every point that was to follow.

The question Richardson is asking is does perfection exist? Does striving for perfection enrich or mar our existence? He has a deeply held belief that every mistake is equal whether it be dropping a spoon or something much worse – and the only way to rectify it is to get so angry and enraged that you never make the same mistake again. Yet all this ire is wrapped in this likable, grinning, innocent looking man. I don’t know if you have ever seen jovial fury but it is a thing to behold.

The topics at the eye of Richardson’s hissy hurricane are really very mundane. BT gets its moment in the storm, alongside the BNP, dating and tube strikes but every topic is approached from a distinct angle. It is not the usual woes that trouble Richardson, it is the minutia, the seemingly insignificant details that rile him and it makes for surprising, refreshing and unique comedy, who else has ever ranted about a big corporation trying to save them money?

As he dissects his life, delving into the two sides of his personality – the cheery chappy he brings out in company and the darker side that hates the world because it is imperfect – we get a genuine glimpse of his inner workings and also a mirror held up to our own imperfections.

This all may sound like heavy stuff but the gleeful way in which Richardson vents his spleen and the absolute lunacy of the objects at the root of his despair keep the laughs flowing, and I mean tears down the cheeks, aching sides, roaring belly laughs.

Levity is also provided with a tale of ice skating that despite the fairly innocuous content, is so brilliantly descriptive and gloriously delivered that it leaves the entire audience rolling in their seats and clutching their ribs.

Richardson claims he doesn’t like to talk about his problems but this show must be providing some kind of outlet for him, and there is a touching truth and openness to this performance that is incredibly moving.

On his search for the ideal world, Richardson has achieved perfection with this show.

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I have just come back from the Fringe, the highlight of which was Jon Richardson. After seeing him once before i took my sister along promising her she would love it and she wasn't disappointed. After seeing a number of comics over the weekend, Jon was the only one who had us both crying with laughter. We especially liked the 'I spy' and the dad and son at the swimming pool gags. I cant wait to see more of him as his popularity grows. PS Andrew Bird was also very good and his comedy is of a similar style i think.

Theresa, August 2010

My favourite comedian by far! I saw him on the This Guy at Night Tour and at the beginning of the gig Jon entered into some banter with a member of the audience and instantly made you feel comfortable in his company which assured you that you were going to have an enjoyable evening. The main aspect of the gig was perfectionism and how Jon spends most of, if not all of, his life striving to achieve this dream of a perfect reality. His increasing annoyance with people who do not adhere to his belief of how the universe should work and his re-enactments of certain situations is marvellous. His ability to pick fault with his own thoughts is genius. However the way in which he delivers his opinions and the understanding that his reaction to a lot of things can seem unreasonable, is done so in a very endearing way. I've also seen him in the GIT show, with Lloyd Langford and Dan Atkinson. It's great to see 3 genuine friends, just having a laugh with each other. If you've never seen Jon before, I suggest you put it on your priority list. Extremely funny and talented guy!.

Rebecca, June 2010

I have been lucky enough to have seen Jon a few times this year. Whether he is on tour doing his own well-crafted material, MCing a comedy gig or presenting for Radio 4, he is never anything less than professional, intelligent and insightful, with a talent for razor sharp wit. He is a fully rounded individual who can move from topics such as politics, to fart jokes on to neuroscience with ease. I have also seen This Guy At Night more than once and it rates highly above other shows for its sheer hilarity and precision timing. Each anecdote unfolds at the right pace, making the laughs come continually. He moans without being too grumpy or negative, and is never overly-indulgent, keeping the audience on side and engaged at all times. He always has just the right amount of banter and I was impressed with the energy he has on stage, acting out the finer details of his stories with great aplomb. Like other reviewers I am surprised at how this amazingly talented comedian is not more well-known than he is and take pleasure in educating my friends. His career can only go from strength to strength and with all the hard work he does he certainly deserves every success. I'm looking forward to seeing his sell-out tours, TV appearances and DVDs of the future.

Charlotte, May 2010

Great show at the Glee in Cardiff!

Jonathan Fry, May 2010

Saw him perform This Guy At Night in Soho last November - the funniest stand-up show I have ever seen. Pure genius.

Tom, February 2010

Saw Jon last night, he was excellent. He was headliner at Pontardawe and it was a tought crowd. Table of nobheads didnt help but he just ignored them and won everyone over. Good material, good rapport with audience and good timing. Will definitely go again!

James, December 2009

if you want more Jon, get his 6music podcast. Monday evenings are the highlight of my week :D

Claire Sainsbury, December 2009

So very funny. was feeling a little down and two of us watched Jon on Saturday Night on the Comedy Roadshow. We both thought he was very, very funny. Best by far on the show and cheered me up totally. Can we request some Northern shows please?

Val, November 2009

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