COMEDIAN Jason Manford will bring his mammoth 200-plus venue tour to Taunton at the start of September. 

Manford will visit the town's Wellsprings Leisure Centre on Thursday, September 1 with his ‘Like Me’ tour, which began in September 2021 and will end in November.

Most of the material was written after the start of the pandemic - and he does not shy away from talking about Covid.

Manford said: “It is very much about recent times. There will be a point, I suppose, where it’s not as topical but at the moment, we’ve all been through something absolutely mental and sometimes you just need someone to acknowledge that and talk about it.

“I did a lot of the writing during lockdown so much of it is about the times we’re going through, but invariably you start off with certain subjects - such as talking about the vaccine - and end up on a different tangent. They’re just leaping-off points, really.”

Alongside his previous stand-up tours, including ‘Muddle Class’ and ‘First World Problems’, Manford is known for his appearances television appearances on QI, Have I Got News For You, and Live at the Apollo.

He also hosts The Jason Manford Show on Absolute Radio on Sunday mornings and has performed in stage musicals, such as The Producers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The comedian said: “It’s a fun and slightly silly show and, from the dates we’ve done so far, people are loving it.

“I think they’re just so happy to be entertained because it’s been such a long time. It’s great to be back on the road and to hear that laughter again.”

Somerset County Gazette: Manford's tour began last will and will run until November. Picture: Neil Reading PRManford's tour began last will and will run until November. Picture: Neil Reading PR

He added: “And it’s very odd to be nervous again. Obviously, you get nervous energy but to actually be like ‘Can I still do this?’ is something I haven’t had for a long time.

“So, to be back on stage and for it to be going so well is really satisfying and really good fun.”

The ‘Like Me’ tour will last more than a year and has nearly 50 shows still to run. 

“It’s like exercise,” said Manford. 

“The more you do it, the better you become. Also, I’ve got the sort of personality and on-stage presence where people feel like we’re just having a chat. They join in.

“You’ll say something and they’ll shout out, ‘I’ve done that too!’ I love that.”

Jason Manford's show at the Wellsprings Leisure Centre will begin at 7.30pm on Thursday, September 1. 

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.jasonmanford.com/live/.