UP CLOSE WITH: Milton Jones, comedian and lifelong Richmond resident

Milton Jones is one of the UK's top comedians, famed for his Hawaiian shirts and witty one liners.

He is a regular panellist on BBC's Mock the Week, has produced numerous programmes for Radio 4 and enjoyed huge success recently when he went on the road in the UK and Ireland with his tour, Milton: Impossible.

Milton was born in Kew and is a lifelong Richmond resident.

I have known Milton since I was at school, when he was one of the dads who used to run our Saturday morning football sessions in Moormead Park.

When I went to secondary school, Orleans Park, Milton's eldest son was in my year. Milton tapped into his extensive contacts on the comedy circuit to help the parents-teachers association put on an annual comedy stand-up fundraiser. It brought big names like Lee Mack, Shappi Khorsandi and the ludicrously funny Earl Okin into the school hall for a night of comedy, raising thousands for the school.

Here Milton speaks to Richmond Nub News about his life as a comedian and his history in Richmond. Thanks to Ollie and Nix Photography for the doorstep photoshoot.

How do you come up with a one-liner – talk us through the process and inspirations.

I try to put a silly cartoon in people's heads with a surprise ending, while using the fewest number of words. Inspiration comes from watching and listening all the time, but most of all from the terror of having booked a venue before you've written a show!

Do people expect you to be funny at parties? Is this expectation a burden? And what are you like when you're off duty from 'funny mode' and wanting to live like a normal non-celebrity?

To begin with, but they soon enough realise I'm just a bloke. Some are disappointed, others relieved.

What are comedians like when they get together – is it a show-offy atmosphere, a laugh-a-thon or do you talk about mortgages?

Partners are often disappointed by the general lack of hilarity, and the endless grumbling about business.

Having said that some of the best nights out have been with other comedians in all sorts of strange places.

The success of your big comedy tour came relatively late in life – what was it like embarking on a long tour all around the country? When did you realise 'I've made it' if you did have that realisation, and how did it feel?

Playing to a crowd that's specifically come to see you is the best. (Otherwise you have to spend 10 minutes winning them over.)

I'm grateful though to have spent 20 years as a club comic, and it's taught me to deal with most situations.

Few comics ever think they've arrived – and most of us can't believe we're getting away with it! Best to just try and enjoy the show you're doing.

Humour during lockdown – why is it important in these difficult times and what's the value of the wider arts to Britain?

Brits have traditionally been good at not taking themselves seriously.

I think most good laughs come ultimately from truth and joy – exaggerating and celebrating what many of us have been thinking consciously or subconsciously. Saying those things can bring people together.

It's also been said that sharing our imaginations feed empathy which makes us a better society.

But then I also think people falling over is funny.

How would you describe Richmond's comedy scene? The Bearcat's a popular venue, are there any other comedy nights that you enjoy?

The Bearcat is one of the oldest and best run clubs on the comedy circuit. I hope it can bounce back soon.

There have been other various comedy nights popping up in pubs nearby, and Richmond Theatre run comedy tours (see you next year kids!). The Exchange in Twickenham is also a great new venue.

Local audiences are usually relatively sophisticated, if a bit close to home for me. Once at the Bearcat someone shouted 'I'm your postman, I know where you live!'

What's the place of St Stephen's Church in Richmond life and what has been your involvement there – you volunteered at a lunch club? Why's the church important to the area?

I think having a Christian faith can provide real meaning and hope in life, and being part of a team can put you in touch with some of the good that's happening in the community and the world. I've been a member, on and off, at St Stephen's since I was a teenager.

Yes, I used to give lifts to some of the senior folk to their lunch club, but I haven't done it for a while (I began to get too much work, there was no food-fight or anything).

You managed to recruit Lee Mack and other big comedy names for an annual comedy night at Orleans Park School as a fundraising event. Tell us about your involvement and how you mined your contacts book to make that a success?

Having three kids that benefited from being able to walk to a good state school, I was very happy to arrange for some acts to turn up and put on a show to raise money.

Lots of other parents helped out - I think we did 10 or 11 in all, and it was never difficult to persuade people to turn up laugh, and drink a lot.

How long have you lived here and what's your favourite thing about it? What was your career in before comedy?

I was born in Kew, so I've moved at least three miles in my whole life. (I remember when it was a penny to get into Kew Gardens!) Occasionally I bump into someone I was at primary school with.

This is one of the best parts of London, and London is one of the greatest cities in the world so…

I started off trying to be an actor. But it turned out no-one else really wanted me to be one!

Are there any other Richmond links that you would like to talk about?

I used to be an usher selling ice creams in Richmond Theatre, and when I went back there with my show I felt like shouting 'I told you I'd be back HA HA HA – soon I will rule the world… But I chickened out.

He has plenty of time to pluck up the courage ahead of his next performance at Richmond Theatre on February 2021.