Jason Manford

Jason Manford

Date of birth: 26-05-1981
Manford started his comedy career by winning the North West comedian of the year title in 1999. A year later, he won the Leicester Mercury comedian of the year, and was a finalist in the So You Think You're Funny? new act competition.

He made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2005 with Urban Legend, a show that was nominated for the main Perrier award. The following year he won the Chortle award for best breakthrough act.

He embarked on his first solo tour of the UK in September 2008, a month after hosting the topical Channel 4 show Tonightly

He became increasingly well-known thanks to his role on the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, and in 2010 hosted the high-profile Comedy Rocks for ITV. In May 2010 he was confirmed as the new co-host of BBC One's The One Show.

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Jason Manford to star in Something Rotten!

UK premiere a decade after Broadway success

Jason Manford is to return to the stage in the comedy musical Something Rotten! in Manchester next summer.

First performed on Broadway in 2015, where it received 10 Tony Award nominations, the show is set in 1595 when the Bottom brothers are struggling to find success in the theatrical world against the juggernaut of William Shakespeare – so create the world’s first musical.

The show has been created by the team behind Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical: Grammy award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick, and comedy scriptwriter John O’Farrell.

It will receive its UK premiere at Manchester Opera House from June 16 to Jul 19, ahead of a planned  West End run.

Manford will also be performing in panto at the same venue this Christmas, starring in Robin Hood from December 4.

He previously appeared in a concert performance of Something Rotten! in London last year, alongside  Richard Fleeshman, Gary Wilmot, Evelyn Hoskins and Marisha Wallace.

His previous stage credits include The Wizard Of Oz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

Tickets for Something Rotten! in Manchester go on sale on Thursday.

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Published: 4 Nov 2025

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