Jonno debuts solo show as therapy for anxiety
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Daran 'Jonno' Johnson performs his first solo standup show, Here Comes Mr Funny, at the Edinburgh Fringe’s Monkey Barrel until 30 August, marking a significant departure from his previously ensemble-based career
- Jonno frames standup as exposure therapy for his anxiety, launching the new act at age 38 and citing personal fear as both motivation and structural theme throughout the performance
- Jonno reveals intimate insecurities during the show, including nervousness about performing and envy toward peers on television, breaking from the ironic persona he maintained in his work with Sheeps
- Jonno uses a 'stool of sincerity' to signal heartfelt moments, though the line between genuine vulnerability and comedic shtick remains deliberately blurred, adding complexity to his performance style
- Jonno incorporates a mix of banjo songs, improvised raps, and surreal musical parodies—including a fake Lloyd Webber musical and subversive Bond themes—drawing on the absurdist humor familiar to fans of Sheeps’ cult Christmas album
Why it matters: For Jonno, this show represents a material shift from ensemble sketch comedy to vulnerable solo performance, where artistic risk doubles as psychological practice. The fact that his biggest laughs come amid self-exposure suggests a recalibration of what success means—not just box office or acclaim, but sustained confrontation with anxiety through repeated live performance.
Ask SkimNews
