AMBITIOUS: Colin Manford looking for successBut despite appearances, the star’s younger brother is also taking to the stage after a somewhat chequered few years in and out of colleges and odd jobs. After leaving school, the six foot plus, larger than life youngster hadn’t a clue of what his future might hold and stand up comedy wasn’t even on his radar, in spite of his instinctively witty personality.
Colin’s ability to make light of things was a necessity when growing up however, as the Manford family struggled in the working class Whalley Range suburb of Manchester during his early life, yet for years he has shied away from the spotlight. “We grew up with pretty much nothing, so you have to entertain yourself and come up with your own stuff. As far as family goes, it’s full of entertainers especially on my mum’s side, even my other older brother who is a plumber is also a part time magician,” he explains.
In fact after re-taking some school exams the self confessed class clown ended up on a mundane communications course at a local college which he seemed destined to fail from the start. “It was just dire, I only lasted 6 months. My decision to leave was based on a Tuesday because I used to get home when it was dark and I just didn’t like that,” he says with a rye smile.
And this became a recurring theme as the unmotivated joker unsuccessfully went through several colleges before taking an unexpected two year detour. As Jason broke into mainstream TV, Colin was asking if you wanted your sandwich toasted at your local Subway as he continued to search for his calling. “These last few years have been mental, I often sit back and think what am I doing, why did I work in subway for two years.
“At the time it was only supposed to be a stop gap but I just got comfortable. Living at home with no bills to pay, getting £300 every two weeks with a Wetherspoons down the road, I was like a full on alcoholic for two years,” he recalls.
But after eventually pulling himself away from the beer and butties he did some teacher training and eventually followed in his brother's footsteps by working his way on to a media and performance course at the University of Salford, where he finally started to ask questions about comedy. In fact after years ignoring his ability to make people laugh, he finally took the leap of faith into stand up comedy in 2007 but it wasn’t all going to be ovations and encores straight away.
WINNER: Colin Beats the Frog
The bumbling funny man pretty much fell in at the deep end by entering ‘King Gong’ at the Comedy Store in Manchester, where comedians get a tiny five minute berth on stage to avoid getting gonged off by a rowdy crowd.
“I thought about it just before uni and then I finally caved in to one of my mates. Doing King Gong at the Comedy Store was honest to god the worst day of my life,” he explains. “Beat the Frog is friendly, it’s a nice one, even if you get gonged off. But King Gong is brutal, it’s hostile, the compere encourages the crowd to heckle but I got the two mixed up and signed up for King Gong. I lasted two minutes.”
A shattered Manford was drowning his sorrows in the club’s foyer when veteran comedian Mick Ferry offered the young amateur a pep talk and within days Colin was back on stage at Beat the Frog, which he duly won at the first attempt. He says: “Mick basically told me to keep writing as not every audience is going to like every joke you write, it’s not all about acting like a mentalist like they do at King Gong and he was right.”
Colin’s baptism of fire into the world of stand up was a real wake up call to him of his brother’s achievements and now he hopes to emulate Jason’s achievements having seen the blueprint. “Straight off I’d say my brother is someone I look up to. I mean because we’re so close and because he’s grafted so hard, now I know what can happen if I graft hard. He’s done his education, finished uni and he’s doing brilliantly,” he says proudly.
But as a result of his brothers huge success, Colin was so wary of becoming pigeon-holed as some sort of tribute act that for his first two years as a stand up he all but dismissed his identity, working under the pseudonym of Colin Charles. He explains: “It’s difficult for me because I’m immediately cast as Jason’s brother, I mean I don’t use Jason’s jokes and I don’t talk about him so why should I be presented to people using his name?”
Following a two year crash course in comedy under his new name, during which he built up an admirable reputation, Manford finally unveiled his identity at the comedy Mecca of the Edinburgh Festival last year.
“I’m proud of what I achieved as Colin Charles. It’s just because I didn’t want to be labelled back then and I got fed up eventually. It’s my name too, it’s for my parents, wanting them to feel like there’s another Manford out there making it but I’ve got a long way to go,” he continues. “Now I use my name as a plus point because if people say you’re just Jason’s brother then I get on stage and prove to them that I’ll be funny off my own back.”
And it has to be said that Colin is definitely his own man when it comes to his comedy. Jeff Davis, a local student living in Salford, saw both Jason and his young apprentice at the same Beat the Frog contest last year. He says: “Colin was great on the night and he got a really good reception. His jokes were a lot darker than Jason’s though, they’re both great story tellers but Colin swears a bit more and talks more about student life. He did remind me a lot of his brother though, just because of his mannerisms really but that’s always going to happen with brothers.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw Colin on TV in a year or two, he’s definitely one of the better comics I’ve seen but it often takes years before you see a club comic on mainstream shows. I think he has a great future in stand up from what I’ve seen.”
Now in his third year as an aspiring comic, Manford is gigging at least three times a week in and around Manchester and the North West with the ultimate aim of reaching the big time. As he sits back, takes a gulp of water and explains his grand aims, it’s clear that he’s ambitious. But the burden of his brother’s success has meant that some promoters have tried to market him by using Jason’s name, something which Colin despises, but you can’t help but wonder when that might end. “He’s not going to be here and our materials is not the same so that does annoy me, some people take the piss like that,” he says.
In fact Colin is setting his sights on conquering more than just the stand up genre with other projects that include directing and starring in his own independent film, starting a production company and trying to get acting work. Comedy is clearly his greatest passion however, as you can’t help but share his enthusiasm when he talks you through his favourite stand up moments. He clears his throat and gestures a 3D image of his favourite gig and you feel compelled to be taken on his comic journey.
“There must have been 350 people crammed into the Frog and Bucket and I was warming the crowd up for the competition, it just felt like it was the best gig of my life,” he excitedly recalls. “I don’t usually get hecklers either but this time I did because is slagged Salford off and there was this crazy, fat woman from Salford on the balcony and she started threatening me. She even gave me the gun signs and then she flashed me, the biggest black bra I’ve seen in my life. I managed to get a standing ovation after that, I had a really good gig.
SHOWMAN: Colin on stage
“I think the best thing that came out of that was when her husband came up to the stage and asked the compere why they were thrown out, so the compere said: ‘Well your wife just threatened to kill a comedian, so I think that’s grounds to be kicked out of a comedy club, don’t you?’,” he laughs.
But unfortunately the life of a young journeyman stand up is not all that glamorous and more often than not Colin finds himself working for free at charity events and club nights that could not be further away from the limelight. Yet as much as he’s not the biggest fan of the old working men’s club, it certainly beats subway.
“I’m one of those people who cant say no to anyone so I’ll end up doing charity events for people and more often than not they’re just shambolic. I did one last week for Age Concern in Heaton Norris and it was just brutal,” he continues. “I mean before hand I came up with all these new jokes and ideas to try and when I got there the crowd was literally age concern.”
The upbeat comic is happy at the moment just to get out there and gain experience, with a more than supportive family firmly behind him and expert advice from his celebrated sibling. In fact Colin is keen to learn as much as he can from someone who has been there and done it, and there’s sure to be a lot of laughs along the way. “He’s dead interested as well in what I’m doing, we have a lot of banter and he’s always putting me down in front of people in a friendly way, with the whole ‘he’s trying to be a comedian’ joke,” Colin smirks.
As he slurps the final dregs of his water, it’s clear Colin has found his passion and with a brother of whom he is proud and who gives him constant support besides the banter, you can’t help but back him to go all the way. But there is still something missing for Colin as despite the fact that Jason has appeared on the same bill as him, he’s never actually seen Colin’s stand up. “Performing in front of Jason is one thing I’d love to happen because I’ve performed in front of my mum, dad and my other brothers and even a girl who I used to be in love with, which was petrifying. I know he’ll give me good advice,” he says.
So even when the teasing and jokes are flying, Colin rests in the knowledge that although his brother is nationally known, the mutual respect that they have for each other remains unblemished. “I even did an interview for Manchester Radio Online and Jason rang up and tried having a go. He made a comment saying that when I realise I’m not good enough and I give up, he’s going to buy my jokes off me and I was like alright, okay,” he smiles. “At least my jokes are good enough that he’d want to buy them.”
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