‘Jonno’ Johnson is the head writer of Saturday Night Live UK (Sky). He co-wrote the Rose d’Or-nominated international comedy series Parlement (France.TV), for which he also won the 2020 Grimme-Preis
for Fiction. He was also a writer for Wedding Season (Disney+), Elliott from Earth (Cartoon Network) and Siblings(BBC3). As a performer, he is one third of critically acclaimed sketch group Sheeps. This year, he is bringing his debut solo show, ‘Here Comes Mr Funny’ to the Fringe. We spoke to Jonno about the show, why it’s taken him so long for a solo debut, and his success wth SNL UK

Can you tell us about ‘Here Comes Mr Funny’?

It definitely shouldn’t be called that. I really laughed when I came up with it but I worry it isn’t landing as ironically as I’d hoped. I don’t think anyone funny would put the word ‘funny’ in their title.

Anyway, it’s sort of 20 minutes of singing, 20 minutes of lies, then 10 minutes of embarrassing truths and a short dance. That’s more or less all that happens.

For those who might be unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your comedy and your approach to performance?

Amateur hour. I’m really really really enjoying myself and that’s the most I could say in my performance’s favour. It’s my favourite thing to do and I hope you can tell. But I think it’s clearly a show by a writer rather than a performer.

I do a lot of singing in it, though, and I like to think I’m good at that bit.

You’ve performed at the Fringe as a member of Sheeps for years. What took you so long to do a solo show?

I just didn’t think anybody would want me to do one. I’m still not totally convinced they do. I’m late to everything. I talk about this in the show, but I take way too long to do the things that matter to me.

I sit on things for ages. It’s not like I’ve been working on this show for 18 years; it’s more that I’d just not managed to convince myself to write it until last year. And then I missed the deadline for the venues anyway, so after 18 years I was still a month late. I’m sort of doing the whole show a year late, really.

There are so many things I get round to just slightly after I should have. I remember on literally my last day of school I met someone who I realised probably should’ve been my best friend all along. I found a nice cafe in my hometown, Barnsley, the week I left for London. Years ago, someone I really liked asked me out and I pretended not to hear them just so I could go home and get my wording right for the NEXT time they asked me. Which never happened.

I just get in my own way a lot, which is a thing my therapist likes to say every five minutes or so, like it’s the chorus to our sessions.

How did you bring your experiences in sketch comedy to an hour of stand-up?

Nice man and funny comedian Stuart Goldsmith said he thought my show just seems like it’s come from a sketch guy. As in, there’s loads of set-piece-y bits. There are definitely chunks of it that are essentially just one person doing a sketch. And the proper stand-up bits just sort of thread the sketchy bits together.

You’re the head writer for ‘SNL UK’. How has that been as an experience?

It’s fun and I’m really proud of it. We’re just really lucky that so many good people agreed to do it and that it’s found an audience, especially for the weirder stuff in there. I’ve worked in telly for about 15 years now, and ‘SNL UK’ resembles every other show I’ve worked on in precisely no way. Like, I was surprised how few of my TV experiences were transferable. It’s way more like a live show than a TV show. Almost all the best bits in the show are things that would play just as well in the Queen Dome as they do on the studio floor.And so many of the cast have done Fringe runs.

Anyway, it’s a fun job and it’s different enough each week that you can’t really get bored doing it. It does sort of make any other deadlines, whether for TV or live shows, just feel incredibly generous. I can’t imagine feeling time pressure on any other show now. It sort of trains that out of you quickly.

What are your hopes for the show? What would constitute a successful Fringe for you?

You remember that magazine Loaded? They used to do an awards ceremony each year called the LAFTAs. If this show goes the way I hope it will, then I’d like them to bring back the LAFTAs, specifically to give one to me.

What for you are the best and worst things about the Fringe?

The best thing is the vegan potato shop on Cockburn Street. And the worst thing is that the vegan potato shop I just mentioned closed down a few years ago. I forget most days and get sadder and sadder each time I remember.

Besides ‘Here Comes Mr Funny’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August; guest spots, compilation shows, etc?

They haven’t asked me but I’m hoping they will do. I’d like to perform in my friends’ show ‘Dreamgun‘ a few times. They’re a very funny Irish group who rewrite movies and then do staged readings. It’s really dumb and I’m easily the worst performer when they ask me to do it, but it’s very fun and they’re great.

Are there any other shows/performers at the Fringe that you would recommend?

Yeh, go and see Celya AB, she’s as funny as funny gets, and she’s got a brain the size of the moon. Also see my other favourites: Two Hearts, Bella Hull, Freddie Meredith, Ania Magliano, John Tothill, Chris Cantrill, and Em Humble.

‘Here Comes Mr Funny‘ is at Monkey Barrel 2 from Mon 3 to Sun 30 Aug 2026