Johnny Vegas tells Channel 4 News Culture Editor Matthew Cain how his obsession with shopping channels led to an experimental “Theatrivision” show at Manchester International Festival.
And Another Thing is a theatrical, or “Theatrivision”, experiment Vegas has centred around a shopping channel.
Shopping channels are a “little bit of an obsession for me”, he told Channel 4 News.
“I’ve always seen these amazing presenters who do three or four hours live TV a day – the fascination for me is: how do they do it? You’d probably get half an hour out of me.”
Vegas and his cast have teamed up with real life shopping channel Ideal World to try their hand at becoming shopping channel presenters.
Their efforts will be beamed live into the homes of Ideal World’s 23 million strong TV audience, while the theatre audience watches both their on and off-air personas.
What I was always told is that you had to be in London if you wanted to really make it. I think there’s a nice obstinacy here; why do we have to go there? Johnny Vegas
The performance sees a return to the Festival for Vegas, following the success of his show Interiors.
Launched in 2007, the Manchester International Festival is set to feature a string of both home-grown and international entertainers, from Victoria Wood to Snoop Dog.
Wood however, has said previously that all the best comedians come from the north of England.
Vegas acknowledged: “They’re not in that much of a rush to change who they are and become middle class.”
He told Channel 4 News: “Personally, within this region and for a long time, I’ve felt largely ignored at times by London.
“What I was always told is that you had to be in London if you wanted to really make it. I think there’s a nice obstinacy here; why do we have to go there?
“So because there’s a smaller melting pot you’ve got to be a lot more original to stand out.
“I think people look for that in this region, rather than following a trend. Then they can get their money and move to a posh bit of London. But I haven’t”
Manchester International Festival runs from 30 June to 17 July 2011.
Read more from Cain on Culture: At last, a real festival for Manchester?