Milton Jones is looking forward to returning to Reading

TICKETS are now on sale for Milton Jones’ new Hexagon show – but despite the name, it won’t be all-singing and all-dancing. Ha!Milton Jones is a cheeky nod to a famous musical, the comedian however couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket if he tried.

“I sort of need to put it out there is no music in it at all, I am tone deaf, I have no sense of rhythm. In fact, the show is about my relationship with music.”

And jokes. Lots of jokes.

If there is one thing Milton is famous for, it is his gags. And Ha!Milton is packed with them. Around 250 to be precise. His unique ability to craft punchy, memorable jokes has earned him widespread acclaim, making each of his shows a must-see event for comedy enthusiasts everywhere.

As he prepares to take the stage once again, fans eagerly anticipate an evening filled with laughter and unforgettable comedic moments courtesy of the incomparable Milton Jones. Topics include giraffes… and there’s a bit about tomatoes.

To help him along the way, he will be yielding a special weapon at his Hexagon show. An overhead projector.

For younger readers, this is what was used in the days before PowerPoint. Clear acetate slides about the size of an A4 sheet of paper were projected on to a wall via a clever system of mirrors and lights. No bells, whistles or spinning text, just very basic presentation stuff.

The OHP is also very bulky and very heavy. Pity Milton’s team who have to take not one of the beasts to theatres across the country, but two. Just in case the first is temperamental and breaks down.

“It’s the bulbs you have to watch,” he warns. “Sometimes the bulbs can go, and they’re so hot so you need another OHP to come on

(while it cools down). It can get quite complicated.”

Why use this old-school technology when, as comics like Dave Gorman have shown, laptops can be easier?

“I think I’m incapable of going new-school,” Milton says. “I’m just not technical in that sense. I understand overhead projectors, and at least it’s only the bulb or the screen that can go wrong.

“I think I can work around that usually.”

But if things can go wrong … well, as Milton said: “I did a warm-up and the acetate fell off the OHP and onto the floor. You won’t believe how slippery those are if you step on them. I just fell on my back, fortunately, I was alright.

“I need to watch it. Sometimes, the hot air in the fan lifts the acetate and pushes it on the floor, an ideal banana skin.”

Milton is famous for his colourful shirts, and there will be more in the show.

“It’s nice to be recognised by people saying look, there’s that comedian with the shirts,” he says.

Of course, not everyone recognises him. “I was coming out of a pub the other day and there was a drunk chap there and he said, ‘Oh look, there’s Elton John’.”

He smiles and adds: “It is a similar name if you think about it, but not quite the same person.”

As Milton will be the first to admit, one can sing … and it’s not him.

■ Tickets for Milton Jones in Ha!Milton and cost £35. The show is on Friday, November 15. For more details, or to book, call the box office on: 0118 960 6060, or log on to: www. readingarts.com

■ For more on the show, log on to: www.miltonjones.com