Ex-vicar swaps sermons for stand-up comedy

A priest and acclaimed poet will be swapping sermons in the pulpit for a stand-up routine at a comedy night later this month.

Canon Dr Manon Ceridwen James, who was raised in Nefyn on the Llyn Peninsula and now lives in Abergele, will be in the spotlight during the new fringe events at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph

Manon says doing stand-up comedy is a complete contrast to her day job as Dean for Initial Ministerial Training at St Padarn’s Institute which is the training arm of the Church in Wales Manon, adding that she’s nervous but excited ahead of the gig on Saturday, 21 September at the New Inn pub on Lower Denbigh Road.

The first ever Festival Fringe is being introduced by the event’s new Artistic Director, the royal composer, Paul Mealor, and will be taking place at a variety of pubs and other venues in the city.

Other fringe highlights include an RnB/Hip-hop concert with Aisha Kigs, Welsh folk music with Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes, songwriting sessions with singer-songwriter Jude Lane and popular singing duo Mike and Rosa, and a literary evening with poet Grahame Davies.

Before taking on the role training new priests Manon served in a number of parishes across North Wales, including a stint as the vicar in the parishes of Llanddulas and Llysfaen near Colwyn Bay.

Similarities

Despite the obvious differences between preaching and performing stand-up, Manon says there are also some striking similarities.

“In both you have to capture the attention of your audience and you only have a very short time in which to do that and I use humour in my classes as well,” said the married mum of two daughters and a stepson.

She is new to the comedy circuit, having only performed about eight gigs in the last two or three years.

But she quells her nerves with the knowledge that she learned her new-found stagecraft from one of the best in the business – award-winning Welsh comic Kiri Pritchard-McLean.

Manon, who hails originally from Glanaman, in Carmarthenshire, learned stage technique, comic storytelling and performance skills when she attended a local comedy school course which Maclean set up and ran during Lockdown to raise funds for charity.

She said: “I’ve always been interested in comedy and intrigued by the mechanics of how the great professional comedians engage in different ways with their audiences.

“I also have massive respect for people who give it a go at an amateur level on occasions like Open-Mic nights.

“My husband and I enjoy comedy shows immensely and will go to live gigs whenever time allows. But I had never tried it myself until I attended the course run by Keri.

‘Strong connections’

Manon added: “I have strong connections with the cathedral and I’m a big fan of the music festival. I am pleased to see how it has developed over the years and it was a real honour to be asked to be a part of this new fringe programme for 2024.

“It is quite a big ask to stand up there in the spotlight all on your own. As a priest it is different. I am partly protected by the pulpit for a start, and generally people know what to expect of a sermon.

“With stand-up it’s completely different, more exposed. But my nerves are all positive and I am very excited about being part of such a much-loved festival.”

Manon’s stand-up act is based largely on experiences from her own life, funny incidents and amusing lessons she has learned over the years.

“I don’t have a script set in stone or tell jokes as such, but I relate what I hope are amusing stories and reflections on life,” she said.

“A lot of it is about seeing how the audience reacts and being able to adapt to the mood on the night. It’s all about context, timing and getting the measure of the room. Sometimes it is the same in church, it is important to relate to the parishioner and engage and hold their attention early on.”

Gresford Colliery Disaster

The North Wales International Music Festival runs from September 12-21, kicking off with the premiere of a new work commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Gresford Colliery Disaster.

Gresford: Up From Underground will be performed by the NEW Sinfonia orchestra and NEW Voices choir and recorded live by BBC Radio Cymru.

Other concerts will feature the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, The King’s Singers, Foden’s Brass Band, and Welsh folk band Ar Log.

Another highlight this year will be the inaugural Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition that’s being funded by the Pendine Arts and Community Trust set up by the festival’s headline sponsors, the Pendine Park care organisation.

Other sponsors include the Arts Council of Wales, Colwinston Charitable Trust, Arts & Business Cymru, Tŷ Cerdd and Salisburys Chartered Accountants. This year’s event is also part funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for Denbighshire.

Paul Mealor said: “Although the festival has been a part of my life for many years, this is my first as Artistic Director and I could not be more excited.

“The main festival will feature a musical feast of some of our brightest, world class talents with something to suit everyone.

“The aim of the fringe events is to reach out to the local community in St Asaph with a host of very different events alongside our traditional concert programme.

“I’ve known Manon for quite some time but I’ve never seen her perform stand-up before. I’m sure it’s going to be an absolute hoot.”

Tickets and further details about the festival programme and the free festival fringe events are available online here.

Concert tickets are also available from Cathedral Frames, St Asaph – 01745 582929 (Weds – Fri, 10 – 4) and Theatr Clwyd by phone – 01352 344101 (Mon – Sat, 10 – 6).