Lord of the Dance
Jonny Donahoe’s ‘most personal show yet' tackles childhood abuse and becoming a father
Culture

Jonny Donahoe’s ‘most personal show yet' tackles childhood abuse and becoming a father

COMEDIAN Jonny Donahoe is about to go on tour with a new one-man show which he admits is his “most personal” stand-up routine yet.

The writer and performer, who hails from Dublin, premieres Forgiveness: A true story by Johnny Donahoe next month, which he will tour across Britain for the best part of four weeks.

The father-of-two, who is also the frontman of musical-comedy-satirists Jonny and The Baptists, is married to fellow comic Josie Long.

Nominated for multiple awards over the years, the Irishman is well respected on the comedy circuit for his satirical stand-up and ability to bring humour to serious subjects such as wealth inequality and climate change.

But his latest show focuses on a serious topic that is much closer to home.

Forgiveness, the comedian explains, is a “show about becoming a father and reconciling that with an abusive childhood”.

“For many reasons it’s taken a long, long time to eventually share this story with audiences,” Donahoe explains.

“It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever made which makes it very scary to finally put out there, but I hope it’s been worth the wait for all of us,” he adds.

The show is directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan, who is also excited to finally bring it to audiences, after the tour was postponed due to Covid-19.

“What a privilege to collaborate with the unique talent that is Jonny Donahoe in all his hilarious and absurd glory,” Burton-Morgan said.

“And on this extraordinary piece of theatre that is painfully close to home for the both of us. Full of laughter, tears and vulnerability this a story the world needs to hear, now more than ever.”

Forgiveness is Donahoe’s first one-man show since Every Brilliant Thing, which he performed more than four hundred times over four continents, including five months off-Broadway.

The show was eventually filmed and screened on HBO.

FORGIVENESS: A true story by Jonny Donahoe will tour Britain from February 8 to March 5. For gigs and tickets click here.