Patrick Monahan seems to have spent most of 2015 sitting on trains, as he whizzes round the country on an 46-date tour with his new comedy show.
In between touring Adventures in Monahan Land he squeezed in running the London Marathon for baby hospice Zoe’s Place and is heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.
So just how does the comic, who’s known for his irrepressible energy (there’s always dancing included in his show) and good cheer on stage, keep going?
“I love it,” he says, speaking to me from – you guessed it – a train bound for a gig in Devon.
“I think the thing is you get to see so much stuff and it gets your mind going. It keeps you fresh really.”
But the 38-year-old admits this year has been especially busy with a non-stop tour taking up four months of the year – including a forthcoming visit to artsdepot in North Finchley.
“It’s nice, but it’s a good job that I’m not part of a five-a-side football team or something because I’d just never be able to do it,” jokes the Iranian-born stand up who grew up in Middlesbrough.
“I’m never in one place, constantly on the move.”
The cake-loving marathon runner always includes the audience in his routine, and his new show is no different.
This time round, the purveyor of feel-good humour injects some “freestyle dance” and music into his set, plus his trademark – lots of hugs.
Since kick-starting his comedy career during the early 2000s, Patrick has performed ten times at the Edinburgh Fringe and regularly MCs at top London clubs including the Comedy Store and on the Jongleurs circuit.
With countless television appearances, including ITV’s Celebrity Squares and Splash, ITV2’s Fake Reaction and Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, there’s no question Patrick works hard for his living.
But what attracted him to comedy in the first place?
“I always wanted to do a job that involved talking,” he recalls. “But when I was growing up it didn’t really seem like that was a job. This is great really!”
Adventures in Monahan Land, artsdepot, Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, Saturday, June 6, 7.30pm. Details: 020 8369 5454, artsdepot.co.uk
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