BGT winner Jon brings laughter and emotion to Shropshire theatre

And the odds are that the Britain’s Got Talent winner’s emotive story will have his audience crying more than just tears of laughter.

Fans of BGT only have to remember the pianist, comedian and song-writer’s emotional first audition back in 2020, before Covid really impacted the nation, to recall his emotive combination of comedy and poignancy.

Sat at a piano at the London Palladium, he sang a song, with funny lyrics, about a man with a dream but also reflected in it that his father Ivan, who had died five years previously, was not there to see him.

The emotional audition illustrated the pride of sons Alfie and Nathan in their dad.

It also reduced Amanda Holden to tears while Ant and Dec were so moved that they hit the Golden Buzzer to send Jon into the final, where he was victorious after winning the hearts of the public.

Four years on, Jon is heading to Shropshire to perform his new show Bigger at the Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, on March 7.

And again, as well as laughter, pathos will be part of his show. Not least because behind the smile and the songs which secured his victory in BGT, Jon had a secret that he wasn’t sharing.

At the time of his audition, he had discovered the news that what he had thought was just a mole on his head was actually skin cancer.

Only close friends and family knew, as he chose to keep it from the show’s producers and the audience.

It was later discovered that the cancer had found its way to lymph nodes in his neck but, after treatment, including a seven-hour operation, he finally received the all clear in 2022.

His story of cancer and Covid play a part in his new show, providing periods of reflection amongst moments of joy and laughter.

“Comedy and emotion are not a million miles apart,” Jon says. “You can cry laughing and cry through emotion.

“Musicals have done it for years. I remember seeing Les Miserables and the impact of the Master of the House song.

“You have the Innkeeper running around, singing a ridiculous song and pickpocketing his customers and then it is straight back into the French Revolution, emotional songs and people dying.

“And then you have some of the greatest comedies. You think of that final scene in BlackAdder Goes Forth when they go over the top.

“It rips your heart out. It was so frivolous and irreverant for the whole show and then ‘bang’ they punched you at the end. It can be really powerful. You think, my God, how can that work – laughing one minute and a lump in my throat the next!”

As such, Jon’s show Bigger is being described as a ‘show of two halves’ which makes him laugh a little – ‘When they say a football match is a game of two halves, I’m always like ‘well, of course it is’.”

“But,” he adds. “In Bigger, they are two very different sections of the show.”

Act one features Jon at the piano with lots of new songs and stories including a tribute to the old vaudevillians, a quirky jazz number featuring every British chocolate bar plus tales of feuds and family.

The second half sees Jon open up as fans have never seen him before as he performs a one-man comedy musical, a development of his critically acclaimed limited run show he performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022.

He will showcase brand new material, as well as treating fans to renditions of some of his much-loved performances from his time on Britain’s Got Talent – all woven into a musical that reveals the incredible background behind the lyrics, including his cancer fight.

“Musical theatre is a huge inspiration to me and they say write about what you know,” he adds. “So in 2022 I took a new show to the Edinburgh Fringe, a one-man comedy musical – about my BGT experience while battling Covid, cancer and lockdown – called ‘Against The Odds’.

“It is hard to believe it’s a comedy I know!” he jokes. “But the British have always laughed in the face of adversity – we are famous for having a stiff upper lip – so I hope this can resonate with anyone going through a difficult time themselves. It’s going to be a feel-good evening but with some punches of pathos throughout. Hopefully.

“I think, if you are going to talk about something as serious and emotional as cancer or Covid, which is what I try to do, it can’t all be drama and depression.

“You have got to approach it with that glint of humour, and that hope of light at the end of the tunnel – some kind of feel-good factor because otherwise you won’t get through anything.”

When we chat about his tour, Jon is at the start of ten days of intensive rehearsals, putting in three to four hours a day.

“I have rehearsal space with everything set up in it and the stage mapped out so I can plot the whole show,” he explains. “It’s really exciting and the tour is pushing me to create new stuff which is fantastic and I love doing that.

“I can’t wait now. There is just nothing better than performing in front of a live audience who have paid to see you. Nothing comes close in this business. I may not be filling arenas but I’m happy on any stage in front of an audience who WANT to be there.

“Every night is different and meeting the audience afterwards is always very lovely too. My first tour in 2021 was still hampered slightly by Covid so I’m looking forward to saying hello to people and not having to wear a mask.”

It would be remiss not to reflect on BGT more. While Jon was a performer long before the show – Lorraine Kelly once called him an overnight success after 25 years – it was his audition and subsequent win that thrust him into a national spotlight, giving him the exposure to do one-man tours such as Bigger.

“As far as BGT experiences go, mine couldn’t really have been better,” he reflects. “It was strange in some ways, with Covid, my health crisis and the show all going on at the same time, it accumulated into a really weird out-of-body experience. But the show was a good distraction and I’ll always be thankful for that.

“Ant and Dec’s Golden Buzzer, then the Judges’ Choice in the semi-final and then to win the whole thing – it was just mind-blowing.

“I only auditioned so I could say I’d performed on the stage of the Palladium. Even if I got buzzed off, I could say ‘at least I have performed on THAT stage’.

“But everyone on the show was just lovely, so supportive. It was incredible to see the whole process from behind the scenes, having watched it for so many years.”

A slightly surreal process too. The auditions were pre-Covid lockdowns but the live shows were in front of the judges and camera crew – with thousands of screens of audience members visible to the viewing public.

“I was relieved to have managed to perform in front of a proper audience at the auditions because the live shows were strange,” he remembers.

“I had spent my career thriving off a live audience buzz. You walk on stage and even if you feel tired or sick, something clicks in your head when there’s a live theatre audience and you thrive off the energy. You can’t replicate that. So, in the live shows, we were just faced with four judges and there was no audio from the wall – that was just for the broadcast.

“It was very surreal but thank goodness they still found a way to do the show because it would have been so cruel to get a golden buzzer and then for the finals to be cancelled. I still have no idea how they pull it all together. It’s an amazing team effort.”

Fast forward, and Jon’s focus now is on staying healthy– he has scans every six months – as well as his tour and supporting charities.

He says he is determined to raise awareness of skin cancer after becoming an ambassador for the charity Skcin – the melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer charity dedicated to the prevention and early detection of all types of skin cancer.

“It’s really focussed on prevention and early detection of skin cancer which if it’s caught early enough is usually treatable,” Jon says. “In my case I procrastinated for months and was very stupid.

“I was very excited when Skcin asked me to get involved. It’s the whole message of ‘Against The Odds’, check ya moles! It can save a lot of problems and heartache in the future.

“I am also working with Lost Chord UK Dementia Charity. My dad had dementia so it means a lot to me. The charity takes live musicians into care homes and you see how the power of music is so effective.”

And with that, it’s back to rehearsals, with Jon’s Shropshire date bringing back childhood memories.

“My Aunt Helen lived in Shawbury when I was very little – six or seven,” he reflects. “I have memories of seeing the old Tudor houses in Shrewsbury town centre when I was very small.

“I haven’t been back since so I’m looking forward to seeing if I can regress and remember those ‘olden days’! It’s a beautiful part of the country and the theatre looks stunning. It will be great to do show.”

n Jon Courtenay’s Bigger is at Theatre Severn on March 7. For tickets visit socomedy.co.uk/artist/jon-courtenay-2/