Comedian Mark Simmons, known for his one-liner style, is currently touring the UK and Ireland with his show Jest to Impress. In a recent interview, he described his approach as pure joke-telling, offering audiences a break from the weightier issues often tackled by other comedians. 'The beauty of comedy is there are so many different styles,' he said. 'This is where you can come for an hour and forget about the issues of the world, enjoy the silliness.'
Simmons cites Stewart Lee as a key influence, after watching his 41st Best Standup Ever show. 'I realised you can do anything when you’re up there,' he explained. Other early inspirations include Rhod Gilbert, Lee Mack and Noel Fielding. His writing process involves spotting wordplay in everyday conversation, jotting down ideas and later crafting them into polished jokes. He recalled a friend saying, 'I change my Facebook password from time to time,' which led to the line: 'That’s pointless. That’s the same word.'
Among his standout gigs, Simmons fondly remembers his first performance at Glastonbury Festival, where he played to a tent of around 1,000 people before Josh Widdicombe. The current tour has also brought highlights, such as a show at Nottingham Playhouse. 'Halfway through I came out of myself a bit—there were 700 people here to see my show. It’s just amazing,' he said. On the flip side, he recalled a particularly tough gig at Coventry Showcase Cinema, where a heckler kept reporting who had left the room.
In 2024, Simmons won Dave’s Joke of the Fringe award, a competition he describes as 'great fun' for joke writers, but which has since been discontinued. 'For a one-liner comedian, that’s the one we want because it highlights what we do,' he noted, adding that he is happy to be 'the undefeated champion.' He also shared a niche joke about Magic FM that often fails outside London: 'I was driving the other day, flicked on the radio, started listening to Magic, which was rubbish because it’s quite a visual artform.'
Simmons’ tour continues until 28 November, offering audiences an evening of light-hearted wordplay and laughter.
