Clapham-based queer comedian and singer/songwriter JR (Jonathan Rippon) will be hosting his regular fabulous Sunday Showcase evening at The Bridge bar, Clapham, on Sunday, June 9th, from 7pm to 9pm featuring comedy and music from six acts.
The headliner for this Showcase is the hilarious stand-up comedy star Chris Hall, whose sketches, such as his ‘Background Singers’ routines, have become an international sensation on Instagram and TikTok with over 50 million views and led to collaborations with the likes of Kylie, Shania Twain and JoJo.
Host JR’s path to comedy started doing stand-up at The Queer Comedy Club in June last year. He soon made it into the finals of the Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year 2023 and the semi-finals of the Musical Comedy Awards.
Having got through the qualifying heats this year, JR is now in the forthcoming finals of the Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition at the Clapham Grand on Tuesday, June 11th. The LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition has a fantastic judging panel consisting of Jen Brister, Daniel Foxx, Zoe Lyons and Jonny Woo, and is hosted by Jordan Gray and features nine comedian contestants from around the UK. It promises to be a fantastic night!
If you’re going to Edinburgh Fringe this August, you can also catch JR performing a comedy set at The Gilded Balloon on Sunday, August 4th, as a semi-finalist in “So You Think You’re Funny”, an annual competition for new acts whose previous winners have included the likes of Tom Allen, Peter Kay, Maisie Adam, Lee Mack and Aisling Bea.
“JR…sure knows how to hold a show tune…Great voice”
Chortle
As a singer/songwriter, JR has tracks out on Spotify and all good platforms under his full name, Jonathan Rippon. He launched his first EP, “Sunrise”, on the Banoffeesound label in 2016 and, more recently, two tracks, “Feel the Fire” and “Lifetime Guarantee”, both of which he has performed live on stage at The Two Brewers. Last year, his song, “Obsession”, was remixed by Bearly Disco and is also available for streaming and download. As a member of the London Contemporary Voices (LCV Choir), he has sung backing for Sam Smith (at Wilderness Festival), Basement Jaxx, and Laura Mvula.
JR incorporates musical elements into his comedy, including writing original comedy songs. His background is in classical music, and he sings in The Fourth Choir, London’s leading LGBTQ+ Classical Chamber Choir, dedicated to performing great choral works and commissioning new music. He will sing with them at the Classical Pride Festival at The Barbican in July and the BBC Proms in September.
He also composed a choral setting of Walt Whitman’s poem, “O Captain! My Captain!” which has been performed in the UK, America, and Canada so far. A live performance recording from the Southbank Centre is available on Spotify and other platforms.
If you’d like to learn more about JR, his website is jonathanrippon.co.uk, and you can follow him on Instagram @JonaRippon.
JR’s Sunday Showcase is free to attend. Tables can be reserved by contacting The Bridge on Instagram @thebridgeclapham.
