Comedian hands back £5 to punters in cost protest

COMEDIAN Jason Manford left hundreds of surprised audience members laughing twice over when he gave every single fan a fiver in a protest at ticket prices.

By The Newsroom

Published 21st May 2010, 11:56 BST

Updated 21st May 2010, 11:57 BST

A total of 458 expectant punters crammed into the Lawrence Batley Theatre, in Huddersfield, to see the 8 out of 10 Cats TV star perform an intimate warm-up gig for his upcoming tour.

But the bewildered audience were each handed a fiver. Tickets were priced at 14 and 12.

During his stand-up performance the Salford-born comic urged them to give the cash to charity.

Afterwards Mr Manford, 28, said: "Contrary to popular belief, the prices of the tickets aren't up to us. When I looked at it, I saw the ticket prices and the gigs I've been doing were just warm ups. It was just reading jokes off a bit of paper.

"I just thought the ticket prices were a bit much."

Ranjit Rehill, theatre press officer, said: "As we understand it, Jason just wanted to make sure that since the show is still being developed, people got their money's worth."