Daran “Jonno” Johnson, the head writer of the recently launched British adaptation of Saturday Night Live (SNL UK), is preparing to return to live stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer, marking his first solo show since his student days. The successful sketch comedy series, which debuted this spring, will return for a second season this autumn with an expanded run of 12 live episodes.
Johnson, 38, who grew up in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has been a long-standing figure in British comedy, primarily as a writer and editor rather than performer. A graduate of Cambridge, he gained recognition as part of the sketch group Sheeps, which has been active for over 16 years but never secured a TV commission. His involvement in television had been dominated by writing sitcom scripts, a role he found increasingly restrictive due to limited creative control. At one point, Johnson contemplated leaving TV comedy altogether.
Despite skepticism about the success of a British version of the iconic American institution that has aired since 1975, SNL UK was well received, with critics praising its distinctly British take while preserving the spirit of the original. Johnson credited the cast and the large writing team for the show’s success, highlighting a sketch based on an obscure 1980s TV advert for pork as one of the standout moments, and recalling his pride in the topical opening sketches that satirized political figures such as Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham.
The production schedule for SNL UK is notably intense. Each week, Johnson and his team start with a blank slate on Monday and produce scripts by Wednesday, with additional writing for the cold open late Thursday. The show’s scale has grown from its initial eight episodes to a dozen, requiring considerable effort from a broad creative team located at Television Centre in west London.
Parallel to his television work, Johnson has struggled with anxiety and a medical condition that causes him to faint. Following a severe panic attack in 2024, he began taking anti-anxiety medication, which he credits with renewing his creativity. Since then, he has been involved in several projects, including co-writing a stage musical described by Johnson as his finest work, as well as a forthcoming TV series commissioned by both the BBC and Netflix.
Johnson’s upcoming Fringe solo show, titled Here Comes Mr Funny—a deliberately self-effacing nod to his penchant for ironically poor show titles—will run at the Monkey Barrel venue from August 3 to 30. While the SNL UK adaptation’s sizable budget has prompted questions about whether it signals a sustained revival of sketch comedy on British television, Johnson remains cautiously optimistic. He emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the TV industry but says he greatly hopes for more sketch shows to emerge, a genre he has long admired and contributed to.
With his colleagues from Sheeps also involved in the SNL UK writing team and the cast, Johnson’s role has evolved from peer to leader, though he downplays the managerial aspect, describing himself as more inclined to plead than command. As the British edition of SNL prepares for its second series, Johnson’s dual commitment to live performance and television exemplifies his enduring dedication to comedy in multiple forms.