Varnish – The King’s Arms

We are all the stars of our own lives, and in this one-man show, Jonathan Mayor is undoubtedly the star of his.

Mayor comes onto the stage full of glitter and glam. A sparkling presence, the epitome of the outrageous stage and screen performer. He is the star of the show, and all the stars have come out to see him, including Dame Judi, Oprah and Tom Cruise, on a booster seat! He is charismatic and camp as he starts the show. You feel that in his head, he imagines he is at the opening of his Las Vegas residency or appearing at the top of the bill at the London Palladium.

However, this isn’t a show. It’s a play written by his friend, Janet Taylor, and based on his life. It is not necessarily the unvarnished truth, but who, in reality, tells the truth of their own lives, even to themselves, never mind to a room full of strangers.

Varnish, of course, can be bright and glamorous, especially when painted on nails. But it can also act as a protector, forming a barrier, to prevent something or someone from falling apart when exposed to the harshness of the world and its prejudices.

He glories in the fact that he was adopted. Who would want to be born and randomly inherit genetic problems? It is much better to be chosen. As he acts out the moment his parents came along to pick him out, we move away from the glitz and into issues of race, as it was a transracial adoption. He is bullied at school and, like any creative mind, he fantasises that his dad was a Mauritian Prince.

The story was told in a fragmentary way. I suppose this is because Jonathan is a stand-up comic, so it was told through a series of sketches. Despite being an extremely engaging performer, the jokes didn’t land that well. However, there is a very moving phone call with his birth mother, which was beautifully played.

As he is trying to piece together the fragments of his identity, it makes sense for the story to be told in this way. He wants to make a connection with his past and his birth family, about which he has only a few pieces of information, and he desperately wants to be able to find a bridge to his ancestry.

It is interesting as there is a strange dichotomy between the charisma of the performer and the deep sadness that lies within his soul. Rejection is central to the story, and while he is shining on the surface, underneath, you feel like he just wants to break down and cry. Yet, the showman will always prevail because the Jonathan Mayor show must go on.

At only 45 minutes, it was an entertaining, glamorous, dark, whirlwind of a show. It continues as part of the Greater Manchester Fringe at the King’s Arms on 15th July – https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/varnish/

Reviewer: Adam Williams

Reviewed: 14th July 2025

North West End UK Rating: