UK comedian Jack Holmes is returning to Budapest as part of his Troubled tour that takes in destinations from Lisbon to Larissa. We caught up with this Bristolian resident of Central Europe on the eve of his double-header this Friday at the Szimpla café (Kertész utca), where he gave two sell-out shows earlier this year.

Jack Holmes does, indeed, look troubled. Depicted on the tour poster trying to divine water while standing in a flower bed in Vienna, a city he now calls home, this former punk-rock musician has audiences in 31 cities to entertain over the next two months. As well as performing to familiar crowds in Austria, Slovakia and, of course, Hungary, the affable Holmes has added Cairo and Alexandria to his 12-country roster.

“I had a week off and I fancied seeing somewhere new, so I had a look around,” says Holmes in his gentle Bristol burr. “I found plenty of material to use for my shows there.” Giving his spiel in English but using everyday observations from each destination in question, Holmes engages spectators, both local and expat, in an hour-long comedic journey of curiosity and self-deprecation.

His own journey has been no less maverick. “When I was 19, I left Bristol to play punk rock in Vienna,” he remembers. “But the other band members had other commitments and I carried on doing solo stuff. Between songs, I was always a bit of a jackass and I realised that I was having more effect with my banter than my music. That’s when I started taking it more seriously.”

By 2017, Holmes was only doing stand-up, mainly around the region. “When you’re out there first of all, it’s easily the most horrible thing that’s ever happened to you. Audiences in Vienna can be tough. In fact, it’s the place where I get heckled the most. And usually it’s not the locals…”

From these early shows, it was a relatively smooth transition from musician to comedian. This year, Holmes has already played Budapest three times, twice at Szimpla and once at this summer’s Sziget Festival. “Hungarian audiences are great,” he says. “They’re really polite, they get the jokes. There’s always a positive reaction.”

This Friday, Holmes is doing two shows at Szimpla, the first at 7.15pm, the second at 8.45pm. The next day, he’s in Barcelona. After that comes Portugal, Greece, Egypt, Germany, Belgium… “Being on the road can sometimes be a strain – things didn’t go too well the night before and you’re squeezed into a train corridor because all the seats are full. But then there’s one great show and all the demons disappear!”

Jack Holmes

Szimpla Café District VII. Kertész utca 48

Friday, 5 October, 7.15pm & 8.30pm