Jon Long nearly became a drunk priest interview

Jon Long tells how we can save the planet, and how he narrowly missed becoming a drunk priest...

We hear (from your press release) that you are a lapsed Catholic and recovering alcoholic - care to expand on that?

Essentially, I'm a quitter. I was raised Catholic, but I quit that as soon as I could, then built my early adult life on alcohol before quitting that too. I lacked the required drive and determination to become the drunk priest I was destined to be, which is a shame as Fleabag's success recently made it quite a popular niche.

Why musical comedy?

I've always written songs. When I was younger, I used to try and write serious songs and the results were laughable, so the switch to musical comedy was really just making the best of a bad situation.

Your show is more than just musical whimsy, it tackles the very serious issue of our impending climate crisis. What's the number one thing we can all do today to start turning the tide on climate change?

Lots of things. Switch to a plant-based diet, or at least massively reduce meat consumption. Don't fly if you can avoid it. Don't do what I do and eat loads of stuff on the go - stuff that's been shipped around the world in single-use packaging - all because I'm soooo busy!! Have fewer children, if any. One's enough. I know sometimes an only child can be a bit odd but hey, for the sake of the planet... have a weird kid.

What are your views on Extinction Rebellion? Glastonbury-on-Thames or radical game-changer?

All the 'things we can do to help' that I mentioned in the last question, that stuff is small fry. We need bigger, structural changes, and we run the risk of doing too little too late. So anything that grabs attention and potentially speeds up that process is good with me, even if they do get a bit 'Burning Man' from time to time.

Say you were to start a self-sustaining micro-community - who do you bring along and why?

Bear Grylls feels like he'd be good to have around. Ellen MacArthur, whose foundation promotes all things circular economy, so she'll have tonnes of good ideas (plus she sailed around the world that one time, which is very cool). I'd also have Andrew Scott in full sexy-drinking-and-smoking-priest-from-Fleabag-mode, just to show me what I could have been if I'd applied myself.