Critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and TV personality Alan Davies returns to Australia this November and December with a brand new show, Think Ahead. It marks his first visit to Australia in a decade – notwithstanding a guest star role on Have You Been Paying Attention last year!
Alan is a staple of British television, known for his performance as the eponymous hero of David Renwick’s hugely popular long-running TV series Jonathan Creek, and as a permanent panelist on QI. His talk show, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, recently reached its seventh season. He is also one of the UK’s best-loved comedians. His stand-up show Urban Trauma ran in London’s West End and Life is Pain and Little Victories sold out in venues across Australia and the UK. His second memoir, Just Ignore Him was published in 2020 and the third instalment will be published later this year.
Alan Davies spoke with Glam Adelaide about his upcoming Australian tour and what drew him to a career in the entertainment industry.
“It was unexpected for me. I was at college doing a media studies course, thinking I was going to be a football reporter. My course had a drama element attached to it, and I became so enamored with getting up on stage and improvising and doing plays, always just trying for the laugh. I ended up doing a degree in drama at university. After I got through university all I wanted to do was comedy. After a few years, I realised that stand-up was possible – stand-up was a thing. That’s why I pursued it.”
Having worked across TV, book writing and stand-up, Alan shared where his heart truly lies.
“Stand-up’s my thing and that’s what I always think of as my job. I always thought it could lead to other stuff and I had hoped to have my own sitcom – that’s what I really wanted at the time. I have enjoyed getting into TV and working in TV but it took me away from stand-up, and I realised after a few years of being away from it that something was missing. I needed that outlet on stage. It was good for my wellbeing to have that creative outlet and it took me a while to realise that. Once I got back into it I’ve been doing it ever since – for the last 15 years – and have been gigging all the time.”
Alan thinks he’s Marty McFly but he’s older than Doc Brown. He spends more time in the pharmacy than the gym. He’s subject to relentless eye rolls from his kids. What is he? A late middle-aged stand up on tour for the first time in a decade. Funnier than ever, he says.
Alan shed some light onto what his tour will be about and the creative process he goes through when writing a new show.
“The byline for this show, I’d say, is ‘I’m spending more time in the pharmacy than the gym.’ That normally gets my audience going. It is about where I am in my life at this point of time. When I’m creating a show I jot things down that I think are funny, or that I’ve said, or someone else has said, or I’ve heard. Then once I’ve got those notes together I start percolating them a bit and combining them – there’s a bit of alchemy involved. The show starts to reveal itself to me. I often don’t have a conscious plan to embrace a theme or creative structure; it’s a rambling series of comedic anecdotes and thoughts that just work together.”
The tour commences in Perth on Tuesday 25th November, with a stop in Adelaide on Thursday 27th November at the Thebarton Theatre.
I’ve been doing a lot of travelling from town to town over the years. It’s the gigs themselves that I really love. I just like walking into the theatre and seeing it for the first time. One thing I’m really looking forward to is my family coming out to Australia at the end of the tour and we’re going to have Christmas in New South Wales. It will be a great way to unwind after a rather busy tour schedule.”
Tickets and more information at livenation.com.au
Photo credit: Supplied by Live Nation
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