Alan Davies: It’s the little victories that count

By Kate Hassett

Alan Davies: It’s the little victories that count
Alan Davies is bringing his sell-out, stand-up tour to the shores of New Zealand. We sat down with the reticent crime solver and resident QI funny man for a few reflections on life, family, growing up looking forward to the future.

With a salubrious affection for the English language and a sharp mind for problem solving, Alan Davies is an artificer of subtlety and restraint.

His cleverness creeps up on you with an astounding bite and his characteristic brand of rhetoric is defined by wit and a hint of modest candour.

Following his sold out tours of Australia and New Zealand with his last show – Life is Pain, Davies has returned to the land of the long white cloud to spread his anecdotal messages of overheard confessions and candid contemplations.

Little Victories is an admission of life lessons – both learnt and lost, an exploration of touching truths made easier to stomach through excellent banter. In his latest show, Alan Davies does stand-up comedian in a way, only he knows how.

As an old school comedian – part of the ones who still write their own material – Davies has maintained a deeply personal repertoire.

“Much of it’s about my family. I’ve got two small children and my father’s got Alzheimer’s. It’s about my childhood, stuff that happened that changed the way I look at life, the loss of my mother at a young age – so I touch on a few things like that”.

This is no misery memoir though, instead a lighter play on the inexplicable happenings of his youth – only made approachable in his stage of maturity.

“I find that these things happen – they resonate with an audience. Everyone has a parent; everyone’s been a kid. Everyone knows someone who’s been ill and virtually everyone knows someone who’s got Alzheimer’s”.

Putting together his shows with an open and ardent imagination, Davies has a proclivity for documenting observations and utterances, both internal and external – all in the name of a good story.

It is with these pieces of the puzzle that Davies eventually forms his set, but less of an entertainment piece and more of a picture in time, the performer collects shows like memories – stored for future reference.

“The show then becomes a reflection of where I’m at, at that point in my life when I’m coming up with that material. So it’s kind of interesting to me, having a snapshot to reflect on. Once I’m performing, I have the chance to settle down and look at it more closely – really understand what it is I’m talking about and maybe, why?”

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