Mum's The Word

They say good things come to those who wait and that dusty old proverb is most certainly true for British comic Greg Davies. Currently regarded as one of the most successful stars on the circuit, his stints as the ever-so slightly mental Mr. Gilbert in the smash-hit sitcom/film The Inbetweeeners, the perplexed parental figure Ken in BBC3’s Cuckoo and the loveably loopy ring-master of the brilliantly bonkers We Are Klang collective have tickled the assembled funny-bones of critics and punters alike. His latest solo stand-up tour, called The Back Of My Mum’s Head, has seen him sell-out venues far and wide (more on that later). But Greg’s life wasn’t always like this, dear readers, as it took the 6’ 8” funnyman years to pluck up the nerve to chase his dream.

“Yes, it took 13 years of convincing myself to do this,” admits Davies, who previously worked as a teacher. “I put it off for a lifetime because like most people, I was afraid of failure. Putting your neck above the parapet and having a go at what you’ve always dreamt of doing is the biggest step to doing it. I bottled that up for years.”
Teaching’s loss was comedy’s gain. Ten years on from that fateful decision, the self-confessed “fat Giles from Buffy” (his words, not ours) is now a veritable staple of the scene and a regular on shows such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock The Week. This December, he brings his second solo stand-up tour to Ireland and, in contrast to other comics who often moan about the trials and tribulations of touring, he reveals he loves being on the road.
“I never find it lonely or boring when I’m on tour because I’ve paid for people to come with me,” he grins. “I don’t understand other comedians that moan about being on the road. I just think it’s brilliant. Yes it’s a bit tiring, but it’s not as tiring as having a proper job. It’s not coal-mining, y’know?”
Based around Greg’s refusal to accept that he’s now an adult, the 44-year-old confesses he feels like he’s still in his mid-20s (“27 at a push maybe,” he laughs) and his show is centred around his attempts to move away from his childhood.
“In my head I’m still a very young man. The only time that bubble bursts is when I see myself in a mirror, and I have removed all mirrors in my flat so I’m largely blissfully unaware of my age,” he jokes. “I’ve enjoyed putting together this new show. For me, my writing is the product of a man losing his mind in his home. It all comes from a part of my brain that I’m not in control of.”
Like his first stand-up tour [Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog], The Back Of My Mum’s Head carries on Greg’s tradition of giving his shows daft names. This time around, he even roped in his dear old mother to feature in the promo photos.
“The reason why that actual sentence came about was because I went for a day trip to the seaside with my mum and I took a picture of her standing next to me,” begins Greg. “She was looking out to sea and I was looking at the camera and the picture made me laugh afterwards because it looked like I was standing next to a massive microphone. I tried to use that picture for my posters but it wasn’t high enough quality so I hired a photographer, drove up to the Midlands (where my mum lives) and dragged her up a hill to re-take the back of her head for the new shot. She was furious because she was due to have her hair cut the next morning, so every time she sees it she just goes, ‘Oh, my hair looks terrible. People will really think I’ve let myself go.’ Bless her.
“The amazing thing is that now subsequently the photo has been turned into tour merchandise, so you actually buy a t-shirt with the back of my mum’s head on it and I’m immensely proud of that.”
Another thing Greg is immensely proud of is his new sitcom Cuckoo, which sees him assume the role of Ken, a doting dad who ends up having to deal with his daughter’s new hippy husband (played by Hollywood actor and Saturday Night Live/Lonely Island member Andy Samberg).
“I like the fact I’m playing a character who’s flawed but ultimately compassionate, which is a nice change from Gilbert [from The Inbetweeners] who was a brilliant psychopath,” laughs Davies. “It’s nice to play someone kinder and a bit more measured, though obviously Ken’s had his share of madness in the series as well.
“Andy was great to work with,” he continues. “He’s not only absolutely brilliant and an amazing improviser, but he’s also a good bloke, which is almost disappointing isn’t it? You like to think of supremely talented people as being arseholes but he’s a really good person and I had an awful lot of extremely childish fun with him.”
One of the highlights of the show was seeing Davies dressed up as a member of Dexy’s Midnight Runners while tripping balls during the episode entitled ‘Ken On E’, and Greg tells us that it was a case of art mirroring life. Before his solicitors ring us, the comedian would like to point out that he’s a long-time Dexy’s fan…
“It was my idea to dress Ken up in the Dexy’s outfit. I’m an enormous fan of them, so I cheekily suggested we steal Kevin Rowland’s look,” he confesses.
While some comics have found it hard to balance stand-up with TV work, Greg has taken to both disciplines with ease. When we leave him to return to his pre-show rituals ahead on his gig in Salisbury, we ask him if he prefers one over the other.
“It’s the difference between rowing a boat and mowing a lawn, isn’t it?” he concludes. “Well that’s a bad example because there are similar motions in those two, but you know what I mean. Scrap that analogy. There are different pleasures from both and I enjoy it all. It’s all marvellous really.”

Greg Davies plays Vicar St., Dublin on December 8 and the Ulster Hall, Belfast (9).