Star of BBC3 sketch show We Are Klang alongside Marek Larwood and Steve Hall, you might also recognise Greg Davies as the belligerent Mr Gilbert from E4's The Inbetweeners. Having performed stand-up comedy since 2002, this year he takes his first solo show to Edinburgh. Emma McAlpine catches up.
Why have you decided to do your first solo show this year?
Having just had a look at my bank account I honestly can’t remember why I’m doing Edinburgh just now. I think it’s because secretly you don’t feel like a proper comic unless you’ve done a solo show.
Has Edinburgh changed much since your first trip there with We Are Klang?
It’s amazing how much it’s changed since we last took a show there in 2007. I felt like a bit of an imposter just popping up for a few days last year because so much blood, sweat and tears had been pumped into everybody’s shows. If you just come up for a few drinks you’re not suffering enough. Now I’m included in the same torture as everybody else and have earned my place!
Are you still working with Klang?
Yes we just finished filming something for the internet actually which involved us hitting each other as usual and we’ve got another idea in development at the moment, but I can’t give much more away than that at this stage.
How did the three of you first get involved?
We were all on the open mic circuit together. Marek approached me and asked if I wanted to do character stuff and then I got Steve on board. Then for the next seven years we honed our writing technique sitting in a room together and playing table tennis.
A lot of your stand-up contains some very funny stories involving your family. Do they ever come to your shows?
Yes we broke through the humiliation factor several years ago – they’re very forgiving! To be honest if you grow up with a Dad like mine, who spent my entire childhood ridiculing me, then it’s payback time quite frankly. What goes around comes around. That’s what I should have called the show thinking about it.
Your impression of your father is hilarious.
That’s entirely accurate. That’s something you can mention actually. People think I exaggerate his behaviour – I haven’t. The section where I deal with my Dad is reportage. If anything – I’ve calmed down the reality of his behaviour because I don’t want the authorities to get involved. I don’t want him to be institutionalised.
I actually did a gig in Shropshire recently and did my usual spiel about them in front of their friends and I think they were quite shocked! But everything I say about them is an indication of how close we are as a family. Me and my sister used to love getting a rise out of each other when we were growing up. She actually reminded me the other day that every single night before she would go to bed I would hide in her cupboard and stop her from going to sleep by singing my ‘I’m in the cupboard song.’
You were a drama teacher for 13 years, is that right?
Yes, for 13 lonely years I taught drama. It’s an all-consuming job and I never meant to do if for so long. I finished my degree and didn’t know what to do and my Dad said “Why don’t you do a bit of teaching for a few months while you decide what you want to do with your life” and then I woke up 13 years later as the head of department!
Were you anything like Mr Gilbert?
I wish I was but I was a terrible softie – I taught drama so it was 13 years of orchestrated playtime.
Did the kids eventually drive you into comedy?
In all seriousness, I slag off teaching a lot in my stand-up but it wasn’t at all bad, I had some great times there. Secretly though, all I wanted to do was comedy and it was easy to blame teaching for not feeling content. I did the right thing by the children in the end and left!
What was the turning point?
The honest truth is that I had an early life crisis epiphany and found myself driving home in my rotten Renault 18, repeating the mantra “You’re 33 and you haven’t achieved anything in life” over and over again. I think you’ve got to do what you want with your life now or you’ll never do it. So I did it, one rainy afternoon driving back from Slough!
Apart from comedy, what are your other passions in life?
Table tennis. It’s all about table tennis. Table tennis and fooling myself I’m going to eat better and do exercise is what fills my day.
What are your plans after Edinburgh?
I’m doing a tour in the autumn starting in October, doing 40 dates all over the country. If you want to come and hear me publicly humiliate my parents around the country - I’d be delighted to see people. I'm also working with Rhod Gilbert on both a TV and radio show which start in September.
Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog will be at the Pleasance Courtyard until 29th August.
Click here to see a list of his upcoming tour dates.
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