Greg Davies: a big hit
Three years since Greg Davies last visited Warwick Arts Centre, he returned with his latest show. The Back of My Mum’s Head received great reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe, and it was easy to see why.
What was perhaps most remarkable is Davies’ surge in popularity since he last came to the venue. A respected stand-up and also comic actor, his success has been built on his work in sketch group We Are Klang and also his comic acting in series such as The Inbetweeners and his own Channel 4 series, Man Down, while appearances on shows such as Live At the Apollo and Mock the Week proved his chops as a solo performer.It’s curious that someone who used to work as a teacher should generate so much material from his own unruly or downright odd behaviour, but the show’s title and central message are a product of Davies’ mum’s catchphrase. “It’s not normal, love,” wouldn’t ordinarily be enough to have audiences guffawing but its perfectly-timed – albeit fairly liberal – use, in conjunction with Davies’ engaging storytelling style, ensured plenty of big laughs.
Rather than having a tight structure, the show seemed to be more a succession of stories and set-pieces, rarely linked by anything more than the above catchphrase or a general air of disapproval courtesy of Davies’ mother – or his father’s requisite mickey-taking. The routine which counts down his Top Five Favourite Involuntary Noises threatened to drag, but Davies’ warmth and charismatic performing style helped carry what could’ve been an underwhelming section.
It perhaps serves as a rebellion against his former profession, or against the idea of growing up, that much of the show’s humour seemed rooted in the cheeky and mischievous. This is no bad thing, though – Davies isn’t leftfield or experimental, but boundary-pushing isn’t on his agenda. What is, though, is providing belly laughs aplenty, and there are few comics around who are doing this better right now.