Red seats, a bouquet of flowers, antique chairs, then comedy giant Alan Davies comes out on-stage, with a mug of tea, to settle into his conversation with Jan Carson at the Town Hall Theatre last Wednesday, April 22.
A Cúirt 2026 headliner, Davies brought his humour, honesty and new book, White Male Stand-Up, to the people of Galway for the first time since 1994.
Now in his 60's, his memoir is a sad book, although funny in places. It tells the story of his comedy career, interwoven with a search for family, a cancer diagnosis, and an angry man trying to understand himself as an abused little boy.
Speaking to Carson, Davies discussed how the loss of his mum, when he was six, and the sexual abuse at the hands of his father, which continued from when he was eight through 13, led to his novel of childhood, Just Ignore Him, and early career exploration with White Male Stand-Up.
A curious man who has found comedy as a way to laugh with people since the age of 22, he wants his writing to be of value. He notes that anyone who has paid to come into the room one is performing in, is a friend. He is not seeking revenge, but rather uses his pen to create calm prose that explores the actions and past of an angry man.
His honesty is evident. As Davies himself noted: "Sometimes people say, 'oh these books are very brave, you come across as an absolute dickhead'." For Davies, that is the point: to seek humour, but also honesty.
Both of these books are for his children. They explain why he is the way he is, a guide to understanding their father. But they are also for the audience members, as he understands that in any crowd larger than six, someone has a childhood experience similar to his.
His stage discussion generates laughter, but it also encourages people to try to find someone to talk to.
From an audience member's point of view, Davies comes across as a kind, soft-spoken man who has gone through something traumatic. Maybe he has not necessarily accepted it, but he has vowed to create a world, even just his small portion of life, in which things can be better, brighter, funnier, and safer.
