Funnier than ever _{by Madelaine Empson}

Alan Davies, known for his performance as the eponymous hero of the long-running TV series Jonathan Creek and as a permanent panellist on QI, is all set for his first New Zealand tour in a decade. The critically acclaimed comedian, actor, writer, and TV personality has officially touched down in Aotearoa and is “very fond of the place, which is why I keep coming back.”

On the 8^th of August, Davies will pull up to Michael Fowler Centre to pull no punches. His new solo show Think Ahead riffs on plenty of topics that older audiences will relate to. Davies thinks he’s Marty McFly but he’s older than Doc Brown and spends more time at the pharmacy than the gym. He’s the subject of relentless eye rolls from his kids. He just turned 60. And he’s “One of the best stand-up comics out there” (The Guardian), funnier than ever.

“The new show that I’ve got is working really well”, Davies tells me. “I think in a way, it’s taken me this long to really talk about all aspects of my life. I went through some quite difficult things when I was a kid, and I weave those stories in and create a fuller picture of who I am and what I think and what I’ve been through. There was a while when I was putting a bit of a front up, which is quite common in performance: public face, private life. Now I think it’s a more complete picture and it’s a better show for it.”

When I ask if the audience could take one thing away from Think Ahead, Davies suggests “a copy of my book” with a twinkle in his eye.

“No, I hope they go away thinking, ‘I haven’t laughed like that for ages’. I’d like people to come out to the theatre and get together – that’s what they’ve been doing for thousands of years. People haven’t spent thousands of years on their phones, doomscrolling the internet. It’s not good! So, for a couple of hours: phone off, face the front, I’ll do the talking and you’ll be fine”, Davies laughs.