Last week the Funny Women team were all in Manchester at the Frog and Bucket for the first of our four 2019 Funny Women Awards semi-finals! It was a tough heat, hosted by 2008 Funny Women Awards alum Rachel Fairburn, but the judges decided to put Best in Class creator Sian Davies through to the Grand final. So, meet the first 2019 Funny Women Awards finalist Sian Davies…
Funny Women: How does it feel to be through to the 2019 Funny Women Awards final?
Sian Davies: I’m absolutely delighted! One of my goals this year was to make it to the final of a big competition. The talent at the semi-final was huge and I think any of the acts could have gone through. I just caught the best of the crowd on the night.
FW: Describe your comedy to us.
SD: My material is inspired by everyday conversations with everyday people. I grew up in a working class northern family full of characters, which has gifted me with plenty of material! I enjoy telling stories and find humour in the vocabulary and turn of phrase that people use.
FW: What inspired you to start doing stand up?
SD: I had always wanted to be a comedian, but life had very much got in the way. When I was 34 two of my comedy heroes, Caroline Aherne and Victoria Wood, died in close succession at a young age. It struck me how much they had contributed to the comedy world and the legacy they had both left. Something clicked and I made the decision to stop putting it off for another day. I jumped in with both feet and I haven’t looked back.
FW: Who are your favourite funny women?
SD: Victoria Wood and Caroline Aherne are my absolute heroes. I can still laugh out loud just remembering one of Victoria’s songs. The ability Caroline had to capture the comedy found in the banality of life is unparalleled. I love the physicality of Jen Brister. The ability to capture the zeitgeist that Kiri Pritchard-McLean has in her shows. The energy that Suzi Ruffell brings to her performance and the laid back style of Rachel Fairburn. Fern Brady is a fantastic performer. And of course, my comedy wife and current Funny Women champ Thanyia Moore who I am performing alongside in Edinburgh.
Join us at the Funny Women Awards Grand Final, Thursday 19th September at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. For tickets click here!
