Tal Davies started out in 2019 and was one of 10 brilliant finalists in the the Funny Women Stage Awards last year. She’s performed at comedy clubs and festivals all around the country, with her deadpan Brummie humour seeing her shortlisted for the BBC New Comedy Award and being named a British Comedian of the Year semi-finalist. We talked to her about showing off and making people laugh, sexism on the comedy circuit and how fantastic it is to be paid for what used to get her into trouble at school.
How did you get into stand-up?
I wanted to do it for at least a decade before I actually plucked up the courage to start in my late 20s. I ended up doing a six-week comedy course, because I knew if nothing else, it’d force me to do the little show at the end because I wouldn’t want to look like a coward in front of my course mates. After that, I never looked back!
What was it like being a finalist in the 2023 Funny Women Awards?
This is going to sound sickening, but it really was such a lovely gig with the nicest green room. Competitions can feel quite toxic and stressful but this felt more like a showcase with a great bunch of comics; everyone was really supportive of each other. And it’s always nice to make the finals of something – it feels like you must be doing something right.
Why is Funny Women important to you?
Because there’s still a lot of work to be done on the stand-up circuit when it comes to sexism. It was refreshing to do a gig where you knew there was zero chance of someone in the audience folding their arms and huffing cos they’ve got to sit through another woman!
Tell us about your comedy style.
Anecdotal, relatable, sarcastic, rude… like your gobbiest friend at the pub telling a disgusting story about their weekend.
What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to take my debut hour to Edinburgh this year, so the first half of 2024 will be dominated by writing, previewing at festivals, crying, wondering why I’m doing this at all, more previews, refining, more crying… and then hopefully arriving in Scotland with a banging show.
Who are your favourite Funny Women?
Honestly, my mates are the funniest women I know. Aside from that: Sarah Millican, Jen Brister, Fern Brady, Thanyia Moore, Jo Brand, Aisling Bea, Daisy May Cooper… the list goes on.
What do you love about stand up?
I just love showing off and making people laugh – the fact that people now pay me to do the thing I was always in trouble at school for, is frankly preposterous, but also fantastic.
