Comedian Marlon Davis says that making light of serious issues can have positive effects

COMEDIANS ARE a lucky set of people. They’re able to get to the heart of any subject and say whatever they want about it – as long as they are funny! 

They have leeway to discuss and make fun of topics that would leave most people lost for words, be it mental health or obesity. For British comic Marlon Davis, even the sensitive issue of gun crime isn’t off limits in his set. In fact, he recalls that the first joke he ever wrote down was about violence in his area. 

“I explored gun crime in my jokes because it was something that was relevant to me,” says the 28-year-old. “I know people that have been caught up in it or passed away because of it. It was a message that I wanted to talk about and bring to the forefront.” 

It might not seem like an obvious choice of subject matter to make jokes about, but Davis, who wanted to convey a serious message about the violent epidemic through comedy, has found that making fun of such a serious issue can have positive consequences. 

“If I play to a black or inner city audience, they get the joke straight away. But when I go out to the countryside, I find that the joke challenges the stereotypical viewpoints some people have on gun crime.”

Hailing from Stonebridge, north-west London, Davis realised he wanted to get into stand-up after his childhood dream of being a Premier League footballer fell through. 

“Football was a way out [of the area]. I loved football and I used to play football – badly! I knew everything about football, accept how to play it! Eventually, you get to a certain age and you realise you’re not going to make it as a footballer!”
Thankfully, he had a back-up plan.

“Stand up comedy was my secret ambition; it was always something I had at the back of my mind. When people used to listen to their music on their Walkman, I used to listen to comedy albums. “

“Then, Def Comedy Jam broke out and Chris Rock did his show Bring The Pain, and I thought, ‘Wow, he’s not just doing comedy, he’s saying something’. He was actually saying something with his work.”

Inspired by both Stateside and homegrown funnymen like US star Eddie Murphy and British favourite Curtis Walker, Davis made his foray into comedy just two years ago. His change of career paid off when, in 2009, he won the FHM Stand-Up Hero competition.

This success gave Davis the confidence to leave his job as an account manager in the city and fully pursue his comedy ambitions. 

“When I left my job, I signed with Off The Kerb agency, who manage Michael McIntyre. I gave myself 18 months to attack the [comedy] industry and if I fail, I’m always employable.”

For now though, Davis is enjoying success with his craft, winning competitions and headlining shows around the country. But he believes he has a long way to go yet. 

“I’m not in this to be mega rich or famous, that’s not my aim. I want to build up a catalogue of work that people can look at and enjoy and hopefully build up a fanbase from that.” 

Marlon Davis will perform at the Soho Theatre, London on December 2 and 3. For more information, visit www.marlondavis.co.uk or www.sohotheatre.com