What do comedians do when they see heart-breaking images of children drowning trying to reach Europe? They put on a stand-up show of course.
Greg Davies, UK sitcom and panel-show lynchpin, gives the one-liners a pause while explaining why he was inspired to get a group together of his most famous comedian friends to raise money for refugees.
“It was as simple as seeing the news coverage of refugees fleeing war-torn areas,” says Davies, who has starred in The Inbetweeners and Man Down. “What else can you do as a comedian but do some comedy to raise money to help?”
The benefit includes some of comedy’s biggest names - Jo Brand, Roisin Conaty, Russell Howard, Reginald D Hunter, Dara O’Briain and Jack Whitehall – and is raising money for ActionAid and UNHCR.
“The UN and agencies like ActionAid are incredibly stretched,” says Davies, adding that he hasn’t “got a clue” how to solve the crisis. “I think you have to hand that over to professionals who know what they’re talking about. We’re just trying to raise a little bit of extra money for basic provisions for all of these thousands of people.”
Davies put the gig together with children’s TV presenter Ed Petrie, who saw the extent of the migrant crisis for himself in Serbia. “Seeing something like this up close, all these people in their jeans, T-shirts and trainers JUST LIKE ME, but living my worst nightmare – meant that once I got home I was bending the ear of anyone who would listen,” Petrie says.
The team thinks now is the right time for a gig, as the weather turns colder and crossing the Mediterranean becomes more perilous.
The public outcry, donation drives and grassroots fundraising in reaction to the crisis has impressed Davies. “It restores your faith in human nature when you see the response from the British public,” he says. “The negativity that you receive on social media when you announce you’re doing something like this is minimal, and clearly from people who are not thinking straight. The vast majority of people are delighted to support something like this. It’s heartwarming.”
The comedian is aware that raising several thousand pounds at a comedy gig is “a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed”, but hopes the show will be the beginning of something bigger. “All of us who are involved in this are aware that it’s a very meagre offering, but it’s something. And I hope we’ll go on to do other things. It feels like the start of something rather than a one-off.”
Greg Davies, Jo Brand, Roisin Conaty, Russell Howard, Reginald D Hunter, Dara O’Briain and Jack Whitehall are performing at Stand up for Action at the Hammersmith Apollo on Wednesday 11 November.
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