Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog Live DVD & BluRay

Opening with a photo montage from babyhood to present day, the scene is set for Greg Davies’ 2010 show Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog. The irksomely whimsical title, it turns out, is taken from the incident upon which the show is built – an account of Davies’ life using only the moments of true, unbridled joy.

He establishes the tone early on; anecdotal, accessible nostalgia from the man who never really grew up. Davies tells his story using a flip-chart, illustrating the main sections of his life with quick sketches and key words, and a notebook, which he gives to a member of the audience, containing ‘pithy tales’ – one- or two- line stories which guarantee a quick laugh.

His choice of topics excludes no one; childhood, high school, work, middle age, parents – we can all relate to at least one of these. A particular highlight is a section about high school nicknames, and Davies decision to involve the audience gives it a relaxed, down-the-pub feel.

There are some great moments but it is quite formulaic, and while this doesn’t make the jokes any less funny, it does mean that some of the magic is gone and that you can sometimes predict what comes next.A solid, easy-going show with pace-changing shock laughs scattered throughout. Just a little bit of polishing is needed to match the performance to the quality of the script.