Huge Davies answers our questions ahead of Huge Davies: Sleep Paralysis Princess heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Huge Davies: Sleep Paralysis Princess is a surreal and unexpectedly personal new show about spending the last decade trying and repeatedly failing to get a decent night's sleep. Known for his customised wearable keyboard, offbeat musical comedy and unmistakably deadpan delivery, Huge Davies charts his increasingly desperate search for a cure. We chat to him about tackling a true story, spending ,and not wanting to be mistaken for a vampire.

Sleep Paralysis Princess is the first show where you’ve built an hour around something that’s completely true. Was that more frightening than inventing an entirely fictional World?

Yes, for sure. I’ve purposely never talked about my personal life, in either my routines or my shows. I often don’t even 100% believe in many of the points I’m trying to make on stage. As long as they’re silly or cartoonish enough, I’m normally happy. I almost don’t think that my life is as interesting as a good joke, so I’ve never bothered to talk about it. So, to actually talk about something that affects my life on a day-to-day basis does feel slightly weighted this year, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and talking about it in a way that feels authentic.

At what point did you realise your insomnia wasn’t just a problem you were trying to solve, but potentially a plot/material for a show?

Until very recently, I had no idea I’d ever talk about it on stage. In the past few years, it’s been brought up on podcasts I’ve been on, which is where I first realised it was something that was interesting to people. People always say ‘You should do a show about that’ to comedians, but it only started to hit home recently. Because it’s so passive, it’s quite hard to talk about, as it’s difficult to know what parts of my daily routine are unique to me.

You’ve described spending tens of thousands of pounds trying to do something most people achieve by accident every night. What other ordinary things do you think we tend to take for granted?

I’ve genuinely forgotten what my life was like before the insomnia, as it has been my life for over a decade. I will say I miss feeling refreshed and trying to start the day positively. It’s almost impossible to start work with enthusiasm. Even when doing something really fun, like shooting something for T.V, it can be difficult to get enthusiastic about the work, even when I want to be. I also feel quite strange whenever I’m seeing someone new. Saying ‘by the way I’ll be awake for the whole night next to you’ isn’t something anyone wants to really hear. In the past I have pretended to be asleep and not told the person, just in case they think I’m a vampire or something. I’ve been more upfront recently, but it can be quite strange to fake being asleep.

Your career has gone from strength to strength, yet behind the scenes you’ve been dealing with chronic insomnia. Did writing this show change the way you think about the gap between what audiences see and what performers experience privately?

It’s a different style of writing, as before I was writing the funniest thing to perform. Writing to accommodate a piece of a story that’s important, has had its challenges. Even being honest about how I feel about things is important, as tonally I want audiences to view the situation how I see it. When I’m being dark and talking about Wallace and Gromit, no one cares, but when it’s myself, audiences can pull back, which is something I’ve had to learn from practising the show in previews.

What has this whole process taught you about yourself?

I think I’ve realised I've got quite a unique life. I thought I was honestly quite normal before exploring some of the things I talk about in the show. The insomnia, honestly, is not even the strangest thing that’s in the show. No spoilers though.

The Edinburgh Fringe has seen audiences watch your comedy evolve over four solo shows. Does Sleep Paralysis Princess represent a new chapter for you as a comedian?

I like to think that every year is a new chapter honestly. Scrubbing away a year’s work and starting again is something that we’re well used to. Every year I try a new challenge, as every performer does who wants to get better or feel interested. The challenge is doing it in my own style without compromising the style of comedy I’d like to make.

Huge Davies: Sleep Paralysis Princess will be performed at 9:30pm at Monkey Barrel Cab Vol from 5th – 30th August. Booking link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/huge-davies-sleep-paralysis-princess