Stormin' Gorman

Dave Gorman’s family was horrified when he phoned up from university to tell them he was dropping out to pursue a career in stand-up.

“My mother denies it now,” Dave tells me, “but there were tears,” he laughs. “But then they had no idea about the comedy, because even though I’d started doing stand-up in my first year at university I didn’t tell them about it. So they were the hardest phone calls I’ve ever had to make.

“But my dad was really cool actually, I was really surprised by his reaction. He said ‘you’re a smart cookie so if you can make it work, go for it’.”

His dad was right of course. Dave’s career has gone from strength to strength ever since.

And so diverse is Dave’s portfolio, that it’s hard to know where to begin. To simplify it entirely, Dave is both a stand-up and a man of ideas. The difference is that when he comes up with a hare-brained scheme, he acts on it, and then makes a TV programme/ book about it.

So his documentary about driving around America without using any chains, whether it be McDonalds or Shell, was put into action in America Unchained.

Or maybe you saw the one where he lived by his horoscope for 40 days and 40 nights which nearly bankrupted him in the process, or the series when he travelled around the world to meet as many other Dave Gormans as possible.

But in 2006 the fun ground to a halt when, after a particularly gruelling three year global tour, Dave hung-up his stand-up apron and vowed never to get back on stage.

“I’d gone round the world several times and had no friends or social life left. My life had turned into a business and although lots of it was fun, it wasn’t balanced,” he tells me.

“So I got off the merry-go-round and did some other stuff for a while.”

It took three years for the comedy itch to kick in again, and Dave found himself sneaking into comedy clubs and doing 10 minutes of improv at a time, until he got caught by his manager who suggested a cycling comedy tour instead.

Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up was then born, which saw Dave cycling between gigs.

In 2009 he clocked up 1,500 miles across Britain in 33 days cycling from the southernmost point of the UK to the easternmost to the westernmost and then to the northernmost… with a gig each night, and renewed his love of comedy, much to the relief of his ardent fans.

“One night I’d be playing to 2,000 people in a Glaswegian theatre and the next night I’d be doing the same act to 30 people in a railway carriage. It was brilliant.

“And if it wasn’t for that tour I wouldn’t be here now. It reminded me how much fun comedy can be,” he says.

‘Here now’ of course, is back on tour, with the same material, but without the bike.

Which is a good thing when you consider that his gig before Oxford is in Bradford.

So does the 38-year-old have a new alarm system in place to stop him getting burnt out again?

“Yes, my fiancée,” he tells me with a big grin on his face. “I proposed on the last day of the cycling tour actually, on the northernmost leg. And she helps me keep a perspective.”

His fiancée should take heed of Dave’s family background then.

Dave is one of four boys, and he mentions that his fiancée’s dad was one of 13.

“I was always the runt of the litter,” Dave grins.

“And my brothers are either in the military or the police and over 6ft tall, but we are all close.”

So a stable of Gormans is to be expected then?

Dave mumbles something about “one step at a time” before adding “but I am lucky because I’m making a living by telling people about my life, so I owe it to them to make it as entertaining as possible and now I just make sure I enjoy myself.”

Whether he’ll enjoy the Oxford gig or not remains to be seen – because his dad will be in the audience.

“Yes, my dad lives in Witney, so he’ll be there. And there’s some stuff about him in the show, but I think he’ll be OK with it. And anyway, stand-up is ultimately about making strangers laugh.

“If you’ve got people you know in the audience it’s like two different shows, so it will be a bit strange, but dad’s seen me live before so he knows what to expect.”

If the reviews are anything to go by, his dad’ll be crying in the aisles with the rest of them.

Dave Gorman plays the New Theatre on Wednesday.

Box office on 0844 847 1585 or newtheatre oxford.org.uk