Laughter makes people kinder!
After 20 years of being in the Canadian Comedy Industry Ms. Kate Davis remains one of the funniest and nicest people you would ever encounter. I spent an hour hanging out with Kate at a Toronto "New Material Night", as soon as she enters the room she takes it over. Every comic in the room both amateur and professional make sure to come over and say hello and give Kate a kiss on the cheek. According to her friend and fellow comic Mike Wilmot," everyone loves Kate and they would be crazy not to! She mothers everyone she comes in contact with."
It has been an interesting journey for young Ms. Davis, she was born in London England to Cockney parents. Her father worked as a cabbie and her mother worked in an office. Young Kate started working in her Grandparents Old Kent Road Pub serving lunch to the regulars at the ripe old age of 3. Kate remembers, "my payment would be a shandy[Gin & Coke] and polo mints. Ka-Ka-Ka-Katey would often brake out in the pub where the singing would overwhelm me."
When Kate was 4 years old, the whole family immigrated to Canada and lived in a multi-cultural neighbourhood. These early years were a great influence on Ms. Davis and her comedy later on in life. Kate states; "I would grow up in a neighbourhood, which was right in the middle of Little Jamaica, Little Italy and the Jews. Take that and my Cockney parents and Grandparents where six of us lived in a 3 bedroom apartment and thus comedy was born."
After high school, Kate moved back to England to study acting and became a classically trained actress. Back in Toronto at age 21, Kate land her first profession gig as an actress in a repertory company with the best actors from Shaw & Stratford Festivals. She was one of two newbies in the company. Next up was Theatre Aquarius and summer stock.
Three years later Kate was pregnant with her first child Zenna. About to go back to work with a theatre company Ms. Davis found out she was pregnant again. " I decided I wanted to be a stay at home mom at least for a few years, my agent dropped me and there I was."
But fate has a funny way of stepping in. Young mother Kate Davis lived around the corner from Comedywood in Vaughan just north of Toronto. One night Kate dropped in to watch an amateur night and decided to give it a shot. That night an addiction for stand-up comedy was born. Hypnotist The Incredible Boris owner of Comedywood say; I am proud to have created a stage for so many wonderful performers in Toronto."
Kate Davis was soon hitting every open - mic in the Toronto Area and her husband Cleve remembers that "Kate did about 250 open mic shows that first year." Sixteen years ago Ms. Davis was one of the few women in Toronto Comedy let alone a young mother of two babies. According to Kate; "her husband Cleve influenced my comedy by taking care of our children while I was forging a career as a comic."
Mark Breslin, founder of the Yuk Yuk's chain of comedy club, has know Kate Davis since her first amateur night at his famed Toronto club. "Stand-up comedy is a hard enough career and Kate is able to be funny while raising 4 kids (3 actually + a husband). Kate Davis is an inspiration to us all."
Many people influenced Kate's comedy career, including Kenny Robinson, Mike Wilmot, Derek Edwards, and Kristeen von Hagen. The person Kate Davis influenced the most is her husband Cleve Jones, a musician, who never thought he would try stand-up. But a dare is a dare and now Cleve is addicted to stand-up. Both Kate and Cleave hate being on the same show. According to Cleve; "being on the same show is very awkward and they would hate to do sketch work together."
Today Kate Davis is an accomplished stand-up comic, writer, and motivational speaker. She is a five-time nominee at the Canadian Comedy Awards and star of her own hour-long comedy special on CTV and the Comedy Network, She has appeared on Breakfast Television, Star TV, Toronto 1, Prime, WTN, TVO, CBC Radio One "The Debaters" and The Mom Show. Ms. Davis believes she is more relaxed with her career and confident as well. "Comedy has led me to writing jobs, a book, keynote speaking and spokesperson work. And I love it all.
Her husband Cleve says that when he met Kate 24 years ago she was an amazing actress. "But the fire he saw in her eyes after her first comedy set at Comedywood had a huge impact on him and changes their lives forever." Kate has her own take on why she lasted this long in a tough business. "I am still climbing a mountain. Comedy is more an addiction than anything else. Plus I feel like I am just getting good at this and haven't written my best joke yet."
With all her success in Comedy according to Kate Davis the real success has been her family. Oldest daughter Zenna is studying acting at Ryerson University, son Jaiden is a musician and his Dead Bent video has 13 thousand views in one week on YouTube. He is off to Concordia University for electro acoustic studies. Youngest daughter, Maddi is studying at Second City and according to Mike Wilmot; "Kate's daughter Maddi is ridiculously talented and will be the star of the family...she is the next Gilda Radner." Her husband Cleve feels that the Kids learned to follow their dreams by watching Kate forge a career in comedy.
Kate has her own take on her success; "I have 3 incredible kids I have raised who have turned out to be way smarter and cooler than me. I have a husband I love who I still want to hang out with after all these years. And I have to say there are many comics who I consider my family who have been around my kids and have been an incredible influence of them as well."
Both her husband Cleve and friend Mike Wilmot feel Kate is funny because she is genuine and her love for stand-up comes across to the audience. Ms. Davis is never satisfied and keeps working to get better, she recently did the gala for The Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Showcased in Britain, and is starting to work in the USA. " The busier I am the happier I am."
As an author, Kate released of her first book "The Breast Feeding Diaries" with Meadowbrook Press in the USA. She writes a monthly column for Mom and Caregiver magazine and have been published in Today's parent magazine. She has written a sitcom, and six episodes of a web series. Kate just finished writing a new Keynote called "Innovation through Connectivity" which she is really excited about.
When not working you can find Kate Davis hanging with friends and family. Mike Wilmot say that Kate has a big heart, is so kind and a great mother; "every comic is welcome at her Christmas party which is a highlight of the Christmas Season and she is Jewish." According to Ms. Davis " I play cards and dice with my family and friends where we drink and shit talk each other! It's good times and kids are welcome too."
The future is limitless for this talented woman, her eye is on stand-up, TV, writing and just making people kinder through stand-up. Kate states, "I have no idea what is next but I am excited to see what the future will bring. Just keep doing what I am doing (Throwing stuff against a wall and hope something sticks)"
Best Before!
The Comedy Green Room’s lovely and talented friend Ms. Kate Davis and her collaborator Ms. Kelly Fanson were finalist in the 2016 Stand Up & Pitch [Just For Laughs 2016] for their web series “Best Before”
Kate Davis is a twelve-time nominee (for Best Female Standup as well as for the prestigious Phil Hartman Award) at the Canadian Comedy Awards. She is also the star of her own hour-long CTV/The Comedy Network special, Comedy Now. Kate Davis was the first female comic chosen to be on The Comedy Green Room and a multiple time “Comic of The Week”
Kelly Fanson is an acclaimed actor and voice performer, with writing, producing and directing credits. Along with optioning screenplays she has directed theatre for The Toronto Fringe Festival.
To view Best before visit: http://bestbefore.show/web-series/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestbeforeshow/
Comedy Album!
The Comedy Green Room’s lovely and talented friend Ms. Kate Davis has a new comedy album "House Arrest" Produced by Howl & Roar Records available on iTunes! This is an album you should download if you are a comedy Fan. Not only is Kate a funny stand-up she is a wonderful person.
Book!
“2ND BEST MOM” showcases over a decade of motherhood in a series of funny stories, tips and okay advice about raising kids with all the good, bad, and funny that goes along with it.
For more information on Kate Davis visit https://katedavis.ca/
Mention you found out about Kate Davis on www.thecomedygreenroom.com
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