Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey brings his Best Medicine: Repeat Prescription show to Cheshire

Sep 9 2009 by Will Harris, Crewe Chronicle

Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey’s talents were spotted after he joined Bolton General Hospital’s drama group, he tells reporter WILL HARRIS

Comedian Dave Spikey says he is looking forward to a Winsford visit for a night of hilarity next month.

The Chorley-based favourite from Phoenix Nights and 8 Out Of 10 Cats said he enjoyed his Best Medicine tour so much that he’s decided to give it a second airing.

The former NHS worker uses observational humour to poke fun at everything from society’s ills to the health service.

But he insists long-standing fans aren’t going to be disappointed when Best Medicine: Repeat Prescription visits Winsford Leisure Centre on Saturday, October 3.

“There’s enough in the way of new material that even people who saw it last year are going to enjoy it,” he said.

“In fact, the only problem I have had are fans coming back to see jokes I told last year and actually being disappointed because I won’t reel off the same joke I did 12 months ago!

“I did about 40-odd dates last year and I just really enjoyed it.”

Spikey was a member of Bolton General Hospital’s drama group which he said he joined ‘to have a social life and pull a few nurses’ and his comedy skills were spotted.

“Someone said you should be a comedian, you should do stand-up – I was totally naive,” he said. “It was all a bit of an accident; other comedians all seem to have had some sort of game plan but I just fell into it.”

He shot to fame alongside fellow comedians Peter Kay and Paddy McGuiness in the C4 sitcom Phoenix Nights and even had a spell filling Jim Bowen’s shoes hosting a revival of Bullseye.

But, unlike his two Phoenix Nights co-stars, Spikey has taken a step back from TV, favouring instead a return to his roots.

“I actually prefer stand-up to TV as it’s just so much more fun and completely different,” he said. “I love the way you can think of a really good line in the afternoon and throw it into your stand-up routine that same night. In order to do that in TV, you have to spend months working with writers before it’s shown.”

“I’m not giving up on TV though, because variety really is the spice of life. I really enjoy just being able to do so many different things.”

Although Spikey says he has definitely finished as a panellist on 8 Out of 10 Cats, he wouldn’t rule out a return to his role as Jerry St Clair in Phoenix Nights.

“I would love to return to Phoenix Nights, but it would have to be under the right circumstances as it’s been away such a long time,” he said.

Spikey will be at Winsford Leisure Centre on October 3. Tickets for the show, which begins at 7.30pm, are £17.50. To book, phone 01606 867555 or visit www.cheshirewestandchester. gov.uk.