LIFE is about celebrating those small daily triumphs.

This is, in a nutshell, Alan Davies’s philosophy in his show Little Victories.

For him, it all started with getting his fussy father to throw caution to the wind and taste blackcurrant jam.

“He has a limited palate,” he told getreading.co.uk. “He also thinks that Indian food would make him ill. It would drive us mad as children – it’s almost pathological.

“He has just decided that he doesn’t like certain things. We had plenty of jam at home – strawberry, raspberry, apricot – it was jam a-go-go. But he would refuse to eat jam made of blackcurrant, the finest of all the currants. So we set him a trap. That’s one of the routines in the show. It’s a classic Little Victory.”

What distinguishes his show from other comics is the relationship he builds up with his audience.

“From the outset, any gig is all about establishing a rapport with the audience.

“So you might start by talking to them about their town and towns nearby. Then get everyone to agree on what is the most rubbish village in the area. That’s one way of getting people to offer things up.”

Despite his previous hiatus from the comedy circuit Alan is showing no signs of wanting to take another break.

“I love stand-up. And I really like touring – I get a big kick out of it. I don’t find it arduous at all. It’s that or a 17-hour day looking after toddlers, which is much more difficult!

“Stand-up is a doddle comparatively. You go around the country making people laugh. It’s a really nice thing to do.”

Little Victories at the Wyvern Theatre on March 19 is sold out. For future tour dates go to www.facebook.com/AlanDaviesOfficial.