Performer, writer and cabaret artist Emily Davis is heading out on a UK tour this Spring with ‘Blodwen Rocks The Boat’. The creative is known for her one-woman Blodwen shows, which have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and various theatres and festivals across the country. Emily brings a “touch of Welsh magic to everything she does” and will visit several venues from March to May. One of the tour stops is Gravesend here in Kent and as an avid supporter of the arts locally, I was keen to find out more about both Emily’s creative background and the show itself, which is coming to the county for one night only.
How did you get into performing and writing?
I’ve had a performing chip in me since I can remember – I can remember singing and reciting in Eisteddfods [Welsh arts festivals] on Sunday afternoons as a 7 year old at home in Wales. I went down the academic route at school but always had a yearning to be on the stage, and joined an operatic society to scratch that itch. I did a few shows at home in Wales after I’d finished Uni and then decided to move to London to really get into the thick of it.
I started singing and acting training, did a Singers Cabaret Workshop with Paulus and Jamie Anderson which really opened my eyes about performing and what I was capable of. Since then I’ve been a singer, compere, improviser, actor and now writer. It never occurred to me that I could write a song until I was working on an earlier show about living in Paris, and my director, Paulus, said – “This show needs a song about Cheese. If you can’t find one, then you’re going to have to write one.” So I did. I think up until that point I thought there was some magic secret to writing songs, but it turns out you just need to have something to say.
You’ve created a one-woman show, ‘Blodwen Rocks The Boat’, which combines “original songs, sharp satire and a Welsh woman’s journey from spreadsheets to self-discovery”. What inspired you to create this piece of solo theatre?
I found myself having more and more conversations with friends and colleagues where we’d laugh at the ridiculousness of some of the things we do in the office, and there was a point for me where the laughter started to get a bit darker and I started to ask myself what’s it all for. I find it fascinating how we can be wired so differently, and I’d be constantly amazed at the difference between what motivates one person over another, what we get a kick out of, what makes us happy etc. I had a pretty tough upbringing, was still in school when I left home and got myself into a decent position where I was educated, able to hold down a good job, pursue my creative dreams, earn a decent salary and pay my bills. I thought that would be it – I’m wearing a nice coat to the office, I can afford to go for a drink after work, and go to hen dos in Mallorca – it felt like such a huge achievement to be that person. But I’m not sure if any of it really makes me feel alive, not the way performing and creating does. It’s all useful and wholly necessary to be able to function in society, but how human is any of it? For me this show is about chasing my feelings and seeing where they take me, as opposed to ticking someone else’s boxes.
What can you tell me about the central character Blodwen?
She is me without the baggage or self consciousness – a Welsh woman who just wants to try everything. She’s brave, naive, open and interested in everything. I was doing a show about moving to London and I’d been performing it as Emily, but I found taking myself on stage added a whole extra layer of stress and it was very difficult to play. I feel like I have so many personalities depending on what I’m doing and who I’m with, I could never work out which bits of me to put on stage. Even though I’m telling stories inspired by my own life, it’s so much easier if I feel like an actor on stage. Blodwen made everything so much easier for me. She’s fiercely proud of her heritage, but has this insatiable appetite for exploring and discovery, loves people and just wants to share all her experiences.
How do you combine comedy, original music and storytelling in the material?
The subject matter helps a lot because it’s inherently funny. I’ve got songs that I would say technically don’t really have any jokes in them, but they’re holding up a mirror to experiences that so many of us have had you can’t help but laugh. Blodwen lands a job in an office and she’s such a fish out of water, it reminds us of all the things we’ve stopped noticing. The storytelling comes first, I’m not necessarily trying to make it funny when I write it, just saying what I see and what I feel. Blodwen’s got a unique way of looking at things and has her own language of metaphors that seem to come from nowhere but make complete sense. I feel like the music writes itself to an extent – I’ve worked with a few different composers, my accompanist Andy Campbell Smith has written a lot of the songs. We’ve worked together on a few shows and he knows Blodwen really well, so usually what happens is I start with the lyrics and a vibe in mind and he’ll go away and come back with something that elevates the words to another level. I love to sing and I love the extra layer of expression that music brings, so for me it was always going to be a musical.
You have previously taken this show to Edinburgh Fringe. How did the experience help shape the version of the show that is touring the UK this year?
It taught me what really resonates with audiences. It’s such a fantastic place to go and learn about yourself as a performer and your show and how it works. I had so many conversations with people after the show where they’d tell me their own stories, and there was always something that people relate to. It wasn’t always the same thing for every audience member, but that’s what was so helpful to learn. The Edinburgh run gave me confidence to take the show elsewhere.
Gravesend is one of the May tour stops. What are you most looking forward to, bringing the show to Kent?
I’ve never taken Blodwen to Kent before, so she and I will both get very excited about that! I love that I’m getting to go to all these different places across the country and meet new people, bringing my work to brand new audiences. When you open in a venue you’ve never been to before it’s a totally different kind of excitement, and I love feeling like I’ve made new friends by the end of the night. Everyone at The Woodville has been lovely with getting the show booked in and all the marketing, and I can’t wait to meet them all in real life!
Following the UK tour, what are you hoping comes next for the show?
I’m not done with the UK yet! I’d really like to take it further. I’d love to do a coastal tour of the whole of the UK, and I’ve never performed anywhere in Scotland other than Edinburgh. It’s a joyful, uplifting hour that will make audiences forget about the world, and we need a bit of that right now so I want to spread it around as much as I can!
Catch Blodwen Rocks The Boat on tour
It was brilliant to have the opportunity to ask Emily some questions about this musical show before it hits the road and also find out about the creative’s experiences at the Edinburgh Fringe. You can catch the performer on tour with ‘Blodwen Rocks The Boat’ from March 2026, with individual venue information available via the Welsh Girl Sings website. For tickets to the Gravesend show on Wednesday 13th May, head to The Woodville’s show listing.
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