Jonathan Creek actor Alan Davies admits he was worried about losing his hair in ITV series The Brief and having to wear a wig. But the stand-up comic soon learned to enjoy himself as a court barrister. Steve Pratt reports.

MEDIAN turned actor Alan Davies was worried about his wig in his latest role in ITV1's legal drama The Brief. It wasn't that he was trying to hide his trademark curly mop under a wig. He actually had his curls cut off in a shorter hairstyle, but the series sees him playing a criminal barrister - hence the need to wear a wig in court.

"I was a bit concerned initially about the wig," admits Davies. "I wondered if people would accept me because my face is familiar from Jonathan Creek, the Abbey National commercials and the various shows I've done over the years.

"But the producer told me that John Thaw had exactly the same concerns when he started doing Kavanagh, and they told him it wouldn't be long before wigs were abolished. They told me the same thing, so I'm fully expecting wigs to stay for at least another 20 years."

The turning point proved to be a trip to crown court with legal advisor and QC David Etherington. "There were seven defendants all with different barristers who were all different shapes and sizes, creeds and ages and colours. I didn't worry about putting the wig on after that," says Davies.

"In fact, once you've got the gown and all the gear on you do look the part and it does command respect. You'd be surprised, but even the cheekiest member of the crew piped down a bit when I came on set."

He could even notice similarities between doing stand-up comedy and performing in a courtroom. "You have to think on your feet and being quick-witted helps in either job," he explains. "Barristers have to make the jury like them and part of the stand-up comedians' battle is getting the audience on side. And it isn't just about being funny, it's partly the way you are, the way you conduct yourself and the way you phrase things.

"I learnt that the first rule of advocacy is never ask a question you don't know the answer to yourself, which seems sensible."

The Brief comes from the team behind Kavanagh QC, Inspector Morse and Goodnight Mister Tom. Davies stars as Henry Farmer, a barrister with a gambling habit and a father who's a judge. The regular cast also includes Cherie Lunghi, Linda Bassett and Christopher Fulford.

While Farmer is a gambling man, Davies very definitely isn't. He says it holds no interest for him, although he can understand it's the thrill that keeps people hooked.

"The difference between me and Henry is that he doesn't really worry about money, which I can't understand because I was brought up by an accountant. My father can account for every penny so I have a very different approach," he says.

"In The Brief, Henry's father is a judge so maybe he ended up doing a law degree because that was all he really knew. His father is a bit hopeless and needs his affairs managing for him, so Henry would have had no training in how to handle money.

"He even says at one point that his father introduced him to gambling aged seven, by taking him to Cheltenham races and giving him £50 to spend. I can remember my dad taking me to the arcades where I spent 72p in two pence pieces on the torpedo machine, which really annoyed him."

One of Henry's habits did make an impression on Davies over the course of filming - cycling. The barrister pedals all over London, and the actor has bought the bicycle used during filming.

"Henry's bike is in my garage," says Davies. "I was a bike rider in my youth and I'm going to try and get out on it a bit. I also have Henry's hat, which makes me look a bit silly."

He's more at home on a motorbike than a pedal bike, although his motorbike was stolen earlier this year. "I had a Suzuki, and I'm definitely going to get another one," he says.

One thing he had to sacrifice while filming The Brief was watching two Arsenal home games. It happened because the fixtures list was changed after the schedule had been finalised.

"The producer came to me very shame-faced and said, 'It's bad news Alan, it's Blackburn Rovers and Fulham'. But they are the only home games I've missed this season," he says.

"The reason I make such a fuss about it is because I see my friends and it's a really social thing. When you're working six-day weeks, getting up at 5am and getting home late, you never see anyone. So when it comes to the weekend, if there is a game on, I go. I see my friends, go down the pub after and laugh loudly for hours on end which is what I like doing."

Arsenal could feature in one of his future projects - a book. There's interest in publishing his Times newspaper columns. "The book would be a whole season of columns from the paper, about football mostly, about Arsenal," he says.

" I'm looking forward to that. I'd like to have a display in Waterstones. Everyone else has got one."

* The Brief begins on ITV1 on Sunday at 9pm.

Published: 22/04/2004