Rea; name Danny 'Slim' Gray, he is original and versatile. He appeals to all ages, genders, race and nationalities and has the ability to capture different aspects of everyday life and twist it into his own brand of comedy. He was born in South London, England of Jamaican parentage. 1993 was the year that Slim tried his hand at comedy. Hackney Empire was where he's first opportunity came to perform for the first time, live on stage. The Hackney Empire was a full house, with an audience of 1,500 people. Since then he has appeared in every major city in England and Wales ranging from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool and Cardiff, these are just a few of many.
Ebonyonline.net caught up with him before the curtains were raised on his latest gig to get the lowdown about his liking for London town.
What is your favourite restaurant?
I like my Jamaican food and have two favourite restaurants. Horneypot in Lewisham, and West Best in Shepherds Bush. The two ends of London. On how great the food is, there’s stewed beef, rice and peas, coleslaw, nice fluffy rice and everything just fresh.. Plus the fresh salad they give you on the side, and not just any droopy lettuce – we’re talking fresh iceberg.
What would you name as a favourite club/bar of yours?
I gig at weekends, .so I don’t rave a lot. But there’s Kojo’s comedy club on a Sunday, and I will go down to that, that’s the only place you’ll really see me out and about.
Where is one of the best places to shop?
The west end, central London. There are so many shops selling the same product that you can haggle. I always get a deal down Oxford Circus. Primark always has a good deal…I can make clothes look good regardless of where they’re from…you could give me a plastic bag, and man will make it look like fashion!
What is your favourite building/landmark
St Thomas’ s Hospital. - for delivering SLIM into London town. That’s a landmark hospital as well, a name brand hospital. Not a little back street one that they knock down two years after they’ve built it. It’s standing strong even now.
What is one of the best things to do in the summertime in London?
Go to a park with family and friends. You can’t beat that. Take some wine, some ice cream, and as long as the weather is nice... And also it’s free. So, I’d say the countryside or the park. .
If money were no object, where in London would you live?
Probably on the outskirts, where it’s not so congested or noisy… although it would still have to be on the tube line. Though I wouldn’t live outside of London, and still in the UK. If I left London I’d leave the country.
What is one of the best-kept secrets of London?
Me! Although a lot of people know me, many still don’t. I am still a kind of secret but only for a limited period…
Describe your idea of the perfect romantic evening in London?
I’d rather it be in the Summer time, there’s no romance in winter…stay indoors. But anyway, a nice meal, maybe a little stroll by the river at night. I’d like to return home, have a laugh with a funny movie, crack open a bottle of wine. Later a nice romantic bath, and then off to the bedroom or anywhere I feel to go inside the house! I’m a gentleman but not a romantic. No flowers, as I have hay fever.
Which Black person would you put on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar?
I didn’t know whether to put someone serious or someone that would horrify the English population…I’d say I’d put Jocelyn Jee up there… with her mad hair out.
What two things about London do you miss when you’re away?
There’s not much to miss when you’re basking in the sun, because when Black people go out of the UK it’s never to go somewhere colder… But if anything I’d say I miss my house and the things in my house.
