Alternative Comedy Now and Then Critical Perspectives

Alternative Comedy Now and Then: Critical Perspectives is the first academic collection focusing on the history and legacy of the alternative comedy movement in Britain that began in 1979 and continues to influence contemporary stand-up comedy. The collection examines the contexts, performances and reception of alternative comedy in order to provide a holistic approach to examining the socio-political impact and significance of alternative comedy from its historical roots through to present day performances. As alternative comedy celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2019, critically reflecting on its impact and significance is a timely endeavour. The book adopts a distinctive interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing theory, concepts and methodologies from comedy studies, theatre and performance, communication and media studies, sociology, political sciences and anthropology. This approach is taken in order to fully understand and examine the dynamics and nuances of the alternative comedy movement which would not be possible with a single-discipline approach. 

Chapter 1: Alternative Comedy Now and Then: An Introduction - Oliver Double and Sharon Lockyer

Chapter 2: Alternative Comedy Timeline

Part One: Alternative Comedy Venues

Chapter 3: The Meccano Club: The Business of Alternative Comedy - Oliver Double

Chapter 4: ‘A Local Show for Local People: Alternative Cabaret at the Tower Art Centre, Winchester, UK, 1981-1984 – Richard Cumin

Chapter 5: The Story of Cabaret A Go Go – Ray Campbell

Part Two: Performers’ Perspectives

Chapter 6: Trends with Benefits: Brian Mulligan

Chapter 7: Alternative Cabaret in Conversation – Oliver Double, Andy de la Tour, Jim Barclay, Pauline Melville and Tony Allen

Part Three: Interpreting Alternative Comedy

Chapter 8: Pressing for no change? Political Correctness, the defence of the ‘mainstream’ and class in UK newspaper responses to the emergence of ‘Alternative Comedy’ - Neil Washbourne

Chapter 9: The Dramatic Script of Alternative Comedy – Jonjo Brady

Part Four: Alternative Comedy Today

Chapter 10: Alternative Comedy in Finland: Juhani Nevalainen, Musician Not Comedian – Marianna Keisalo

Chapter 11: “Less Dick Jokes”: Women-only comedy line-ups, audience expectations and negotiating stereotypes – Ellie Tomsett

Chapter 12: New Alternative Comedy: Productive Crises c.2005-Present – Sophie Quirk and Ed Wilson

Oliver Double is a Reader in Drama at the University of Kent, UK, but before becoming an academic he worked as a stand-up comedian on the national comedy circuit and set up Last Laugh, Sheffield's longest running comedy club. He continues to perform occasionally in his one-man shows and as compere of the Funny Rabbit Comedy Club. He has written a number of books, chapters and articles on stand-up comedy, variety theatre and popular performance, and helped to establish the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive, based at Kent’s Templeman Library.

Sharon Lockyer is a Reader in Sociology and Communications at Brunel University London, UK. She is the founding director of the Centre for Comedy Studies Research (CCSR) – the first, and only, international research centre devoted to the academic study of comedy. Her research interests include critical comedy studies, identity politics and comic media representations and the sociology of popular culture and she is widely published in these areas in books, journal articles and blogs.