Alternative comedy and the politics of live performance.
[Thesis]
Craig, Catriona Marie Sinclair.
Royal Holloway, University of London
2001
Ph.D.
Royal Holloway, University of London
2001
The term Alternative Comedy refers to a circuit of comedy clubs that emerged in London in 1979 and grew in popularity throughout the Eighties. The stand-up comedy performances presented in the clubs were notable for their attempts to avoid sexist and racist humour, and their willingness to engage with social and political issues from a young, left-wing perspective. The thesis seeks to account for Alternative Comedy's success and assess the cultural and political intervention it made.