Special editorial

Abstract

This short piece will offer a reflection on the ways in which the UK live comedy scene has coped during the 2020/21 Covid-19 pandemic. The focus will be on the way stand-up comedy has attempted to sustain itself online during this period, and some of the spatial and temporal challenges this has presented to performers and audiences. So, to paraphrase The Mighty Boosh 'come with me now on a journey through time and space'.The UK is (as I write this) in Lockdown 3, having over the last year undertaken numerous different approaches to 'getting the virus under control'. The strategies deployed by the UK government have often been the target of online satire during this period -notable musical comedy examples here include Flo and Joan's electro inspired 'Lockdown Dance' 1 in response to the Prime Minister's confused and conflicting 'stay at home' advice from May 2020, and Munya Chawawa's Montell Jordan cover 'This is How We Knew It' 2 about the (non)surprise announcement of UK Lockdown 2 in late October 2020. The UK's methods of dealing with this pandemic have not remained consistent, have often appeared contradictory and/or confusing and have had a huge impact on the live comedy sector across the nations and regions. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England have all adhered to slightly different approaches and timelines set by their respective devolved governments. While I will be reflecting on the UK in general, this is written from my own perspective as a resident of Manchester and as such considers some of the regionally specific challenges faced in North West England during the pandemic.