The Cambridge Companion to Stand-Up Comedy

Diverse academics explore stand-up accessibly from multiple angles, accompanied by sections of amusing, insightful statements by comedians.

This accessible and insightful volume features chapters from diverse contributors exploring multiple aspects of stand-up, including history, interpretation, and performance dynamics. The wide-ranging analysis is completed by a series of originally commissioned interviews with comedians on the nature of their craft.Stand-up comedy is one of the simplest theatre forms in existence. The comedian stands on a (usually) bare stage, talking straight to the audience in the hope of getting laughs. Yet it has never been more popular, with national scenes developing across every continent except Antarctica. In this insightful and accessibly written volume, diverse chapters explore the subject from many angles, ranging from national scenes, live venues, and recordings to politics, race, sexuality, and the question of offensiveness. Chapters also consider the performance dynamics of stand-up in detail, examining audience, persona, and trauma. Interspersed throughout the chapters are a series of originally commissioned interviews with comedians from nine different countries, including Maria Bamford, Jo Brand, Aditi Mittal, and Rod Quantock, providing rare insights into their craft.