COVID-19, Precarity and Comedy

This chapter discusses the impact of the COVID-19COVID-19 pandemicpandemic on stand-up comedy. I argue that the pandemic made visible inequalities that already existed within the industry. The chapter outlines some of the key funding mechanisms that were used during the pandemic, but also the way that these mechanisms reinforced cultural hierarchies that mean that comedy is viewed unfavourably in comparison to other cultural industries. The second half of the chapter explores initiatives such as the Live Comedy AssociationLive Comedy Association, Get Off and Equity’s Comedians’ Charter. I argue that such initiatives are useful but difficult to sustain within significant investment and structural support.