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
40th 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.