gfs-167The Inside Story of UK Stand-up in the 21st Century

This social history of modern stand-up features exclusive interviews with some of the best comedians in the UK, including Jen Brister, Ed Byrne, Ivo Graham, Sofie Hagen, Wil Hodgson, Richard Herring, Elis James, Phill Jupitus, John Kearns, Nish Kumar, Zoe Lyons, Stevie Martin, Geoff Norcott, John Robins, Suzi Ruffell and Isy Suttie.

In twenty-five years, stand-up has moved from provincial clubs, and panel shows to streaming platforms, social media and sold-out arena tours. Reading the Room is the story of UK stand-up comedy in the 21st century, told by the people who’ve lived it. Drawing on conversations with more than fifty comedians, promoters and assorted industry insiders, it offers an honest and intimate look at this most adaptable of art forms.

Comics speak candidly about mental health, audiences, identity and what stand-up represents in an age of culture wars and viral clips. Their insights capture the highs and lows of a lifestyle that can be as much a compulsion as a career. As befits its subject, the story is told with humour but never shies away from long-standing pressures, pitfalls and prejudices. It ultimately shows how stand-up keeps reinventing itself — and why it still matters in modern Britain.