London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The live comedy business in the UK contributes more than £1bn to the economy every year, according to an analysis by Brunel University London.
What is the economic impact of UK live comedy?
In the first task of its kind, researchers estimated the industry’s annual value at £1bn, based on an assessed 3,000 workers in the sector, interviewing more than 350 comedians, promoters, producers, venue managers and agents.
“Other sectors such as music and theatre have data in terms of their size, scale and contribution, but live comedy did not have the equivalent,” stated Dr Sharon Lockyer, head of the university’s Centre for Comedy Studies Research (CCSR).
“Sometimes I think funny business isn’t considered business,” stated Jessica Toomey, co-chair of industry body the Live Comedy Association (LCA), who operates Manchester’s Frog and Bucket comedy club and the Women in Comedy festival. “By calculating it, we can see it’s a credible industry that we should be proud of and we should protect. We want to get the same recognition and approval as other arts do.”
How significant is the live comedy industry in the UK?
The research, instructed by the CCSR, LCA and the British Comedy Guide, registered where comedy workers live, how much cash they make, and how long they’ve been in the industry, plus data on where performances are staged, and ticket prices and sales. It discovered that most standups (71%), now make comedy online to supplement their live career, while, true to stereotype, nearly half stated they also have a podcast.
Many said stagnating pay: 34% said pay had stayed the same in the past year, while 27% stated comedy income had fallen. Toomey stated: “Lots of people were talking regarding the stagnation of wages … if comedy is a £1bn-plus industry, where’s the trickle-down effect?”
Nearly a third of comedians stated at least 90% of their income comes from comedy, while 26% stated they make either no capital or only up to 10% of their revenue from the industry. “It’s taking longer and extended to leap comedy as full-time paid work,” stated Toomey. “It also shows how many people are entering comedy.” Lockyer said: “It tells us that it can still be a precarious profession for comedians. It’s still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.”
What challenges face the £1bn UK comedy sector?
The results also reveal a geographic divide, with 48% of comedians based in London and the south-east, but also a substantial scene in the north-west of England, where 16% of comedians are now based.
The study discovered the average comedy ticket cost is 23% cheaper than theatre, with about half of the comedy tickets commanding between £13 and £18, while The Stage UK ticketing survey 2023 revealed the average cheapest ticket in regional theatres was £21.27. Approximately 80% of promoters work on exhibitions with audiences of fewer than 250 people, and 13% of those who book acts for comedy nights mostly work with new and emerging talent, compared with 16% concentrated on established performers.
The LCA plans to use the research to lobby the new government. Toomey stressed that while the survey reveals healthy audiences, with 45% of respondents regularly selling 71-90% of tickets, climbing venue and other costs mean many comedians only obtain a sliver of the takings.