SAVE LIVE COMEDY
In dingy rooms on top of pubs,
on rainy nights in basement clubs,
in tented fields and rural hubs —
a laugh can soothe the soul.
At midnight, drunk and packed in rows,
at open mics and five-star shows,
with amateurs or seasoned pros —
a chuckle makes us whole.
When hopeful blokes get gonged off stage,
when ranting poets spit with rage,
when jesters test our pressure gauge
and leave us wanting more,
it sprinkles life with seasoning
and gets our lungs to leap and sing;
such times as these can be the thing
to touch us at our core.
The slickest acts who wield their wit,
the group with their pretentious skit,
the callow youth who’s rather… untalented,
the old-school and the woke;
we face a new reality
of worry and uncertainty
so help us save live comedy.
For once, it’s not a joke.
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Live comedy has seen me through some dark times. I first discovered it aged eighteen, on my unplanned gap year, at the Comedy Store in London. I first gave it a go myself a few years later, and whilst my tenure as a performer has been somewhat sporadic, it is still true to say that, of all art forms, I probably enjoy the experience of live comedy the most. It is now under threat as a result of the lockdown, and it is vital that we do all we can to preserve this special art form. Please visit www.savelivecomedy.co.uk to find out how you could help!
