Comedy takes many forms, including stand-up, improv, sketch shows, sitcoms, comic novels, podcasts, online and social media formats and more. This broad theme investigates how diverse formats shape the creation and perception of comedy and the development of genre, as well as how comedic styles differ across media, audiences, and historical periods. The research covers both conventional and new forms of comedy, analysing their effects in a broad range of areas.
Double, O., & Lockyer, S. (eds.) (2022) Alternative Comedy Now and Then: Critical Perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hunt, L. (2013) Cult British TV Comedy: From Reeves and Mortimer to Psychoville. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978 0 7190 8377 8.
Lockyer, S. (ed.) (2010) Reading Little Britain: Comedy Matters on Contemporary Television. London: I.B. Tauris.
Lockyer, S. (2015) Performance, Expectation, Interaction and Intimacy: On the Opportunities and Limitations of Arena Stand-up Comedy for Comedians and Audiences, Journal of Popular Culture, 48(3): 586–603.
Lockyer, S. (2015) ‘It’s Really Scared of Disability’: Disabled Comedians’ Perspectives of the British Television Comedy Industry, The Journal of Popular Television, 3(2): 179–193.
Lockyer, S., & Myers, L. (2011) ‘It’s About Expecting the Unexpected’: Live Stand-up Comedy From the Audiences’ Perspective, Participations: International Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, 8(2): 165–188.
Lockyer, S., & Popa, D.E. (2016) ‘I Like the Metamorphosis of the Characters’: Dynamics of Transnational Television Comedy Engagement, International Journal of Communication, 10: 20–41.
Lockyer, S., & Savigny, H. (2020) Rape Jokes Aren’t Funny: The Mainstreaming of Rape Jokes in Contemporary Newspaper Discourse, Feminist Media Studies, 20(3): 434–449.
Pinto, B., & Riesch, H. (2025) Does Humor in Popular Science Magazine Articles Increase Information Retention and Receptiveness in Science Education? Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society.
Uk Live Comedy Sector Survey and Report
The UK Live Comedy Sector Survey is an annual national research project led by Sharon Lockyer and Simon Weaver at the Centre for Comedy Studies Research (CCSR), in partnership with the Live Comedy Association (LCA) and the British Comedy Guide (BCG).
The survey provides the most comprehensive independent data on the economic, social, and cultural conditions of the UK’s live comedy sector.
Radio Documentary
Centre member, Max Kinnings, wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 programme, Rik Mayal, Panglobal Phenomenon. The documentary delves into one of the leading comedians and actors of the alternative comedy movement. Max's involvement highlights the Centre’s ongoing engagement with practitioners who bridge creative industry experience and research-led insight into how comedy is made, structured, and received.
Media
Simon Weaver contributed expert commentary to the BBC News' 20‑year retrospective on The Office, offering analysis grounded in his research on comedy, social identity and audience reception. His input helped contextualise the show’s enduring influence on British humour, its use of awkwardness as a satirical tool, and the cultural debates it continues to spark.
Funding
- London, Centre for Comedy Studies Research (CCSR) and Magna Carta Institute Comedy and Politics: Putting the ‘Mock’ into Democracy Research Seminar Series 2015-2016, , £2418.
- Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts, 2014. The Comedy Asylum with Brightsparks Comedy Asylum, The Bradgate Mental Health Unit, Big Difference Company, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Beauty & Utility Arts), £8020.
Alternative Comedy Now & Then: Critical Perspectives, November 2022
A special event to celebrate the launch of Alternative Comedy Now & Then: Critical Perspectives, the first academic collection focusing on the history and legacy of the alternative comedy movement in Britain. This event brought together academics and performers for a lively late afternoon of fun and discussion on alternative comedy and its past, present and future. Featuring Ray Campbell, Oliver Double, Brian Mulligan, Sophie Quirk and chaired by Sharon Lockyer (Director of the Centre for Comedy Studies Research)
CCSR and MCI Putting the ‘Mock’ into Democracy | Parliament Week event
What role does comedy play in framing election processes, campaigns, parties and politicians? Can political comedy encourage democratic dis/engagement? How far does political comedy influence party campaign strategies? What is the relationship between comedy and the maintenance, disruption or deconstruction of public trust in democratic societies? These questions, and more, are explored by a panel of experts in this Comedy and Politics: Putting the ‘Mock’ into Democracy panel seminar as part of Parliament Week 2016.
Potential areas for further research include:
- digital platforms and comic style — how online spaces influence form, reach, experimentation and censorship
- the economics of comedy formats — shifting production models across TV, live performance and online media
- audience interpretation across contexts — how different communities read, value and respond to comedic forms
If you’d like to pursue research on this theme, we’re keen to explore possibilities with you. Please reach out via the Centre's email to continue the discussion.