Update: Following the publication of this piece I was told about an Alcohol Concern charity gig at the Leicester Square Theatre on September 17. Dry Humour's line-up includes Stewart Lee, Miles Jupp, Joe Wilkinson, Paul Tonkinson, Paul Sinha, Vikki Stone and Jim Smallman, with compère Rob Thomas. This gig will also have a dry bar for refreshments and a raffle to win a host of signed comedy goodies. Ticket details here.
Interesting article in the Guardian recently about the rise of non-alcoholic bars and the suggestion that after generations of binge-drinking there might be a backlash brewing. Apparently alcohol consumption is dropping dramatically among twentysomethings and bars serving soft drinks are booming to cater for this new trend.
Not that I’ve seen any big change on the comedy circuit yet. While there are plenty of teetotal comedians – Frank Skinner is probably the most famous – there don’t seem to be that many teetotal fans. Whenever I review a gig and I write something like “after the interval the audience had warmed up…” what I usually mean is that after the interval the audience had stocked up on drinks and got a bit drunk.
Comedy and alcohol go together like a heckle and a put-down. The comedy circuit in the 1980s was mainly based in pubs and, if you go right back, music halls started off in ale houses too. The idea was that the landlord offered a stand-up promoter a room and in return saw his bar takings surge as people came for the gig but had to lubricate themselves at the same time. Awards – hello Foster's – are even sponsored by alcohol companies, presumably because of the natural fit.
It’s a difficult balance, of course. Audiences who have had a bit to drink are undoubtedly more relaxed and up for a laugh. But for some their concentration spans can dip dangerously low after a tipple and any routine longer than a Tim Vine one-liner may be too much to take in. And, of course, alcohol gives some the Dutch courage to heckle badly. And, even worse, not know when to shut up.
I’ve seen some great anarchic nights with pissheads in the audience, but I’ve also seen well-crafted, tightly scripted shows derailed by a few over-olied oafs – most memorably Paul Merton’s Palladium press night about 20 years ago, when the disruption got so bad Merton’s onstage colleague Lee Simpson ended up saying to them something on the lines of “You’re about as funny as cancer”.
Whether it is theatres or pub gigs, alcohol is currently ever-present. I’m sure there are teetotal venues but none spring immediately to mind. The usual image, particularly at weekends, is of sightlines being obscured by jugs of foaming lager being carried to crowded tables. I can’t imagine hen parties being quite as interested in going to comedy nights if all they were serving were cherry-flavoured soft drinks.
It will be interesting to see if this puritan anti-trad-pub trend spreads to comedy and if it does what effect it will have. Angel Comedy, for instance, runs free gigs, but presumably the pub is happy to host them because of the alcohol purchased. If lager sales dropped the pub might have less interest in putting comedy on. And as for Al Murray’s Pub Landlord, he might have to do a quick rethink of his act. I’m sure he could, but it wouldn’t be the same without him sloshing frothy booze over the front row as he entered. Though if they stop serving alcohol at the bar maybe fans will be grateful to have it poured over them as it’ll be the only way they can get drunk.
