Jason Manford has been writing on Facebook about how two high profile critics – Veronica Lee and Julian Hall* – have quoted his jokes in their reviews of his recent Hammersmith Apollo show. I was going to answer him on Facebook but this is such a complicated issue I thought it deserved a little more space, so here goes. 

Firstly – and I'm not just sticking up for my already endangered profession, honest, I can see where VL and JH are coming from. And, in a way, Jason is a victim of his own success. He has such a distinctive voice – using the word 'voice' in all its positive meanings – and his jokes are so accessible (again, meant as a compliment) that they work extremely well in print when trying to convey the vibe and tone of his show.

Now of course, as some Facebook responses have said, quoting can be construed as lazy, but why shouldn't critics quote the occasional line as long as it isn't the one that gets the biggest laugh or the zinger that closes the show? I think it might be far worse to spell out any callbacks or surprises without directly quoting. And, again, I know some might say I'm on a sticky wicket here, there is actually a skill to choosing the right gag to quote – it isn't just about random cutting and pasting because one is paid by the word (I wish).

Theatre critics are allowed to quote a few lines of text without the copyright police getting their metaphorical truncheons out. Just because a laugh comes at the end of it why shouldn't a comedy critic be allowed to quote some of the comedians' text – particular if, as I believe it is – stand-up is an art form on a par with theatre.

I'm aware of the other arguments against this practice – that it spoils the fun for the next audience, for instance. But there is a big difference between reading the lines on the page and then actually hearing them onstage. And just because you know the punchline doesn't stop it from being funny. If it does why do audiences demand that Micky Flanagan does his Out Out routine that they've heard a thousand times already?

Taking the side of my esteemed colleagues a little more I do think comedy critics are in a particularly difficult position. Nobody would expect a review of a poetry book to rhyme, but readers do expect a review of a comedy gig to raise a smile, i.e. do exactly what is being critiqued itself. And as the material that can do this is staring one in the face who can blame anyone for making use of it?

I try very hard not to quote actual jokes, but occasionally I do succumb. It is not laziness, a line will sometimes encapsulate a performance more succinctly than any words I can muster. Of course, I can see that this could be the thin end of the wedge. In a few years when newspapers have migrated online if there are still comedy critics around maybe their job will simply be to put up a link to a suitable YouTube clip to do their job for them.

I don't think quoting one line out of a two-hour show totally scuppers the fun so I don't have a hard and fast rule (Chortle has the following in their style guide: "Avoid quoting gags. You may need to do so occasionally to make a point or or to criticise a particular line, but generally you shouldn’t do this at all. Mentioning verbatim things the comic may say that explains the show or the point of view or their personality is fine. But not, as a rule, the punch lines"). I judge each gig on a case-by-case basis. Giving away the plot in a play or film can do a lot more damage for the potential ticket-buyer. I've never heard a punter complain about reading gags in a review, only comedians.

Anyway, there is another option, which came up in a discussion with Jason a few weeks ago on Facebook. Maybe he should do what a lot of comedians at least claim they do, and stop reading his reviews.**

*Postscript 1. I just noticed that Jason has retweeted Julian Hall's review, so I presume he isn't that unhappy about spreading his gags around! (assuming that @jasonmanford is the real Jason Manford)

**Postscript 2. I know critics are more widely read, but the thing that makes me mad is punters spoiling gags/gigs. There is a famous comedian currently touring – I won't reveal who because that in itself would be a spoiler – who ends his gig with a big visual gag. Despite asking his "fans" to desist, Twitter was awash with pictures of the showstopping finale by the time I got home.