The Verb

Comedy writing in difficult times: Experiments in Living


Listen Later

This week Ian McMillan and guests are turning to humour to help us get through difficult times. If 'comedy equals tragedy plus time' - how much time do we need to make something funny? Or is it more dangerous to leave a topic too long, and risk your audience moving on? Because in comedy, timing is everything...

Joining Ian are Ben Schott, the author of two novels set in the Jeeves and Wooster universe on why so many people have turned to P.G Wodehouse during lockdown, comedian Grainne Maguire on the challenges of performing to masked audiences and how comedy will adapt to socially distanced audiences, Kate Fox has written us a brand new poem on why she's found it difficult to be funny recently, and Dr Matt Winning explains how he makes climate change funny - and why humour might be the key to making people care about the planet.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Producer: Cecile Wright

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The VerbBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

30 ratings


More shows like The Verb

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,721 Listeners

The New Yorker: Poetry by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Poetry

507 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

883 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,444 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,806 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

292 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,808 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,071 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

246 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,930 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

266 Listeners

The Food Chain by BBC World Service

The Food Chain

343 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

300 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

841 Listeners

Word of Mouth by BBC Radio 4

Word of Mouth

53 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

185 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,176 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,184 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

753 Listeners

Sideways by BBC Radio 4

Sideways

73 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,082 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,437 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

840 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

29 Listeners