PREVIOUS – LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL – “Am I allowed to laugh at this?” THE ART OF THINKING about Satire at LCB DEPOT, 24th Feb 1.30pm
Conversation with Andrew Doyle
£5.00 or £3.00 concessions
Andrew is a writer and comedian. He is the co-writer of internet sensation Jonathan Pie, the spoof news reporter created by Tom Walker. Andrew started writing for Pie in December 2015, and since then has collaborated with Tom on weekly online videos and a live show which toured the UK culminating in a sell-out performance at the London Palladium. Their online video responding to the US election result has had in excess of 140 million views. Their new book Jonathan Pie: Off the Record is also now available.
Tickets on door or through Leicester Comedy Festival
In association with LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL’S Beyond a Joke GRAYS coffee shop and kitchen and LCB Depot
Can satire survive in the era of fake news?
Come along for a special one-off ‘Art of Thinking’ event. Philosopher Greg Scorzo will be offering up one of his perplexing and entertaining presentations, outlining the way in which current social etiquette as well as the cultural and political climate is seemingly impacting what we can and cannot laugh at in todays “polite society.” This will be followed by a provocative conversation with the wonderful Andrew Doyle, critiquing some of the issues raised.
The audience will then have a chance to join in an uncensored conversation. No politeness allowed.
The role of the satirist has traditionally been to hold power to account, to seek to challenge authority through caustic observation and outright mockery. History is littered with examples of tyrants who have sought to suppress satirical writings and performances because, as Hannah Arendt once observed, the most effective means to undermine authority is laughter. But in this internet era, satire is increasingly misinterpreted as ‘fake news’, and the role of the satirist has been called into question.
With recent events seemingly more incredible than fiction, how can satire achieve its traditional objective of holding a mirror up to the world and seeking to improve it through ridicule? How can satire exist in a stifling climate of political correctness, in which comedians avoid asking the difficult questions for fear of public censure? Will the ‘fake news’ era irreparably damage the satirist’s ability to effect any kind of societal change?
Andrew Doyle recently appeared at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in his sixth solo stand-up show Thought Crimes. Andrew’s previous solo stand-up shows are Future Tense, Minimalism!, Zero Tolerance, Whatever it Takes, and Crash Course in Depravity. Future Tense, Minimalism! and Whatever It Takes all transferred to the Soho Theatre, London.
His plays include Borderland (national tour for 7:84, Scotland), Jimmy Murphy Makes Amends (BBC Radio 4) and The Second Mr Bailey (BBC Radio 4). His new play Reacher’s Point was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Andrew has co-written a new parody show called Graeme of Thrones, which is currently running in London’s west end.
Jonathan Pie, ‘BACK TO THE STUDIO’ is at De Montfort Hall, as part of Leicester Comedy Festival in the evening of the 24th February.
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