British comedy is known for puns, physical gags, and dry social comedy. Monty Python’s Flying Circus is considered the greatest sketch show of all time, and Eddie Izzard is a well-known stand-up magician. British humor is difficult to define, but it is often intelligent and language-focused.
British comedy has long been known for its puns, physical gags, and dry social comedy. From the low comedians of Shakespeare to the bubbly wit of Noel Coward, the British comedy stage has always been home to some of the world’s greatest comic entertainers. British comedians of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are no exception, and their wit and skill have an obvious influence on the modern entertainment world.
No discussion of British comedians can go long without bringing out the brilliant sketch act, Monty Python. The early 1970s television show Monty Python’s Flying Circus is considered by many to be the greatest sketch show of all time, and the Pythons’ subsequent films and tours are ranked with equal fervor. Perhaps the best known python is John Cleese, whose tall, spartan frame and heart-rending screams are cemented in the minds of many as a cultural icon. The Pythons, a motley crew that included Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam as well as Cleese, are famous for their profound silliness and extremely dirty songs. Their constant satire of polite British humour, irreverent attitude to socially significant ideas and general love of silliness often lead pundits to declare them the greatest British comedians in history.
Britain is a country that has never completely given up on radio, despite the success of television, and as such still brings a significant number of comedy acts to the airwaves. One of the longest running programmes, Sorry I don’t have a clue, is jam-packed with some of Britain’s best-loved comedians. In the program, Barry Cryer, Tim Brook-Taylor, Graeme Gardner and Humphrey Littleton stage a meaningless game full of implausible tournaments; one of the best known, Mornington Crescent, is a game about the London Underground system with no fixed rules and infinite ways to break them. While the show is little known outside of Britain, it is worth considering as an example of classic British humour.
On the international stage, the best-known British comedian is probably the stand-up magician, Eddie Izzard. Known for his onstage dressing up and rambling monologues, Izzard is considered by some to be the successor to the Pythons and has performed with them on many occasions. Also an accomplished actor, Izzard had a cameo in the 2007 film Across the Universe and also stars in the HBO television show, The Riches. Izzard tours frequently as a stand-up artist and can also occasionally be seen in major theater productions.
British humor is impossible to truly define; it can be dry and self-deprecating, or dirty and self-righteous. Puns and puns are natural extensions of a culture seemingly obsessed with its own language, and British comedians are often extremely intelligent. Chances are, if you get the opportunity to see a well-known British comedian, you may not understand all of the historical or political references, but you will enjoy it.
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