Keynote of the Conference Materiality Matters. Figurations of Comic Bodies and Things.

Stand-up comedy has often been thought of as a primarily verbal form, but in fact the body plays a central role in it. The emphasis on verbal aspects – and material over performance – means that the physical aspects of stand-up performance have been underexamined. In his keynote, Oliver Double explores the two key roles that the body plays in stand-up. Firstly, he examines how comedians use their bodies as a defining feature of their onstage identity, and a tool for establishing a relationship with the audience. Comedians play on their own inherent physical properties, allowing them to address physical difference, disability, illness and stereotyping. Secondly, the keynote identifies the different physical performance strategies that comedians use, including presenting the body as a funny object, slapstick, and act outs. It concludes by showing how Lenny Bruce’s routine about his tattoo exemplifies the political meanings of the body in stand-up comedy.