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The Cultural Frontline: Is comedy a risky business?

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Is comedy a risky business?

28/05/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline, Is comedy a risky business?

Comedians from around the world on the risks involved in telling jokes.

Sakdiyah Ma’ruf and Gastor Almonte on violence on stage, Sharul Channa on female stand-up in Singapore and Kyiv-based Anna Kochegura on conflict and comedy.

In the last few months two renowned comedians have experienced violence on stage. Chris Rock was slapped during the Oscar’s ceremony and Dave Chapelle was attacked during one of his shows by a member of the public. In this week’s The Cultural Frontline we explore the risks and challenges of performing comedy today.

Indonesian comedian Sakdiyah Ma’ruf and US comic Gastor Almonte discuss the current situation for comedians and what can and cannot be said on stage. 

Ukrainian comedian Anna Kochegura lives in Kyiv and has been performing stand-up for the past five years. Like many comedians, she bases her work on her daily life. However since the Russian invasion in February, her daily life has turned 180 degrees on its head. She tells us about the role of comedy during a time of war. 

Sharul Channa is a rare thing in Singapore – a full time female comedian. Despite opposition she’s now a popular comic, determined to bring female topics to the stage and prove that women can be laugh out loud funny.

Presenter Tina Daheley
Producers Constanza Hola and Laura Northedge

(Photo: Sakdiyah Ma’ruf. Credit: Goh Chai Hin/AFP via Getty Images)

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