Traditionally, stand-up comedy has been seen as a low-tech format, relying on equipment no more sophisticated than a microphone and a spotlight. In this talk, University of Kent lecturer and ex stand-up comedian, Oliver Double, examines the history of technology in stand-up, from the pre-microphone days of variety theatre to the increasing use of multimedia in today’s comedy scene.

1. Microphone, Spotlight
& Twitter
Oliver Double, University of Kent

2. The Stand-Up
Comedy
of the Future

3. Stand-Up & Technology: History
‘Stand-up comedy is a fundamentally old-fashioned,
labor-intensive, low-tech performance mode...The
microphone and spotlight are the only necessary
technologies; the human presence remains paramount.’
- Philip Auslander, 1992

5. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
The human presence remains paramount?

6. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
Tiernan Douieb’s Twitter Comedy Club

7. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
Dane Cook on Facebook

8. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
Jimmy Carr in Second Life

9. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor (Tomorrowland, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida)

10. Stand-Up & Technology: Now
‘Little Howard started off as...a satire of “Is it possible to mechanise
improvisation?”...Everything Little Howard said originally...was prerecorded. And there would be an “any questions” section. So
people could ask any question at all, and Little Howard would
answer it, and it was all pre-recorded. And for me it was an
intellectual exercise and a sort of a slightly highbrow, snooty poke
at people who pretended to improvise...No-one just improvises an
entire set. People think we do and that’s why people think we’re
brilliant, [whispers] but we’re not.’
- Howard Read
Howard Read & Little Howard

11. Thank you and
Goodnight
www.oliverdouble.com