Why are Manchester comedy crowds so tough
Manchester Comedy Has a Different Definition of Silence
A Guardian piece about Manchester comedy has reminded me that local audiences do not necessarily heckle. Sometimes they just look at you with the calm concentration of someone deciding whether a sausage is worth the money.
The difficult room is useful, apparently. It removes the soft padding from a joke. You find out very quickly whether the premise is funny or whether you have simply said a sentence near some people.
I like the idea that a city shapes its comedy. Manchester gives you rain, rent, confidence, and strangers who will let you finish before deciding you have wasted their evening. Generous, in its way.
The feature is a good look at the amateur nights and alternative performers making the room difficult on purpose.