Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

How we killed comedy theatre: Nigel Planer interviewed

‘We used to have a theatre of comedy in London but it got hijacked': the playwright and Young Ones star discusses the death of farce – and how he's trying to revive it

Nigel Planer: ‘We did some damage with alternative comedy in the 1980s, and our sarcasm, which meant that the older generation of farces were no longer applicable’. Credit: Harvey Planer
  • Comments

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe and get your first month of access for free. After that it’s just £10.99 a month.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Steerpike

Watch: Labour MPs mock NatCon shutdown

Steerpike
It’s a sad day for lovers of personal freedom. Not only is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pressing on with his smoking ban — the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is taking place today — but now the Belgian authorities are attempting to shut down the National Conservatism conference in Brussels. Nigel Farage

Because you read about comedy

Also by Lloyd Evans

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in