Comedy highlights at the Hay Festival 2019

Written by: Matt Hilborn
Published: Friday 31st May 2019

BCG's Matt Hilborn popped over to Wales to catch the comedy highlights at the Hay Festival...

This year, several comics took aim at the self-consciously middle-class audience so typical of Hay, but poked fun with so much charm, affection, and genuine wit that the laughter was always warm and broad.

I enjoyed BBC Radio Wales' The Leak, which takes a derisive approach to the weekly news, and was broadcast live from Hay. Brilliantly hosted by Tom Price, it featured comedians Tony Law, Helen Monks, and Clint Edwards who zeroed in on the most absurd stories in the British media. Of particular note was Monks' comparison of politicians to various plants and trees - the image of Theresa May as a Japanese knot-weed refusing to let go (well, until recently!) will live long in the memory. Audience suggestions were taken for Boris Johnson, too. Venus fly-trap, perhaps? Poison ivy? A pesky nettle? I'll leave you to decide!

Special mention has to go to Marcus Brigstocke's Devil May Care. He shook up the agreeable, comfortable atmosphere at Hay by bringing Lucifer himself (!) to this quiet market town. Brigstocke should be praised for trying something truly new in British stand-up comedy, fully aware that his audience simply might not 'get' it. Several laughs were drawn out of the sheer weirdness of the endeavour!

Many hours of practice have honed the perfect devilish grin, horns, face-paint, and wickedly tormenting voice to boot, and the incongruity of chortling full-throatedly at the Devil himself is just a delightful experience. He set light to a literal book only to burn himself by accident, and the audience only guffawed even more as he described the red paint maddeningly dripping into his eye! Any hecklers or over-zealous audience members were also put in their place by the unbeatable line "Don't mess with Satan, you tool!"

What's more, audience interaction was part and parcel of the hugely entertaining show, so if you want to know whether anyone famous (Michael Jackson, Ted Heath, Jimmy Savile?) made it to heaven or hell, Brigstocke's got the answer. He even managed to incorporate some unbelievably topical gags, mostly concerning Theresa May's announcement that day that she would be stepping down as PM. Even the literal devil, whose sole task is eternally to burn the flesh of naughty human beings, looked at May's stance on Windrush and Grenfell and went "Bit cold." Ouch!

Jo Brand only just made it to the Hay this year after the car journey from (Brigstocke's!?) hell, and arrived on-stage a little flustered and still clutching a cappuccino. However, if anything, this relatable, easy-going approach just made her even more loved - if that were even possible.

By now a bona fide national treasure, Brand merged her laid-back, unhurried comedy with real social purpose and commitment, laughing at herself and her weight and delighting the enraptured audience with studied advice on how to deal with life in a patriarchal society. Of particular note were her ready-made ripostes to flashers and wankers on trains - you'll have to see her live or read Born Lippy to find out more!

Mae Martin discussed her new book, Can Everyone Please Calm Down? A Guide to 21st Century Sexuality, with a palpable charisma and authenticity that made her an instant hit with the Hay crowd. Whilst it's fair to say this wasn't her typical millennial audience, she won over the newcomers with a range of whimsical anecdotes and gentle, unassuming gags, including a great one about a misquoted answer she gave to the annoying interview question 'Why are you gay?'.

For anyone confused about modern terminology and endless acronyms surrounding sexuality in this day and age, Martin's helpful guide demystifies the joys and jitters of sex in a unique and fun-filled way, quietly building confidence out of potentially embarrassing subject matter.

Sara Pascoe's LadsLadsLads differed slightly from the sell-out tour that has been such a hit with audiences across the UK. Having already been broadcast over Easter on the BBC, Pascoe decided to include new material, including the most wonderful X-rated explanation of her uniquely sexual ability to turn all of her ex-boyfriends vegan. Yep - she goes there alright, with, and I quote, "the best imitation of a penis you'll find at the Hay". She's not wrong.

Even when she froze mid-joke, forgetting the punchline to a set-up on periods, she never lost her composure, offering the audience a choice:
1) Quick break as she ran backstage to rejig her memory
2) A touch of improv
3) Onstage gymnastics - because why not?

The laughter flowed thick and fast at all times. Even as she cartwheeled off-stage, shouting intense apologies and galloping off to fetch her notes, initial disbelief gave way to floods of deep, reassuring glee. Showcasing her formidable comic talent, the tour de force was an unforgettable discussion of the social awkwardness of whether men should always get the bill on a first date.

Lastly, Bill Bailey's irreverent, eclectic style was a massive hit, blending bemused observations on modern life with his signature musical creativity. He made the Star Spangled Banner sound suspiciously Soviet, re-hashed Old Macdonald with Theresa May's most famous quotes, and - my personal favourite - likened Britain's botched exit from the European Union to a slow drift on a 'semi-inflated lilo of self-determination'. Bailey's keen eye for detail illustrates how the seriousness and disappointment of life lie right alongside its patent whimsy.

In summary, watching comedy at The Hay Festival is a great way to complement the rich cerebral fare for which the event is most famous - a touch of humour makes even complex ideas move more freely and more easily in your mind.