#StandUpForSatire: Top UK comedians come together in support of Index

30 Jul 15 | Europe and Central Asia, Events, mobile, United Kingdom

Stand Up For Satire, hosted at the Union Chapel in Islington on 30 July, brought together some of the UK’s top comedians for a night of championing free expression and satire in support of Index on Censorship.

Host Al Murray was joined by a stellar line-up of stand-up comics before a sell-out crowd of 900. Shappi Khorsandi, the host of Index’s 2015 Freedom of Expression Awards, kicked off the evening and joked: “The Iranian regime advocates free speech, but only before not after the expression.” She was followed by Irish comic Grainne Maguire and then comedian, rapper and actor Doc Brown.

Just before the interval, Heydon Prowse from BBC Three’s The Revolution Will Be Televised spoke of the importance of free expression within satire, and appealed to the audience to support Index’s work. Prowse will be joined by Revolution Will Be Televised-partner Jolyon Rubinstein and the cast of Zambezi News, Zimbabwe’s leading satirical news show, in a comedy event hosted by Index on 27 August.

The second half saw performances from comedian and actress Kerry Godliman, and comic and writer Frankie Boyle, before Irish stand-up Andrew Maxwell closed the show.

Queuing up for satire Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Queuing up for satire (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

 

Al Murray the Pub Landlord Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Al Murray the Pub Landlord (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

Shappi Khorsandi (Photo:Greenbeanz for Index on Censorship)

Shappi Khorsandi (Photo: Greenbeanz for Index on Censorship)

Grainne Maguire Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Grainne Maguire (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

Doc Brown Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Doc Brown (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

audience

(Photo: Greenbeanz for Index on Censorship)

Heydon Prowse Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Heydon Prowse (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

 

Kerry Godliman Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Kerry Godliman (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

Frankie Boyle Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Frankie Boyle (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

Andrew Maxwell Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship

Andrew Maxwell (Photo: Elina Kansikas for Index on Censorship)

 

Stand Up For Satire in Support of Index on CensorshipIndex on Censorship has been publishing articles on satire by writers across the globe throughout its 43-year history. Ahead of our event, Stand Up For Satire, we published a series of archival posts from the magazine on satire and its connection with freedom of expression.

14 July: The power of satirical comedy in Zimbabwe by Samm Farai Monro | 17 July: How to Win Friends and Influence an Election by Rowan Atkinson | 21 July: Comfort Zones by Scott Capurro | 24 July: They shoot comedians by Jamie Garzon | 28 July: Comedy is everywhere by Milan Kundera | Student reading lists: Comedy and censorship

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This artilce was posted on 31 July 2015 at indexoncensorship.org