So then: who’s funniest? In compiling this list of the 30 best English-speaking comedians at work today, I gave myself some parameters. This would be an overview of who is at the top of their game now, on stage or screen or even podcast. It is not a guide to the most influential living comedians. It is not a handing out of long-service medals. So: no Pythons, no Mighty Booshes, no French and Saunders, nor even – though he came close – any Gervaises. It’s a snapshot of now.
Am I objective, or am I just listing what has made me laugh most in the past year or so? As The Times’s comedy critic, I get to see loads of live comedy by comedians old and new, have the luxury of thinking about it and talking about it and writing about it. I am, I hope, an expert. I also know that in comedy more than any other art form, expertise means zilch if something doesn’t get you in the gut. Ever tried convincing someone that they have made a mistake in not finding something funny? It’s not a good conversation.
So, yes, this is my list of the men and women who have cheered me, thrilled me, moved me, inspired me and, yes, of course, surprised me into laughter. The list is still more male than female, still largely white, but things are changing fast.
It is a good time for comedy. And a show like Hannah Gadsby’s, though not the funniest in the world right now, may prove to be the most important in the world right now. It argues for a new language for the form, goes beyond comedy to do so, while expanding and excelling at the language we already have. Or, more succinctly: I loved it! It’s great! See it!
I marvelled at the skill, I thrilled to the boldness, most importantly I laughed till it hurt when I saw Lee’s latest show, Content Provider, at the start of its tour 18 months ago. Do his teasing stand-up routines about everything from Trump and Brexit (correct, he’s a fan of neither) to Game of Thrones and mobile phones (ditto) hold up today on the performance recorded for television in May? Amazingly, they do: pretty much every moment has some sort of delicious surprise. And if a show addressing “the individual in a digitised free-market society” sounds highfalutin, Lee unspools these two hours with a sense of fun underlying every gear he goes through: abrasive, ironic, confessional, interactive, absurd, clownish, arrogant, but above all playful.
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube