Comedy

The great and good of London comedy circuit on Malcolm Hay...

Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas, activist-comedian ‘When the circuit was called “alternative cabaret”, few places listed what was happening. Few papers and magazines could be arsed to get out and write about it. Malcolm was one of the few critics who loved what was happening. When it was comics against the rest of the world, Malcolm was on our side. He was on the bus.’

Arthur Smith, comedy legend ‘Malcolm was instrumental in defining an era. He never got too chummy with the comics he reviewed, which is how it should be. However, he has always been known and respected. His good humour and indefatigable logging of comics in the listings have helped sustain the comedy scene in London for 20 years. I well recall a night Malcolm and I spent getting drunk with the Latvian basketball team and ending up in prison in Riga. Oh no, that was Malcolm Hardee…’ Feature continues

The ‘hugely entertaining’ Mitch Benn, comedian ‘One of the proudest moments in a London-based comedian’s life is the day Malcolm gives you Your Adjective. Up until then, you’d either been listed as a lone adjectiveless name, not having made enough of an impression on Malcolm to merit anything more… Either that or you were one of the semi-unclassified masses simply listed as “newish” (Malcolmese for “never seen him so don’t blame me”). But stick at it long enough and eventually you would open up Time Out and there it would be: Your Adjective. And once you had Your Adjective then that would be Your Adjective for life; whether you were “witty”, “innovative”, “cutting” or just “silly” then that’s how you stayed. And some of us, the chosen few, the elite if you will, could point proudly to the fact that we had been granted not only an adjective, but an adverb as well. Here’s to you Malcolm, it won’t be the same without you…’

Scott Capurro, comedian ‘Malcolm’s adjectives have been like beacons of light, directing meandering comedy fans to and fro. In 1995, if you wanted to see a “visiting American gay”, I was your ticket. As my adjectives changed, and I became, in Malcolm’s eyes at least, less gay and more “quick” and then “highly talented”, I often thought about him while doing my set. I wanted to do good for Malcolm. I didn’t want to let down his descriptions.’

Geoff Whiting, comedian ‘Malcolm Hay was “old school” in the best possible way. He was not concerned with celebrity or fads and trends, but told it the way he saw it and was a genuine fan of the art of stand-up. I was delighted to find during one phone conversation we had that he “only looked at comedy on the internet when absolutely necessary” because he was a print journalist first and foremost, and fiercely believed in this art. Malcolm had a huge amount of power to make or break careers and yet never played on it for personal advantage and was even-handed at all times. He was a true gent.’

'Delightfully inventive and funny' Josie Long

Rainer Hersch, comedian and musician ‘Quite apart from the years of columns, the listings in Time Out are the working comedian’s Bible; no other has ever come near them for accuracy and completeness. Before I got myself better organised, I used to buy Time Out just to find out where I was supposed to be on. As the originator of this resource, Malcolm has been the secret force behind the London comedy circuit and, consequently, much of new comedy in the UK. I just hope he shows whomever comes after him how to work the epithets on his computer. I have a theory that the keyboard is arranged so that if you press “CTRL RH” for example, it automatically comes out with “the cheerfully entertaining Rainer Hersch”. A whole circuit’s worth of epithets. Now that’s a legacy.’

Neil Mullarkey, comedian ‘I was very sad to hear that Malcolm will be leaving Time Out. I always found him supportive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, with an ear to the ground, unaffected by the din from the PR machines.’

Steve Steen, comedian ‘In the 1980s, he gave me and Jim Sweeney support and encouragement through our tentative steps up the comedy-circuit ladder. He was the first person I would call to come to my shows, he was honest, fair and faithful to the performers and true to his readership.’

Richard Vranch, writer, actor and presenter ‘Malcolm is a rare journalist – he actually likes what he writes about. It’s easy to be negative, but much harder to be enthusiastic and encouraging.’

Josie Long, comedian ‘What I would say about Malcolm was that he is so inspiring because after twenty years he is still excited by and interested in seeking out new and different comedians. He's so supportive of little clubs and club nights that are experimental. It's really meant a lot to have somebody who really knows and loves comedy giving you that support.

Tony Law, comedian and actor ‘Solid and consistent.’

Marlene Zwickler, agent ‘Malcolm was always one of the very first people to take a chance on new acts and new club ventures – he didn’t discriminate with tastes, always found something positive to say and was determined to make sure everyone got a fair hearing. His legacy has been an especially important one as his era at Time Out coincided with the birth, toddler, teen and now adult ages of stand-up comedy as we now know it. He helped create the standards that we now all play by and it is to his eternal credit that he made them as level a playing field as possible for as many people as he did.’Mark Thomas, activist-comedian ‘When the circuit was called “alternative cabaret”, few places listed what was happening. Few papers and magazines could be arsed to get out and write about it. Malcolm was one of the few critics who loved what was happening. When it was comics against the rest of the world, Malcolm was on our side. He was on the bus.’

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