THE SKINNY
We speak to comedians Ruth Hunter, Kimi Loughton and Ashley Manning about sexual misconduct on the Scottish comedy scene, and the need for progress. TW sexual violence and misconduct Interview: Polly Glynn
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“We're not out to ruin men in comedy, we're just asking for a bit more respect and safety”
September 2020 — Feature
n audience member approached me after the gig in the bar area to say that he really enjoyed my ‘bold material’, then grabbed me by my neck and waist and whispered a filthy joke about a man raping his daughters.” That’s just one of Ashley Manning’s experiences of the Scottish comedy scene. Sadly, sexual misconduct is endemic within the Scottish comedy industry. It’s a shocking statement, but merely making people aware this is happening is not enough. Since the start of the #MeToo movement, “acknowledging the assault and harassment has done nothing whatsoever,” says Ruth Hunter, an Irish comic now living and performing in Glasgow. “People have agreed that it’s terrible but unless people actually change the environment from which it was bred, it will just continue.” Although this misconduct has been rife on the scene for years, it has attracted more attention over lockdown due to resurfaced allegations about male comedians internationally and closer to home. “It’s still just such a boy’s club,” Kimi Loughton explains. She’s currently on hiatus from comedy due to the Scottish scene’s toxic environment and the mistreatment of women within it. All three comics are unsurprised that many female acts have quit comedy as a result of the sexual misconduct they’ve endured. It’s particularly difficult to keep track of numbers at the bottom of the circuit. Fewer women get far in comedy “because when they start it’s just so intimidating.” There’s a glaring lack of HR in the comedy industry, something organisations like the newlyformed Live Comedy Association want to help with.
Manning suggests comedy isn’t viewed as a ‘proper’ workplace because so many see it as a hobby. “It’s one of the rare jobs where you can drink or do drugs at your place of work, and so the boundaries of professional conduct are skewed to begin with.” Loughton agrees: “If people are going to make careers out of comedy they’re going to have to treat it like a career and a job with morals and standards and rules.” Although there has been some reporting on the impact of sexual misconduct on the Scottish comedy scene, little has been mentioned about how the scene can progress. Three of Scotland’s largest comedy clubs have drawn up a collective code of conduct for their venues, but there’s some scepticism over whether acts were consulted and why the code remains unpublished on the websites of The Stand, Monkey Barrel and Glasgow’s Rotunda. Hunter suggests that “if you’re not proud of it then it’s just a band-aid. It’s not a solution.” We asked Hunter, Loughton and Manning how they would tackle sexual misconduct on the circuit. Bookers or promoters have a lot of responsibility to improve the scene, the comics reckon. For Manning and Loughton, it’s about Ashley Manning looking beyond profit and focusing on gig quality. “A lot of bookers don’t watch the performances they’ve organised, and sometimes don’t even have that much of an interest in comedy,” states Manning. “There needs to be more care and pride in the job,” Loughton agrees. “If you’re just putting on the same acts every weekend, why are people gonna keep coming to your club to just see the same people talk the same shite?” She feels bookers and acts quickly form cliques, barring new comics from progressing their careers. Hunter has been campaigning for bookers to take a training course on sexual harassment, assault and consent. She fundraised over £500 in 48 hours so 15 bookers can complete training offered by the Good Night Out Campaign, a charity which gives advice and development opportunities to organisations wanting to
Comedy
Building a Better Scene