North vs South comedy

While some acts such as Peter Kay might exploit his ‘Northernness’ for comedy, the humour conference at Salford University suggests that decades-old distinctions are gradually being lost as Britain becomes a more homogenous nation.

The university’s Chris Lee said that in the Music Halls of the Twenties, a ‘self imposed demarcation’ separated the regions of Britain.

Will Fyffe capitalised on the stereotype of a ‘canny Scot’, Max Miller, pictured, was a Cockney wideboy, while Northern comics such as Eli Woods and George Formby played up to the image of ‘a gormless halfwit’.

However, Lee did acknowledge that even then there were notable exceptions of Northern comics who achieved success without adopting this idiot persona, such as Manchester’s Frank Randle and Rochdale’s Gracie Fields.

Lee concluded that since those days ‘perhaps a kind of neutering has taken place – Morecambe and Wise were Northern but more Rotary Club than British Legion.’

‘Last of the Summer Wine - could it be set in Surrey or is its location central to its comedy?’ he asked. ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps – North or youth?’

Published: 3 Jun 2007