That's according to a new survey of punters

Most people think it will be at least five months until they are ready to go out to live entertainment again.

A total of 51 per cent of people said they wouldn’t risk going to comedy clubs or theatres before then, with the average time before venturing into gigs being just under seven months (6.75 months).That would take us to the start of December. 

However there is some optimism with a third of people expecting to return to venues within four months. And younger people are more daring, with the average at just over five months for the under-24s, rising to eight months for the over-55s.

The figures come in a survey commissioned from market research group Censuswide by London-based Welsh comedian Vix Leyton, pictured, but conducted before Boris Johnson signalled last night that it would be at least two months until bars were likely to be open.

Any return to live performances is likely to be cautious, with a third (34 per cent) saying would like to see social distancing in venues, even though this is likely to be uneconomic for promoters, possibly impractical and adversely affect the ambience of a gig.

Writing a blog post disclosing the results of the research, Leyton was keen to focus on some of the positives of lockdown.

She said: ‘The skirmish to create [while] in captivity has sparked one potential positive when it comes to future-proofing the industry for a more modern audience.  It has undoubtedly pushed stage performers to look at what they can offer online, leading to a wealth of new, interesting, entertainment concepts appearing and the genesis of fully online comedy shows - from pro nights in established venues like The Stand, to open mics.

‘Not only does this keep comics in touch with their established fans it also opens the door to thousands of new ones - London, typically an epicentre for everything from new talents to legends, can be accessible to a global audience. And with more eyes, comes the opportunity for more income…’

However, there is work to do: Just 19 per cent of people say they are enjoying the extra streamed content they are getting from their favourite artists, rising to 24 per cent of under 25s.

And just 11 per cent of people say they are prepared to pay for streaming comedy. Although again that number rises with the younger generation, with 20 per cent of under-35s prepared to dip into their pockets.

While people might still be nervous about venturing out, there is a will to support their favourite artists:15 per cent say they will buy tickets for their favourite performer as soon as they can to support them, rising to 22 per cent of those under 35.

A keen 15 per cent want to see more streamed content from their favourite artists, again higher in under 35s where it rises to 20 per cent. Less good news, 11 per cent say they are not interested at all as they prefer the live experience. 

Explaining why she commissioned the survey, Leyton, who also works in PR, explained that she wanted to contribute something to an industry that has been good to her since she took the plunge into stand-up last year, when Mark Watson challenged her to learn the basis apart  of  is Comedy Marathon last year.

She told Chortle: ‘The industry has been so, so good to me as a new person learning the craft- coming into it quite late at 35 - and the support I've had from the pro comics has been unbelievable in terms of their generosity with time, advice and coming to headline my virtually unknown nights. 

‘Seeing it all unravel so hard and so quickly has been horrible to watch. I'm so lucky to still have an income and I wanted to do something proactive and practical towards helping give some clarity. 

‘I commission research like this all the time in the course of my work day trying to make sense of things using data, so it felt like it was worth doing here.’

 • Censuswide surveyed 2,000 nationally representative respondents on May 4.

Published: 11 May 2020