'He had an unwavering love and dedication to the comedians and the comedy circuit'

Former Time Out comedy editor Malcolm Hay has died at the age of 82.

His stepson Tim Arthur told Chortle he died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him.

Hay’s wife Toni Arthur-Hay –  the former PlaySchool presenter and comedy director – added: ‘'Malcolm had an unwavering love and dedication to the comedians and the comedy circuit he wrote about for so many years in Time Out. 

‘He had an innate appreciation for their craft and a genuine passion for sharing their talents with the world. His commitment to showcasing the vibrant comedy scene was unmatched, and he truly understood the power of laughter in bringing joy to everyone.’

Hay was comedy editor of the London-based listings magazine from 1986 to 2007, an era in which when the capital’s stand-up scene experienced an exponential expansion.

Comics today paid tribute to his work.

Paul Sinha said: 'Sad to hear of the passing of former Time Out comedy editor Malcolm Hay. His weekly, quietly obsessive documenting of London's comedy scene had an incalculable value, without which many people, myself included, would never have found the momentum to dive in.'

Wil Hodgson added:  'He was a huge supporter of stand up comedy, massively important to the London circuit and a properly nice bloke.'

And Ayesha Hazarika said: 'Very sad to hear of passing of legendary comedy editor for Time Out Malcolm Hay. He was kind, warm & supportive esp to terrified new stand ups. In Edinburgh I once played to an audience of just two people, one of whom was him. #awks But he was so bloody nice about it. Lovely chap.'

Alistair Barrie said: 'I think it's very hard to overestimate the number of us who simply wouldn't have been able to become comics without Malcolm's help and hard work.'

Steve Gribbin wrote: 'Malcolm was a staunch and enthusiastic supporter of the early Alternative Cabaret circuit of 1982-84. His adjectives were the stuff of legend! He was always a great supporter of Skint Video, and when I went solo in 1994, he could not have been more helpful and kind.'

Before joining Time Out, Hay had been writing on theatre for newspapers, and had been a lecturer in theatre and film studies, and wrote the definitive guide to the work of playwright Edward Bond.

At the magazine, he became known for fixing an adjective to a comedian’s name that almost never changed whenever it appeared in the listings.

The story goes that a comic, (Mark Maier, I think) once bumped into Malcolm in the Pleasance Courtyard.
Malcolm: Hello, Mark, how are you?
Mark: Charming and lively.

I might well have the wrong comic. And the wrong adjectives.

— Dave Gorman (@DaveGorman) August 23, 2018

When he stood down from Time Out, stand-up Ivor Dembina said: ‘There's not one comedian, promoter, agent and comedy journalist in London who doesn't owe something to Malcolm. Without, the care and diligence and sheer enthusiasm he's injected into his weekly column in Time Out it’s inconceivable that we'd now have a capital city with the most open, varied and thriving comedy scene in the world.’

On leaving the magazine, Hay wrote an article for Chortle reflecting on his 20 years in comedy, recalling the early days of Lee Evans and Eddie Izzard, but saying  that those who thought the artform was becoming less exciting were talking ‘rubbish. Just some kind of crazy nostalgia’. 

Hay was succeeded at Time Out by his son-in-law, who rose to become chief executive. He now holds that role at the Royal Academy Of Dance.

Time Out axed its comedy section in 2015 and stopped publishing in physical form last year.

Published: 7 Sep 2023