No laughing matter: Edinburgh comics on Brexit

The Brexit deadline is just weeks away.

But as debates rage over hard and soft exits, shock general elections and a possible no-deal Brexit, some would say we are further than ever from a clear resolution.

As new PM Boris Johnson pushes on with plans for the UK’s exit, we ask some of Britain’s best loved comedians what they have to say about Brexit.

Frank Skinner

“I am utterly fascinated by it. I’ll miss Brexit should it ever be completed. I watch just the news for hours, it’s never been more interesting and exciting.

“I think the country being on a precipice is frightening but also quite exciting.”

Alun Cochrane

“Quite a lot of comics have completely lost their minds about Brexit and quite a lot of people have completely lost their minds. But I do think they’ve overestimated how important and how catastrophic it is in either direction.

“I think Brexit is important, but I think it’s high level admin and shouldn’t define our happiness. We should have control of our own dials for happiness. Politicians were never meant to provide day to day happiness and euphoria for the population, that’s not their gig.”

Mark Watson

“I feel that my role in life is that I’m reasonably politically and socially neutral. I’m sort of left wing the way almost all comedians are but not enough to do an angry Brexit show.

“I feel it’s my tiny role in the overall discourse to just explore ways people can stand each other better. It’s our job as humans.”

Lucy Porter

Lucy admits she created her show about Brownies so as not to have to talk about Brexit for an hour.

“Because Brexit looms so large in all our lives, you have to find ways to approach it laterally and be talking about it but not talking about it.

“In my show, there’s a lot of stuff that if you choose to you can apply it to the Brexit situation but equally hopefully it sort of stands on its own.”

Ed Byrne

“I could spend the last 20 minutes of my set talking about Brexit and ruin it. But I won’t.”

Andrew Maxwell

“I’m a news junkie, so I’m dining out like a comedy pig in the giant trough that is Brexit.

“I’m a Dubliner, but my mum’s side of the family are from Northern Ireland – Ulster the six counties, take your pick. My family are a border family so I have deep personal and financial investments in. The colossal s*** storm that Brexit.

“It doesn’t marry up to reality in any way. Everybody’s fascinated, going ‘What is going to happen?’ When does the nonsense finally have to meet reality?”

Darren Harriott

“I don’t care how you voted, honestly I don’t care. But just hearing the word Brexit all the time, even in clubs on a weekend, you get a room full of drunken people and you mention Brexit and the real emotions come out,

“It doesn’t matter how split they are, you really get a sense of people thinking ‘It’s really something I believe in. I just want this country back.”

Basil Brush

“I touch on Brexit, but not a lot. Everyone is bored to tears with that.”

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(c) Sky News 2019: No laughing matter: Edinburgh comics on Brexit