A Rich Comic Life is proud and delighted to have donated the podcast interviews to the unique British Stand- Up Comedy Archive (BSUCA), so that future generations can view the videos.

Based at the University of Kent Templeman Library, The BSUCA protects, praises, and gives access to the archives and records of British comedians and stand-up comedy. 

Dr Oliver Double, Head of School of Arts, Head of Comedy and Popular Performance, and Reader in Drama and Theatre at the University, helped to establish the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive.  Looked after by Karen Brayshaw, head of Special Collections & Archives and her wonderful staff, the BSUCA is a treasure trove of materials donated from well-known comedians such as Harry Hill, Alexei Sayle, Mark Thomas and many more.

Dr Double is also the creator and brilliantly funny compere of the Funny Rabbit Comedy Club (www.facebook.com/FunnyRabbitCC/), based at the Gulbenkian Theatre on the beautiful University site.

 Member of staff, Christine has written a fantastic poem which sums up the wonderful collection:

The British Stand -Up Comedy Archive –

Laugh til you’re dead so you know you’re alive –

Scripts and set lists, gigs done for charity,

Poems and photos, acts of anarchy.

The greats like Linda Smith and Rik Mayall,

Circuit giants, comperes, Alexei Sayle.

My personal favourite, Josie Long;

Some of it’s beautiful, other’s plain wrong!

The dragonesque foot made from a slipper,

Uncatalogued, fishy as a kipper,

The audience participation, heaps

Of artwork, fan letters, stuff that we’ll keep

For generations hence to marvel at –

And this sonnet’s all from me folks, that’s that!

(Christine Davies, 29^th September 2023)

The Rich Comic Life Collection at the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive will be available to access here: www.kent.ac.uk/library-it/special-collections/british-stand-up-comedy-archive