Seriously funny: the new comedy agents steering standups’ careers
An alternative style of artist management is helping talents such as James Acaster and Dane Baptiste take a long-game approach. Rule No 1? Be nice
Back in the 1990s, when club comics such as Frank Skinner, Jack Dee and Lee Evans were becoming household names thanks to the “comedy boom”, being a comedy agent was often a cutthroat business, fighting for the few opportunities on TV and radio. But with the rise of panel shows and streaming services, and the alternative scene moving more into the mainstream, a new school of agents are adopting fresh approaches to ensure their clients stand out. And forget bullishness – one of those tactics is to be nice.
“Being in competition with other agents is now a very dated concept,” says David Geli, co-director of comedy agency UTC Artist Management. “It needs to be collaborative. Everyone’s in this industry together and they’ve got to work together.” Geli, a former cameraman, set up the company with Polly McGirr, a TV producer. Bored of seeing the same old comedy faces on television, they started running an open mic gig at Greenwich’s Up the Creek club, as a means to see new acts. Neither, they tell me when we meet near their Peckham offices, had any desire to be a manager. But one act changed their minds.
All you need to do is write a brilliant show, be as funny as you can and turn up on time – we’ll do the rest
Related: Où est le punchline? The art of standup in a second language
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