Well this is all a bit of a bollocks, isn’t it? I was just starting to feel like I was making a bit of progress in standup and then the whole thing got shut down.
I shouldn’t complain. I have a day job which, for now, seems fairly stable even under lockdown, so I don’t have to worry about paying my bills. Others aren’t so lucky, I know a few pro/semi-pro acts who rely on live comedy to keep a roof over their heads. You might know a few yourself so, if you’re in a position to help out, support them where you can, buy merch, donate to their fundraisers, whatever you can.
Also, stay in touch with people. I know a lot of standup comedians tend to have varying degrees of mental health problems and the current situation won’t be good for them at all; a call or a message can make all the difference. I’m doing fine myself, but it’s still been great to chat when a few people I know from comedy have checked in with me.
I’m not doing any virtual shows, making online content, or even just writing during all of this. I’ve got three kids at home with me and a day-job to hold down, which means I’ve got no free mental bandwidth for anything like that, getting through the day is exhausting enough. For now I’m just keeping my head down and trying to get through this as best I can.
I hope you’re all holding it together. Stay strong, we’ll all be back performing our weak material in half empty rooms before you know it!