‘Anyone but England!’ Perceptions of difference; or ‘them’ and ‘us’ in Scottish comedy

Abstract

During the stand-up show, Kevin Bridges Live at the Commonwealth (BBC, 2014), filmed live at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, the (English) comedian Simon Evans opened his act with ‘I am here representing the Commonwealth nation of England’. After pausing to absorb the wholly anticipated muted and playful booing that followed this gambit, he continued, ‘which you may well know from the well-known phrase or saying “anyone but England.” A popular rallying cry, I believe’. Though Scottish comedy can be seen to contain some anglophobia, its expression is, in reality, complex and nuanced. This article aims to explore Scottish comic sensibilities to examine what the national humour might tell us about difference and self-reflexive notions of identity in comedic play. Scottishness, as expressed through comedy, will be reviewed through consideration of attitudes to such national self-defining issues as diaspora, sectarianism and the need to ‘squelch’ pretension in others. This article aims to evaluate what Scottish comedy can tell us about perceptions of difference in humorous themes that indicate a wholly separate national identity – a study that is perhaps especially pertinent in 2014, which has seen much debate about Scotland voting for independence and potential separation from the rest of the UK.