Marcus Brigstocke has spoken about the divisiveness of Brexit, saying audiences outside London are walking out after taking offence at jokes about Britain's decision to exit the EU.
Brigstocke explained that 20 minutes of his set revolves around Brexit, and "every night" it results in people leaving in anger.
He said (via the Daily Telegraph): "People have been angry; people have walked out of shows and people have booed.
"A lot of the people that I think of as my audience will not be back – they won't come again – they're that angry."
Expanding on the dilemma on Facebook, Brigstocke added: "For the first time ever on tour I have people walking out every night ‑ not hordes, but some. That's unsettling.
"I have never before dealt with a subject as divisive and upsetting (including passionate criticisms of religion etc). It's a challenge I would usually enjoy but (perhaps because I'm not doing it well enough) it is proving to be a nightmare.
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"It seems that for the most part Brexit is not just the hideous social and political turn we have taken as a country but is also comedic poison."
Stewart Lee has also addressed the Brexit-related difficulties for comedians, joking in The Guardian: "I realised that, as 52% of the country have voted broadly against the sort of liberal position I predictably espouse, this time around I would have to write jokes that were funny in of themselves, rather than being just mildly amusing statements carried because the sycophantic audience unquestioningly agreed with them.
"This was a whole new area for me, and I relished the challenge."
He added that he'd had some success, continuing: "I am writing this now, at 2am, having come offstage earlier tonight in Poole, the most Brexit-y town I have played so far. People laughed along. They bought books afterwards. Some audience members told me the friends they had brought with them had left annoyed, like it was a badge of honour."
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