Funny London

The story of London has been told many times, in many different ways. Yet not often in terms of one of its great defining characteristics – its comic approach to life and Londoners’ unique sense of humour. Not for nothing did music-hall compères dub London the ‘Metropolis of Mirth’. This is a city that has chortled its way down the centuries, through good times and – most especially – bad times. Funny London traces the story of how the city has laughed, steered by a devoted student of the subject. Tom King has an unrivalled knowledge when it comes to the city’s legacy of humour. That legacy is enshrined in an array of London landmarks, some famous, some less so, all of which have an unexpectedly comical side to their story. And it is peopled by a huge cast of laughter-makers, from the Roman playwright Plautus to Dickens, from Charlie Chaplin to Punch magazine – not to mention the countless ordinary Londoners to whom humour was as natural as breathing. The result is an entertainment in itself, courtesy of the hilarious heritage that lies baked into London’s streets, structures and memories.