Comedy world invited to say farewell

The funeral of former Time Out comedy editor Malcolm Hay has been set for September 22 in Norfolk.

His wife Toni Arthur-Hay has extended an invitation to any comedians, promoters or anyone else connected to the comedy industry who wishes to attend. 

Hay died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him last week, at the age of 82.

At the time, Arthur-Hay, a former PlaySchool presenter and comedy director, said: ‘'Malcolm had an unwavering love and dedication to the comedians and the comedy circuit he wrote about for so many years in Time Out. 

‘He had an innate appreciation for their craft and a genuine passion for sharing their talents with the world. His commitment to showcasing the vibrant comedy scene was unmatched, and he truly understood the power of laughter in bringing joy to everyone.’

Hay was comedy editor of the London-based listings magazine from 1986 to 2007, an era in which when the capital’s stand-up scene experienced an exponential expansion.

Comics paid tribute to his work last week with Paul Sinha saying: ‘His weekly, quietly obsessive documenting of London's comedy scene had an incalculable value, without which many people, myself included, would never have found the momentum to dive in.'

And Alistair Barrie said: 'I think it's very hard to overestimate the number of us who simply wouldn't have been able to become comics without Malcolm's help and hard work.’

 Ivor Dembina had previously said: ‘There's not one comedian, promoter, agent and comedy journalist in London who doesn't owe something to Malcolm. Without, the care and diligence and sheer enthusiasm he's injected into his weekly column in Time Out it’s inconceivable that we'd now have a capital city with the most open, varied and thriving comedy scene in the world.’

On leaving the magazine, Hay wrote an article for Chortle reflecting on his 20 years in comedy, recalling the early days of Lee Evans and Eddie Izzard, but saying  that those who thought the artform was becoming less exciting were talking ‘rubbish. Just some kind of crazy nostalgia’. 

Time Out axed its comedy section in 2015 and stopped publishing in physical form last year.

Hay’s funeral takes place at 11am on September 22 at at Breckland Crematorium, about 45 minutes outside Norwich, close to his family hime.

Published: 12 Sep 2023