What happened to encores?

[Wet Blanket]

Been to see 5 reasonably high profile stand ups recently* and none of them did an encore, nor did the audience demand one.

Used to be a pretty standard formality that the "end" of the show was a lie and the audience were expected to clap out another 15 minutes.

So where have they gone? Is it that post Covid, audiences have forgotten to demand an encore, so we're missing out? Or did the memo get out that they're too contrived and are thus officially discontinued?

^{*Sam Campbell, Stewart Lee, Guz Khan, Jayde Adams, Jerry Sadowitz. Sadowitz actually said "I hope you've enjoyed the show so far" before he left the stage, but then the lights went up and everyone left.}

[Tiggles]

I think James Acaster is doing them on his Hecklers Welcome tour, I was dead surprised because I don't think I've seen a comedy encore in at least ten years (and can't actually remember when it might have been, tbh).

[idunnosomename]

I hear Peter Kay does a bit of an encore

[checkoutgirl]

Eddie Izzard used to do encores before and after the show. It's a bit like Spinal Tap.

We do encores.

Why don't you forget the encore and make the main show a little longer?

...we do encores.

[checkoutgirl]

I hear Peter Kay does a bit of an encore

...since his stroke. That's value for money.

[mrfridge]

Resist phoney encores.

[jamiefairlie]

Comedy encores, shit idea.

Bad enough when bands do it. Early New Order had the right idea, 40 minutes and off.

[Twilkes]

Didn't Rob Newman do a sketch about encores in real life in one of his shows? Like he would finish his dessert, stand up and say his grateful goodbyes and leave, before returning graciously for cheese and biscuits?

Cannae find it but.

[Twilkes]

Didn't Rob Newman do a sketch about encores in real life in one of his shows? Like he would finish his dessert, stand up and say his grateful goodbyes and leave, before returning graciously for cheese and biscuits?

Cannae find it but.

Ah it was on Mary Whitehouse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcpI2RdAAIw#t=4m42s

edit - and also in that episode the classic Edward Good-Movie-Guide-Knob sketch. Apart from everything feeling invariably dated, the concept of the show and a lot of the material still kind of stands up, although I do wonder how much Rob Newman's career was accelerated by his zeitgesity floppy hair.

[Tony Yeboah]

Saw Frank Skinner last night and he did it the old fashioned way. Warm up act for 20 minutes, then an interval. First time we heard or saw Skinner was when he walked on to begin his set. Did an hour and 10, stormed it, then a 20 minute planned encore.