Throughout history, comedians and clowns have enjoyed a certain freedom to speak frankly often denied to others in hegemonic systems. More recently, professional comedians have developed platforms of comic license from which to critique the traditional political establishment and have managed to play an important role in interrogating and mediating the processes of politics in contemporary society.This collection will examine the questions that arise when of comedy and critique intersect by bringing together both critical theorists and comedy scholars with a view to exploring the nature of comedy, its potential role in critical theory and the forms it can take as a practice of resistance.

Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone is the Associate Lecturer in English and Drama, University of Kent,University of Malta.Fred Francis is an Assistant Lecturer in English at the University of Kent.Iain MackKenzie is the Co-Director Centre for Critical Thought and Senior Lecturer in Politics at theUniversity of Kent.

Introduction: Setting the Agenda, Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone, Fred Francis, Iain MacKenzie/Part I: Comedy and/as Critique/ 1. Jolt, flash, tinge, ooze: process philosophy and the dynamics of critical comedy, James Williams / 2. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand, Nicholas Holm / 3.Comedy and Resistance, Robert Porter / 4.Redemption Through Laughter? The Critical Potential of the Joke in Ernst BlochsTraces,Piotr Sawczyski /5. A liturgical comedy of resistance and a comic liturgy of transformation, Francis Stewart /Part II: Laughter as Resistance /6. Humitas: A new word for How to Do Things With Humour, Kate Fox / 7. Conformist Comedians: Dutch Political Humour, Ivo Nieuwenhuis / 8. Cartoon Comedy as Criticism of Society, Pip Gregory / 9. Comedic Agency and Contemporary Art Practice, Levi Hanes / 10. Becketts Invented Ambiguity: Indifference and Laughter, Selvin Yaltir / 11.Comedy and Humour within the Punk Subculture,Russ Bestley /12. Tiririca, the clown: a true story,Constantino Pereira Martins