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Comedy in Dark Times, with Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis

Politics &
Economics

Can comedy help us cope emotionally with world events such as war and conflict? Does satire still have the power to hold politicians to account?

Armando Iannucci is one of Britain’s best-loved comedy writers. The creator of hit shows such as The Thick Of It, Veep and Alan Partridge, Iannucci is renowned for his sharp political satire and parodies of the rich and powerful. His latest project, a West End stage production of Stanley Kubrick’s Oscar-nominated black comedy Dr. Strangelove, focuses on a rogue US general who triggers a nuclear crisis.

In March 2024 Iannucci came to the Intelligence Squared stage where, in conversation with author and journalist Helen Lewis, he discussed the role of satire and comedy in dark times. Can comedy help us cope emotionally with world events such as war and conflict? Does satire still have the power to hold politicians to account? Should we really be laughing at our increasingly unstable and risky world?

Speakers for the motion

  • Armando Iannucci

    Writer, satirist and broadcaster

Speakers are subject to change.

Speakers

Speaker

Armando Iannucci

Writer, satirist and broadcaster

Armando Iannucci is a writer, director, and broadcaster whose critically acclaimed work spans film, television, and radio. His career began at BBC Radio Scotland, where he moved from writing comedy sketches to redefining satire on Radio 4 with On The Hour and launching Alan Partridge in Knowing Me Knowing You. He then went on to create the iconic BBC series The Thick of It, which won five BAFTAs. The success of the series led to the creation of the Oscar-nominated film In the Loop. Iannucci later brought his sharp political wit to the U.S. with HBO’s Veep, which earned widespread acclaim and won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. His films The Death of Stalin and The Personal History of David Copperfield received numerous accolades, including BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations and multiple Best Screenplay awards. More recently, he explored sci-fi satire with HBO’s Avenue 5, and now co-hosts the BBC Radio 4 podcast Strong Message Here with Helen Lewis, where they unpack the absurdities of modern political language.