Laughing Matters: The State of a Nation

This display reflects on the role of humour in debates around identity, empire and power over the past two hundred years

+44 (0)20 7942 2000
  • V&A South Kensington

    Cromwell Road
    London, SW7 2RL

  • British Galleries, Room 55, Clore Study Area

  • Free event

Through over 30 objects, ranging from costumes to scripts, from puppets to music, this display unpicks the punchlines to discover what humour since the Victorian era – whether subversive, surreal, mocking or celebratory – can tell us about what it means to be British today.

Look out for the Lunchtime Lecture on 1 May at 13.00, Hochhauser Auditorium. On 2 May the In Focus Tour at 13.00 starts from the Grand Entrance, Meeting Point.

Image: Brexit Dress. Pantomime dame costume designed by Lotte Collett for Sleeping Beauty at the Hackney Empire, 2016 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Header image: Brexit Dress. Pantomime dame costume designed by Lotte Collett for Sleeping Beauty at the Hackney Empire, 2016 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London