Contextual and intertextual move components constituting openings and closings in Arabic non-live stand-up comedy

Abstract This article examines the various manifestations of the opening and closing of non-live stand-up comedy in Arabic. It aims to identify the sequential functional components comedians employ to open and close this genre, as well as the linguistic strategies utilized to articulate the pragmatic functions inherent in these ritualistic elements. Furthermore, the study examines the contextual and intertextual resources that performers utilize to compensate for the absence of direct, face-to-face interaction with their audience. Drawing on a corpus comprising fifty videos performed by Jordanian comedians, we found that the lack of simultaneous dyadic interaction between the comedians and their audience epitomizes distinctive generic moves that provide the foundation for the performance. The results revealed that non-live stan-dups draw on certain functional components, some of which are phatic and context-free; others are co-textually bound, like introducing the main topic and reintegration, and others are intertextually based, like commenting on ritual occasions and corporeal needs; allusion, and private ridicule to encourage the prospective viewers’ involvement and focalize humorous messages. The findings of this study can enhance our understanding of how Arab comedians develop their non-live stand-ups and engage their audience in preparation for the main performance, as well as how they skillfully navigate the closing using specific sequential moves.