Laser-guided comic, writer and corporate host, the "modnifique" Ian Moore is every inch the Comedy Store headliner, but in the early part of his career his battle with stage fright left him a more deadpan act than he intended. We talk about the phenomenon of white blokes in suits raging against the world; the reality of his apparent dream life commuting from rural France to the UK for gigs; and the excoriating ten-page editor's note on his first foray into detective fiction, and his brilliant response to it…

25 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club includes Ian on what it means to him to be a Mod, his entry-point into being published as a writer, and the forces behind his doomed attempt to set up a creative retreat for artists. Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, Alfie Brown and your invite to the forthcoming one with Fern Brady (24th May)

Catch up with Ian:

ianmoore.info 

*Death and Croissants out July 2021*  Pre-Order HERE

*New Podcast - Mustn't Grumble* HERE

Everything Stu's up to:

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”

- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 

- Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, Blogging, comcompod, Comedy Store, Coping, Corporate Gigs, COVID-19, Edinburgh, Interview, Stage Persona, Success, TV, Writing Jokes

Is Stuart Laws an absurdist rambler who froths up a load of increasingly hilarious nonsense whilst honking in a gilet? Or is he an astute and quite private man who started a production company when he was 18, and went on to produce his own sitcom Grave new World (Amazon Prime) as well as directing James Acaster’s “Repertoire” (Netflix) and countless other standup specials? It’d be great if the answer was “neither” wouldn’t it? But it’s clearly both.

We talk about “The Prestige” as it pertains to stand-up shows; what it means to be both producer and director of one’s own work; and what makes other comics attractive assets to his company Turtle Canyon. We also cover openness, privacy and what shocks him about other comedians…

25 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club includes Stuart on the different ways he directs comics, with reference to James Acaster and Joel Dommett; how to direct without imposing; his social media and TikTok sketch strategies, and some insights on the only show ever made about Wario. Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, Alfie Brown and your invite to the forthcoming one with Fern Brady!

Stuart Laws is up to the following things:
Stuart’s series Grave New World is on Prime Video and Vimeo on Demand, links at www.stuartlaws.com.
He has two stand up specials on NextUp and his podcast with Matt Winning, Up Your Footfall, is at https://www.podfollow.com/1559039647.
Everything else is here: https://linktr.ee/stuartlawscomedy

Everything Stu's up to:
Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

"The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you."
- Ben Gott (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!”
- (LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acaster, Audiences, BBC, Ben Target, comcompod, Daniel Kitson, Edinburgh, Fear, Festival Comedian, Fringe, Interview, James Acaster, Joel Dommett, Josie Long, Mainstream, Nina Conti, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Risk, Rob Auton, Simon Amstell, Sketch, Spencer Jones, Stage Persona, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Stuart Laws, Success, Vic And Bob, Whimsy

Scintillating comic, podcaster, and co-host of “Gigless”, one of the online success stories of the last year, Catherine Bohart knows herself inside out and has a powerful mental toolkit for comedy.

We dig into her past life as a former university debate superstar, and find out how it helped her stand-up as well her understanding of herself as a queer person; we also discover how her comedy helps disrupt her OCD, both in terms of lifestyle and in giving permission to express shame.  We also consider why income can be a useful metric for success, and why she won’t wear jeans…

20 mins of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Catherine in more depth on debating things you don’t believe in, her reflections on her online shows, and how she coped with a public breakup with her co-host under the peculiar demands of a regular show-based micro-community…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with James Acaster and Nish Kumar.


Catch up with Catherine:

Catherine’s weekly online gig is “Gigless”, every Thursday and you can find tickets on www.catherinebohart.com

Catherine is also booking a load of live dates in from May which will also be on her website and she talks about them nonstop on instagram and Twitter where she is @catherinebohart


Everything Stu's up to:

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram www.comedianscomedian.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

"The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 
- Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk


Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!”
-(LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Acting, Age, Audiences, Catherine Bohart, Interview, Jimmy Carr, Jobs, Money, Sarah Keysworth, Sexuality, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, The Mash Report, Tim Renkow, TV, Twitch, Whimsy, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

“Come for the musical theatre, stay for the trauma!”  That was the manifesto of the “Asda Kate Bush” Sooz Kempner, on her debut hour, an extraordinary verbatim performance of the real email her father sent to her mother, that led to divorce.   We talk about upbringing as the only girl that didn’t do ballet, and how that inspired her self-belief; learn to how wind up Flag Twitter and bat away Reply Guys; and discover how she maintains her armour via creative success…   20 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club features Sooz on story-telling via nostalgia; the challenges of her handsome brother being on TV a lot; and how she deals with her internal mean girl.   Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with James Acaster, and Nish Kumar.     Discover Sooz Kempner:   www.soozkempner.co.uk @SoozUK Co-hosting The Queen Podcast, co-hosting Mystery on the Rocks podcast, and streaming pretty much constantly at twitch.tv/soozkempner.     Everything Stu's up to:   This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram www.comedianscomedian.com   Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.   “It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!” - Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)   The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you."  - Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)   For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk   Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.   “The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)   Find out more at www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Luke Kempner, Sooz Kempner, Stage Persona, Success

On the eve of his first solo Netflix special, one of South Africa’s finest comedy exports returns to the show to discuss the challenges of filming a show in Covid times, and the influence of his movie-grown director in planning the shoot. We talk with double Emmy-nominated Loyiso about compromising decisions on and off TV; his aim to improve rather than earn; the value and price of stubbornness; and why “clarity is freedom”…

Loyiso Gola: Unlearning is available now on Netflix.

www.loyisogola.com

@loyisogola

15 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Loyiso in detail on his filming technique, why crowdwork is a dangerous drug, and his conscious effort not to exploit trauma for material…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&A’s with James Acaster, and Nish Kumar.

Everything Stu's up to:

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”

- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 

- Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.stuartgoldsmith.co.uk

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, comcompod, COVID-19, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Loyiso Gola, Stage Persona, Success, Top Secret, TV, TV Comedy

Bethany Black makes a powerfully funny connection with her fanbase, and has been wielding it to great effect over the course of her heavily-shielded pandemic experience.

We explore the effect on her work of her concurrent diagnoses with autism, ADHD and agoraphobia, and discuss how her fanbase consists of people just like her, rather than the cool kids she was trying to impress.

We also cover painting her herself into a corner with stand-up; how some promoters book to their own taste without realising; not being famous enough for The Chase; and what she’s already anticipating tolerating in her sixties…

No extras for this episode but you can still hit www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for all the extras from every episode that has them, including the exclusive Insiders Q&A with James Acaster!

Follow Bethany Black:

Follow @beffernieblack
Follow her and subscribe to: http://twitch.tv/beffernieblack
Buy her stand-up special: http://gofasterstripe.com/unwinnable
Tip her through http://ko-fi.com/bethanyblack

Everything Stu's up to:

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 
- Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.virtualofficeparty.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.comedyinsights.com

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram
www.comedianscomedian.com  

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Actor, Age, Alcohol, Audiences, Awards, Bill Hicks, Brendon Burns, Caroline Aherne, comcompod, Coping, Corona, COVID-19, Dr Who, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Gary Delaney, Gender, Inspiration, Interview, Janey Godley, Jobs, Johnny Vegas, Jongleurs, Mark Watson, Mental Health, Peter Kay, Stage Persona, Success, TV, Twitch, Twitter

Energetic, elastic and totally committed to being “the toughest kid on the estate” when it comes to his ability to get laughs, Russell Kane has firm ideas about his precise place in the comedy firmament.

We talk about the creative power of his exceptional on-stage energy; his surprising reaction to Stewart Lee’s material about him; his unerring ability to mind-map a topic and see the central idea immediately; and learn about the hour-long preview which he scripted in just eight words, moments before walking onstage…

25 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Russell’s incredible advice for comics considering performing live standup on YouTube, and thoughts on his possible over-commitment to showing one particular critic who was boss…

The single confidant who suggested that his experiments with image were driving away his long-term audience…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&A with James Acaster.

Follow Russell on:

@russell_kane
www.russellkane.co.uk
And subscribe to his channel on YouTube, home of the “Kane-ing”

Everything Stu's up to:

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)
The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you."  - Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)
For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.virtualofficeparty.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.
“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)
Find out more at www.comedyinsights.com

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Arena Comedy, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, BBC, BBC3, Bill Burr, Channel 4, Chortle, Chris Rock, College, comcompod, Corona, Corporate Gigs, Corporate Work, COVID-19, Criticism, Daniel Kitson, Edgy, Edinburgh, Ego, Fame, Fear, Festival, Fosters Comedy Award, Frankie Boyle, Fringe, Improv, Inspiration, Instagram, Interview, Jeremy Hardy, Jobs, Jongleurs, Josie Long, Katherine Ryan, Lee Mack, Live At The Apollo, London, Mainstream, Money, Noel Fielding, Observational Comedy, Onstage Persona, Parenting, Perrier, Perrier Comedy Award, Persona, Peter Kay, Problems, Reginald D. Hunter, Reviews, Risk, Romesh Ranganathan, Russell Brand, Russell Howard, Russell Kane, Seann Walsh, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Steve Bennett, Stewart Lee, Structure, Success, TV, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

Head writer for “The Mash Report”, show-runner for “Hello America” on Quibi, and profoundly nice man, Tom Neenan has a practised ease with pulling jokes out of thin air.  He’s also a comcompletist and one of the nicest people in the industry.

We talk about his entry into the business as a recipient of the BBC writer’s bursary, how a position as staff-writer taught him to be super-productive, and how to mine ambiguity for a punchline.

30 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Tom on learning to make shows more personal; Stu and Tom get self-indulgent riffing on story and the Lubitsch touch with reference to Pixar and the MCU, and Tom shares some of his favourite joke-formats…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&A with James Acaster.

Tom Neenan
Follow @tneenan for his very funny tweets and drawing

Follow Tom’s Dr Who podcast @Wheezingpod

We also mentioned some of his favourite instructional YouTubers; these include HBomberguy, Jenny Nicholson, Every Frame a Painting, Lessons From The Screenplay, Folded Ideas, and Lindsey Ellis.

And here’s a link to the video about The Lubitsch touch Tom mentions in the extras:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxqt7UmN_bQ

Everything Stu's up to:
Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”

- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 

- Ben Gott, Practice Lead, Marketing Solutions EMEA, SVP at Merkle

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.virtualofficeparty.co.uk

Stu also offers remote talks to business on what the distilled wisdom of over 350 comics can teach you about resilience, especially in times of pandemic.

“The most inspiring talk I’ve had in years!” (LEGO staff member)

Find out more at www.comedyinsights.com


This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Al Murray, Audiences, BBC, BBC4, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Graham Norton, Hello America, Interview, James Acaster, Milton Jones, Mitch Hedburg, Mock The Week, Nish Kumar, Stage Persona, Success, The Mash Report, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Victoria Wood, YouTube