With a staggering sixteen year back-catalogue of weekly topical songs under his belt, musical comedian Mitch Benn is a firm fixture of “The Now Show” on Radio 4. We talk about circuit snobbery regarding “the cheating stick”, the joy of creating music as well as comedy, and the perils of being so good at what you do that people have a hard time imagining you as anything else…

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Filed Under: Bill Hicks, Charlie Brooker, Daniel Kitson, Eddie Izzard, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Harry Hill, Harry Shearer, Hugh Dennis, Imran Yusuf, Interview, Jay Foreman, Jenny Eclair, Jess Robinson, John Maloney, Jon Holmes, Live, Marcus Brigstocke, Mark Thomas, Mock The Week, Musical Comedy, Nick Wilty, Parody, Radio 4, Ross Noble, Shlomo, Spinal Tap, Steve Punt, Tallinn Comedy Festival, The Alternative Comedy Experience, The Beatles, The Now Show

“Russell Peters stole my shit!” So alleges dynamic and outspoken comic Gina Yashere, who sold up and left the UK to make it in the United States, becoming the only Brit ever to feature on “Def Jam”. She pulls no punches in this compelling interview, venting her frustration at the producers of Mock The Week and Last Comic Standing, as well as condemning the TV industry’s apparent preference for “non-threatening” black acts.

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Filed Under: Chortle, Chris Rock, Damon Wayans, Def Comedy Jam, Frankie Boyle, Greg Proops, Interview, Jay Leno, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Kevin Hart, Last Comic Standing, Michael McIntyre, MOBOs, Mock The Week, Plagiarism, Ros Jeep, Russell Peters, Stewart Lee, The Comedy Store, Tony Law

In part two of this conversation with the free-wheeling comedy craftsman, Ross Noble argues that ideas with unusual logic are often mistaken for “surreal” comedy, and explains his process of un-honing ideas by starting with something neat and then taking it to bits live on stage…

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Filed Under: Australia, Bill Bailey, Bill Hicks, Billy Connolly, Boothy Graffoe, Dave Gorman, Exclusive, Fred Macauley, Glee Club, Harry Hill, Improv, Interview, Jasper Carrott, Jo Brand, Joe Wilkinson, John Cooper Clarke, Lee Evans, Lenny Bruce, Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Peter Kay, Rob Newman, Russell Brand, Sean Hughes, Sean Lock, Stewart Lee, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Touring Comedian, Writing Jokes

Ross Noble makes apparently casual improvisation into an art form, breathing life into nonsense for hours at a time and provoking gales of laughter.
In the first part of this conversation we talk about how he cultivated his devoted live following, how hard it is to define what’s basically him “dicking about”, and the benefits of making TV warm-up work for you…

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Filed Under: Australia, Bill Bailey, Billy Connolly, Boothy Graffoe, Dave Gorman, Exclusive, Fred Macauley, Glee Club, Harry Hill, Improv, Interview, Jasper Carrott, Jo Brand, John Cooper Clarke, Lee Evans, Lenny Bruce, Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Peter Kay, Rob Newman, Russell Brand, Sean Hughes, Sean Lock, Stewart Lee, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Touring Comedian, Writing Jokes

John Hastings has the soul of an alt comic, hiding between the power-chords of a bullet-headed club-jockey.
He describes in detail how the Canadian circuit differs to the UK, and we talk about the two different types of bombing, his unusual writing technique, and how it feels to do well in a tough room but regret the choices you made…

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Filed Under: 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Canada, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Have I Got News For You, Imran Yusuf, Interview, Jongleurs, Josh Widdicombe, Michael McIntyre, Mock The Week, Montreal Comedy Festival, Nick Helm, Patton Oswalt, The Comedy Store, The Pleasance Cellar, Tony Law

A softly-spoken, foppish figure who luxuriates in language, Tom Wrigglesworth is equally at home spinning a yarn or smashing up a weekend club.
He talks here about authenticity in his work, and the right of the teller to alter the empirical truth of a story, as well as outlining in detail his favourite trick for dealing with interruptions…

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Filed Under: Diane Morgan, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Isy Suttie, Mike Gunn, Mock The Week, New Zealand, Peter Kay, Radio 4, Storytelling

Ed Byrne is a charming, argumentative sod - with a fantastically natural comic ability. We discuss whether it’s funnier to take time finding the truth of a subject, or to switch your opinions to find the must comically useful stance; and why a group of comedians is known as a “bitch”.
We also glimpse how he side-steps a physical writing process by simply losing an argument and then dwelling on it for far too long…

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Filed Under: Adam Bloom, Aspen Comedy Festival, Ben Elton, Bill Cosby, Billy Connolly, Bob Hope, Bob Monkhouse, Bruce Dessau, Bruce Morton, Ed Byrne, Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill, Interview, Irish, John Bishop, Live, Louis CK, Matthew Hardy, Michael Redmond, Micky Flanagan, Milton Jones, Mock The Week, Nick Doody, Old Rope, Paul Byrne, Peter Kay, Phil Kay, Phill Jupitus, Ricky Gervais, Roaring Forties, Sarah Silverman, So You Think You’re Funny, Stewart Lee, Still Game

One of the best joke-smiths in the world, Milton Jones is a consistently funny powerhouse of verbal cartoons, wordplay and clowning. We explore his persona, his process, and the advantages of making something really bad rather than making it better.
He also paints a picture of the community of one-liner specialists, describes his specific approach to “Mock The Week”, and explains how to get everyone’s attention on sports day…

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Filed Under: Andy Parsons, Clown, Frankie Boyle, Gary Delaney, Harry Hill, Interview, Jimmy Carr, Milton Jones, Mock The Week, One Liners, Radio 4, Stewart Francis, The Comedy Store, Tim Vine