A multi-media artist, fascinated with language, rhythm, and combining jokes with drawing, Markus Birdman also isn't above a dick joke. Aiming for “high octane and no gaps”, with routines composed like a drum solo, we uncover his volatile relationship with his father and his father's God, the stroke that he almost mistook for a hangover, and wanting to be angry as a means of self-definition.

30 mins of extras from this episode are available at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders, including Markus on survivor's guilt, the shot at the top that he might have missed, whether you can fake greatness in comedy, and a short sharp strategy for overcoming writer's block...

www.markusbirdman.co.uk | @birdmanwatching
Tickets for Markus' Ed Fringe show Last White Christmas

Tickets for my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Alcohol, Alternative Comedy, Alun Cochrane, Art, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, Compere/MC/Hosting, Dark Humour, Drinking, Edinburgh, Festival, Festival Comedian, First Open Spot, Fringe, Inspiration, Interview, James Acaster, Lee Evans, Markus Birdman, Mental Health, Money, Music, Onstage Persona, Paul Sinha, Persona, Simon Munnery, So You Think You’re Funny, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Stewart Lee, Storytelling, Structure, Success, Tom Gleeson, Twitter, Writing Jokes

In the hands of a lesser comic, Ahir Shah's ambitions towards political discourse might seem lofty, but this agile act has the punchlines to back them up. 

We explore how he sees one-liners as ".zip" files, using punchy gags into which he's compressed huge ideas, and learn how he attempts to safeguard his precarious mental health, particularly with regard to the loneliness of the job.

20 mins of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Ahir on his survival tips for small scale touring, the strategy behind his switch from the free to the paid fringe this year, and the thought he'll keep in mind when appearing shortly on "Have I Got News For You".
Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders to access the private podcast with all extra content plus "Comedy Critique", in which the Insiders collaborate on feedback to newer comics!

Tickets and details of Ahir's Fringe show
ahirshah.com | @AhirShah

See my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe
@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

www.theirworld.org | www.educationcannotwait.org

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Ahir Shah, Audiences, BBC, College, Competitions, Edinburgh, Emo Phillips, Festival, First Open Spot, Free Fringe, Fringe, Have I Got News For You, Interview, London, Mental Health, Nish Kumar, Observational Comedy, Onstage Persona, Panel Shows, political, Radio, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Structure, Success, TV, Writing Jokes

In a double first for the podcast we speak not only across a transatlantic internet connection but also to our first critic! But Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw is unlike any other; a fast-talking and acerbic eviscerator of computer games, his hilarious "Zero Punctuation" reviews regularly attract downloads in the millions, while his sci-fi and fantasy novels have garnered critical acclaim. We discuss world-building, why games lend themselves to horror more than comedy, and cover investment, anxiety and shouting rude words. 

Extras: Yahtzee explores his comedy influences, his one attempt at standup and explains the iterative process behind his videos. Sign up now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders 

@YahtzeeCroshaw | Youtube | Zero Punctuation | Yahtzee's Blog

Get tickets to my new tour dates at www.comedianscomedian.com/tour or on any of the following venues below:

13/03/2019 Salisbury Art Centre

20/03/2019 Cheltenham Playhouse

29/03/2019 Crawley -The Hawth

05/04/2019 Reading – South Street Arts

12/04/2019 Leamington Spa - Royal Spa Centre

17/04/2019 Oxford Old Fire Station

19/04/2019 Bromsgrove – The Artix

27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican

9-11/05/2019 Soho Theatre, London

05/10/19 Edinburgh Stand (early show – 5pm)

11/10/19 Northampton Royal and Derngate

25/10/19 Teignmouth Pavillions

26/10/19 Swindon Arts Centre

04/11/19 Nottingham Glee Club

05/11/19 Birmingham Glee Club

08/11/19 Bristol - The Comedy Box at the Hen and Chicken

04/12/19 Aldershot - The West End Centre

25/01/20 Corsham - The Pound Arts Centre

01/02/20 Newcastle Stand (early show - 5pm)

02/02/20 Glasgow - The Stand

07/02/20 Farnham Maltings

28/02/20 Cambridge Junction

@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Character, Character Comedy, Charlie Brooker, Eddie Izzard, Ego, Fame, First Open Spot, Gaming, Horror, Interview, Isolation, Jobs, Mental Health, Mogworld, Monty Python, Open Mic, Persona, Podcasting, Problems, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Success, Writing Jokes, YouTube, Zero Punctuation

A diamond-hard joke writer and phenomenally deft performer, there is no aspect of Jeff Innocent's act that hasn't been honed to perfection. 

A purist about several aspects of comedy, some of them surprising, his hard man aesthetic conceals a deadly sophistication. We talk about the poetry of comedy, the pursuit of the rolling laugh, and find out why never to say "hello"...

Around 30mins of extra material available only to members of the insiders club includes Jeff on martial arts, misdirection, feeling vulnerable for the first time, and dropping bombs... Join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Jeff Innocent Comedy Academy | www.jeffinnocent.com | @InnocentJeff

Book now for LIVE ComComPods:
Mar 23rd 1pm - Live special with comedy legend TBC @ Birmingham Podcast Festival!

Stu’s 2019 tour of “End Of” is on sale now!
“A comedy masterclass… Endlessly inventive” (The List)
Tickets for the first half of the tour at these links:
22/02/2019 Maidenhead – Norden Farm
01/03/2019 Falmouth – The Poly
13/03/2019 Salisbury Art Centre
20/03/2019 Cheltenham Playhouse
29/03/2019 Crawley -The Hawth
05/04/2019 Reading – South Street Arts
12/04/2019 Leamington Spa - Royal Spa Centre
17/04/2019 Oxford Old Fire Station
19/04/2019 Bromsgrove – The Artix
27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican
9-11/05/2019 Soho Theatre, London

@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com

And don't forget to join the Comcom Facebook group, which you can do here. Special Offer:
If you'd like to book Stu's 60min presentation "What Comedy Can Teach Your Business About Resilience" COMPLETELY FREE, there are a strictly limited number of talks available that I'll be using for rehearsal purposes!
Apply by emailing info (a t) comedianscomedian.com if you're in a position to assemble a team of 20 or more members of your staff, who'd benefit from an energising hour about bouncing back from difficult situations, with loads of takeaway tools.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Adam Bloom, Age, Alternative Comedy, Alun Cochrane, Arthur Smith, Audiences, Brendon Burns, Comedy Store, Edgy, Equality, Fame, George Carlin, Heckles, Interview, Jobs, Jon Robins, Jongleurs, Mark Thomas, Micky Flanagan, Miranda Hart, Money, Omid Djallili, Onstage Persona, Open Spot, Persona, Podcasting, Poetry, political, Political Humour, Racism, Reginald D. Hunter, Reviews, Rhod Gilbert, Rik Mayall, Risk, Ross Noble, School, Shakespeare, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Steve Martin, Storytelling, Structure, Success, The Comedy Store, The Young Ones, Tony Allen, Twitter, Up The Creek, Writing Jokes

If I told you "Police Cops" met at drama school, mucked about to make their fellow students laugh and now tour an action movie spoof comedy show, you might turn up your nose. But you'd be a fool to ignore their hyper-speed joke rate, astonishing innovation and innate physical clowning. They are laugh-til-you-cry, standing-ovation funny, and they're converting crowds into baying fans wherever they go. We talk live in a dank cellar about their favourite gags, their gag-grinding process, and the providence of brown stains...

SEE POLICE COPS ON TOUR

@PoliceCops_ | www.policecops.co.uk

Book now for LIVE ComComPods:
Mar 23rd 1pm - Live special with comedy legend TBC @ Birmingham Podcast Festival!

Stu’s 2019 tour of “End Of” is on sale now!
“A comedy masterclass… Endlessly inventive” (The List)
Tickets for the first half of the tour at these links:
22/02/2019 Maidenhead – Norden Farm
01/03/2019 Falmouth – The Poly
13/03/2019 Salisbury Art Centre
20/03/2019 Cheltenham Playhouse
29/03/2019 Crawley -The Hawth
05/04/2019 Reading – South Street Arts
12/04/2019 Leamington Spa - Royal Spa Centre
17/04/2019 Oxford Old Fire Station
19/04/2019 Bromsgrove – The Artix
27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican
9-11/05/2019 Soho Theatre, London


@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com

And don't forget to join the Comcom Facebook group, which you can do here.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Amused Moose, Audiences, Aunty Donna, Awards, Character Comedy, Competitions, Cowards, Darkplace, Edinburgh, Festival, Flight Of The Conchords, Fringe, Garth Marenghi, Interview, Jobs, Live, London, Noel Fielding, Onstage Persona, Pappy’s, Parody, Physical Comedy, Police Cops In Space, Sketch, Spinal Tap, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Structure, student comedy, Success, The Mighty Boosh, TV, USA, Vault Festival, We Are Klang, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

Championed as a Hollywood icon of the Slacker generation, Janeane Garofalo is a brilliant and fascinating stand-up, with the structure-free style you'd expect from someone who read from notes on her first HBO special. She's candid about crying daily within the TV "sausage factory" of crime drama which draws in former film stars, and lets loose on the makers of 24 and Criminal Minds. She also talks about her activism, how her parents "raised a quitter", and turns out to be surprisingly well-informed on British comedy...   Extra material for members of the Insiders Club includes Janeane on the competition between reviewers to be as critical as possible, how it felt to be actively passed on by Netflix, the trials of selling shows when you eschew social media, and a secret message left to Stu when he went for a wee and left the recorder running... All available when you join the Insiders Club for £2 per month or whatever you think is fair at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders  

Stu’s 2019 tour of “End Of” has just gone on sale!

“A comedy masterclass… Endlessly inventive” (The List)

Tickets for the first half of the tour at these links:

07/10/2018 Aberystwyth Comedy Festival – The Coliseum

22/02/2019 Maidenhead – Norden Farm

01/03/2019 Falmouth – The Poly

29/03/2019 Crawley -The Hawth

05/04/2019 Reading – South Street Arts

17/04/2019 Oxford Old Fire Station

19/04/2019 Bromsgrove – The Artix

27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Actor, Age, Alan Partridge, Alcohol, Audiences, Brass Eye, Chris Morris, Comedy Central, Comedy Store, Criminal Minds, Criticism, Edinburgh, Ego, Fame, Fear, Feminism, Feminist, Festival, Festival Comedian, Fringe, Gender, George Carlin, Harry Enfield, Interview, Jobs, London, Mental Health, Monty Python, Mr Show, Netflix, New York, Onstage Persona, Persona, Reviews, Risk, Seinfeld, SNL, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Steve Coogan, Steve Martin, Stewart Lee, Storytelling, Structure, Success, The Pleasance, Tina Fey, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, USA, Woody Allen, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

"Scummy Mummies" Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson are a pair of stand-ups with a hit parenting podcast unlike any other. Unafraid to get shit in their eyebrows and tell you about it, we discover the dynamic between them, get the lowdown on their very eventful live tour shows, and hear the infuriating story of their TV smash-in-waiting getting held down by The Man (or Some Men).  

Visit scummymummies.com to listen to the Scummy Mummies podcast and buy tickets for their live shows. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @scummymummies.  

  See "The Comedian's Comedian" podcast live with special guests "No Such Thing As A Fish" (the QI Elves podcast) at London Podfest, 9.30pm on Sunday 16th Sept 2018  

Tickets are selling fast for this headline event!  

#LondonPodFest  

See Stu's new show "End Of" at Edinburgh this August! https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/stuart-goldsmith-end-of www.comedianscomedian.com

@ComComPod

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Corporate Work, Dark Humour, Diversity, Double Act, Equality, Feminism, Festival, Festival Comedian, First Open Spot, French and Saunders, Gender, Inspiration, Interview, Jobs, Live, Open Mic, Persona, Plagiarism, Podcasting, Risk, School, Sexuality, Sketch, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Success, The Guardian, The Young Ones, Touring Comedian, TV, Twitter, Vic And Bob, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

A fitting guest for the Sestercentennial of the show, Simon "The Patrician" Evans was once Guest Zero - without him the podcast might not exist at all.  A touring and club powerhouse, and Radio 4 regular, his every line and inflection is a polished diamond.  We explore the grind necessary to achieve those results, discover the devilment beneath his political dalliances, and learn which TV comic pushed him to "adapt or die"...

Hear extra material from this conversation with Simon, as well as from Dara O'Briain, James Acaster and more, PLUS a load of other interactive comedy projects giving you more tailored direct advice on creating work.  Don't miss out, download the private "Insiders Club" podcast at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

See Simon's "Genius 2.0" at Edinburgh

@TheSimonEvans

See Stu on tour over the next month, including a DVD record of the tour show on June 14th in Bristol:

12/06/2018 Edinburgh, The Monkey Barrel

13/06/2018 Glasgow, The Stand

14/06/2018 DVD RECORD IN BRISTOL 

15/06/2018 Birmingham Glee

17/06/2018 Brighton Komedia

21-23 June London, Soho Theatre

29/06/2018 Tringe Festival

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Alun Cochrane, Audiences, Comedy Store, Corporate Work, Edinburgh, Festival, First Open Spot, Fringe, Heckles, Interview, Jimmy Carr, Jobs, Lee Mack, Live At The Apollo, Money, Observational Comedy, Persona, Radio 4, Reviews, Risk, Simon Munnery, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Structure, Success, The Comedy Store, The Stand, Touring Comedian, TV, Twitter, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage