“Very fulfilled as an unfulfilled comedian”, the hilarious Alistair Barrie isn’t lacking in comedy chops. 

We talk about his forthcoming tour “Woke In Progress”, as well as the clash between the need for approval and a persona that denies needing approval.

We discover his public school upbringing and the abandonment issues that forged his resilience, the experience of being of a generation that resists putting content out if it isn’t excellent, and his relationship with humility…

30 mins of extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Alistair on sage advice for thriving at corporate gigs, worst deaths and strategies to survive them, and what happened when he played both Labour and Conservative party conferences…

Catch up with Alistair

See Alistair on tour in “Woke In Progress”, with dates and ticket links at

www.alistairbarrie.com

And find his food blog at www.foodponce.com

TW/IG/TIK: @AlistairBarrie

FB/YouTube/Blue Sky: AlistairBarrie

www.alistairbarrie.com

Everything Stu's up to:

Discover Stu’s comedy about the climate crisis, for everyone from activists to CEOs, at www.stuartgoldsmith.com/climate

“The funny side of climate change (no, really!)” - The Times

Find everything else you need at linktr.ee/stuartgoldsmith

Or join the mailing list at:

www.comedianscomedian.com

Stu also offers remote and in-person talks to business, distilling insights from over 400 comics on cultivating resilience and the ability to bounce back, to all levels from C-suite to team members.

“There’s perfect and there’s perfect; and that was perfect.” David Cooper, Chief People Officer Circle Health Group

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Alastair Barrie, Audiences, Comedy Store, Corporate Work, Covid, Edinburgh, Fame, Festival, Fringe, Gary Delaney, Hal Cruttenden, Ian Stone, Interview, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, Taskmaster, Writing Jokes

After a truly horrible year, John Hastings has came swinging with yet another blockbuster  fringe show, working through the passing of his dear friend, the much loved comedy director Paul Byrne, not to mention a divorce and a wince-inducing bike crash.

We talk about John’s move from the UK circuit to Los Angeles, and discuss the finer details of what it means to participate in several different global markets; also the bad behaviour he’s experienced at the hands of certain [REDACTED] promoters. We go on to talk about the cost of doing business, the downside of reps, and John’s impressive social media video output and strategy…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for ad-free episodes, extra content from every show that has it, and much more - including exclusive Insiders Q&As plus the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

Catch up with John:

John’s new Edfringe show is on sale now!

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/john-hastings-the-times-they-are-a-john-hastings

Visit www.thejohnhastings.com for the unbelievable approach to promo shots if nothing else…

TW/IG: @thejohnhastings

Everything Stu's up to:

Stu’s new Edfringe show “Spoilers” (WINNER Best Show 2023, Leicester Comedy Festival, woo!) is on sale now - find preview dates as well as podcast community links, social media handles and comedy clips, and Stu’s official YouTube channel, all at linktr.ee/stuartgoldsmith

Or join the mailing list for unspecified freebies at:

www.comedianscomedian.com

www.stuartgoldsmith.com

Stu offers remote and in-person talks to business, distilling insights from over 400 comics on cultivating resilience and the ability to bounce back, to all levels from C-suite to team members.

“There’s perfect and there’s perfect; and that was perfect.” David Cooper, Chief People Officer Circle Health Group

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, Barnstormers, BBC3, Canada, comcompod, Comedy Store, Controversial, Coping, Corporate Work, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, John Hastings, Radio 4, Reality TV, Risk, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, Writing Jokes

Dusted down, and fresh from the archives, today we re-welcome the wry cynicism of the nation’s favourite chubby svelte vegan Romesh Ranganathan.

Fearless on stage, yet his own biggest critic off it, we discuss his stratospheric – and largely unplanned – comic success. We place parenthood under the microscope, revise his former vocations as teacher and rapper, before discovering that stolen jokes fuelled his first ever gig... a 1987 Pontins talent show.

Stu's new comedy special "I Need You Alive" has a worldwide digital premiere on Feb 23rd, see the trailer and find the ticket link at www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Age, Audiences, ComCompendium, Ed Gamble, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Ranga the Lazy Eyed Assassin, Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe, Seann Walsh, Soho Theatre, Stage Persona, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, TV, TV Comedy, Writing Jokes

In today’s trip down memory lane, the ever effervescent Shaparak Khorsandi leads the way – with a quick stop off at Comedy’s figurative playground – via her own yellow brick road. We dissect second chances, shifting statuses, and how the pursuit of money stunts artistic quality...

Candid, nuanced, and not lacking in poise, Shaparak opens up on the difficult situations to which her early standup inexperience subjected her, and the realisation of how bullying is ultimately rooted in jealousy.

Stu's new comedy special "I Need You Alive" has a worldwide digital premiere on Feb 23rd, see the trailer and find the ticket link at www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, BBC, Bullying, comcompod, Coping, Diversity, Dr Brown, Dylan Moran, Edinburgh, Fame, Fear, Feminism, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Katherine Ryan, Persona, Sara Pascoe, Shaparak, Shappi Khorsandi, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, TV, Writing Jokes

This week we swing wide the comcom vault door and crack open a vintage 2012 with the indefatigable Sarah Millican.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, BBC, comcompod, Coping, Edinburgh, Fame, Festival, Fringe, Gary Delaney, Gavin Webster, George Egg, Heckles, Interview, Rhod Gilbert, Sarah Millican, Stage Persona, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, Tom Stade, TV, TV Comedy, Writing Jokes

A re-release of the 2013 live episode with a very young and sprightly James Acaster, on the responsibility of the comic to their crowd, sabotaging gigs and answering audience questions on slacks...

www.jamesacaster.com

Stu's new comedy special "I Need You Alive" has a worldwide digital premiere on Feb 23rd, see the trailer and find the ticket link at www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 2013, Acaster, Age, Audiences, Awards, Bake Off, Cold Lasagne, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jobs, Josh Widdicombe, Josie Long, Live At The Apollo, London, Mental Health, Milton Jones, Repertoire, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, The Wow! Scenario, Writing Jokes

Exploding supernova Jordan Gray has just had the Edinburgh that every newer act dreams of: five-star reviews across the board, sell-out shows, a transfer to the Palladium, as well as being made an honorary X-Man by Sir Ian McKellen. She’s an extraordinarily funny, talented and skilled act who’s managed to pull an absolute Minchin!

We talk about the danger of believing your own hype, why she has to be an example not just a comedian, and we get an intimate snapshot of the very early stages of the sorts of hard choices that await someone experiencing this kind of success…

25mins of extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Jordan on her music career as “Tall Dark Friend”, the most heartbreaking thing to hear after a gig, and she takes Stu to task on his skittishness! We also get an incredibly useful breakdown of the transferable skills a comic can bring to script writing, and find out why she wears a jump-suit and why she very deliberately isn’t “fabulous”…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for ad-free episodes, extra content from every show that has it, and much more - including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, Alfie Brown, James Acaster and Fern Brady, plus the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

Catch up with Jordan:

http://JordanGrayLive.co.uk
TW/IG: @talldarkfriend
Don’t miss Jordan live at the London Palladium on 28th October!

Everything Stu's up to:
Podcast community links
Social media handles and comedy clips
And Stu’s official YouTube channel…
Are all at linktr.ee/stuartgoldsmith
Or visit:
www.comedianscomedian.com
www.stuartgoldsmith.com
Stu offers remote and in-person talks to business, distilling insights from over 400 comics on cultivating resilience and the ability to bounce back, to all levels from C-suite to team members.
“There’s perfect and there’s perfect; and that was perfect.” David Cooper, Chief People Officer Circle Health Group

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Age, Art, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, BBC, BBC4, Dave Chappelle, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jeff Buckley, Jordan Gray, Sir Ian McKellen, Stage Persona, Success, The Voice

Musical Theatre Comedy star, YouTube pioneer and Stu’s one-time wrestling partner, Jenny Bede is off to the Edinburgh Fringe with her new baby in tow, for her show “The First Pregnant Woman In The World”.  We talk about the potential downside of being a triple threat; how she coped with awful musical theatre auditions; her recent ADHD diagnosis and how she learned to stop apologising and do an impression of having swagger…

We also explore her early work creating comedy songs on YouTube, how she hit the dizzy heights and why she decided to pull the plug…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for ad-free episodes, extra content from every show that has it, and much more - including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, Alfie Brown, James Acaster and Fern Brady, plus the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

Catch up with Jenny Bede:

Jenny’s Edinburgh Fringe show is called “The First Pregnant Woman In The World” and it’s on at 18:55 daily at Underbelly Bristo Square:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/jenny-bede-the-first-pregnant-woman-in-the-world
TW/IG: @JennyBede
www.jennybede.co.uk

Everything Stu's up to

Find links to:

Stu’s show at Edinburgh Fringe: Monkey Barrel, 13:25 (4-11th only) Podcast community links Social media handles and comedy clips And his official YouTube channel…
All via:

linktr.ee/stuartgoldsmith

Or visit his sites:

www.comedianscomedian.com

www.stuartgoldsmith.com

Stu offers remote and in-person talks to business, distilling insights from over 400 comics on cultivating resilience and the ability to bounce back, to all levels from C-suite to team members.

“There’s perfect and there’s perfect; and that was perfect.” David Cooper, Chief People Officer Circle Health Group

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Age, Audiences, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jenny Bede, Risk, Stage Persona, Success, Suzi Ruffell