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, Comedy, 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, Stand Up, Stereotypes, Stewart Lee, Storytelling, Structure, Success, Tom Gleeson, Twitter, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes

I said it and I'm sticking with it: Russell Hicks is a risk-taking ball of fire. Making a conscious choice to bet the house on every gig, he eschews material in favour of 100% riffing, with explosive results. We explore the economic consequences of approaching a set like a game of pinball in an industry based on reliability, dig into his use of comic muscle memory, and find out why he paints on a cave wall and not a canvas...

Extra material available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Russell on why he chose the UK over America, how it felt to be told he wouldn't succeed whilst succeeding, and the suggestion other comics always make to him... and why he ignores it. Join up at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Find Russell's comedy album, consisting of three different hours recorded in Edinburgh 2016 at www.russellhicks.co.uk

See my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Alex Edelman, Alternative Comedy, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, Bill Hicks, Bob Slayer, Comedy, Comedy Store, Daniel Kitson, Dave Chappelle, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jobs, John Gordillo, Johnny Vegas, Lenny Bruce, London, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Mental Health, Money, Netflix, Onstage Persona, Persona, Phil Kay, Reviews, Ross Noble, Russell Hicks, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Success, USA, Viral, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

Creator and host of the Guilty Feminist podcast, Deborah Frances-White is a phenomenally energetic woman on a mission. A former Jehovah's Witness, she now leads her own army of followers, employing the machinery of business to liberate and entertain, and to inspire genuine activism. We explore how improv conquers repression, go into detail on the genesis of her extraordinary podcast and its roadmap for the future, and she exhorts the listener to make your own model.

Extras available only to members of the Insiders Club include two incredible pieces of advice: one on how to pass pretty much any interview for anything, and the other on how as a comedian she nipped bitterness in the bud. Plus some truly brilliant coaching on why and how to create your own model for success.... Join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders 

Her movie Say My Name is out on 23rd April, go to guiltyfeminist for tickets and details.

deborahfrances-white.com | @DeborahFW | guiltyfeminist.com

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

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

Charity Gig Shout-out!

On Monday 13th May, help support women, children, mothers and babies in the world’s poorest communities. Tickets for this gala line-up featuring loads of past ComCom guests and more besides can be got at the Leicester Square Theatre website or www.womenandchildrenfirst.org.uk/comedy

Comics new and old!

Check out www.comedy.co.uk/pro to see everything British Comedy Guide has to offer you and your career: curate your online profile on the most-visited website about UK comedy; get involved at the opportunities hub; and access exclusive articles about performing, writing and producing!

Don't forget to use the code COMCOM to get £5 off your membership.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Audience Participation, Audiences, Australia, BBC4, Bridget Christie, Comedy, Diversity, Dr Who, Drama School, Drinking, Feminism, Feminist, Fern Brady, Festival, First Open Spot, Fringe, Gender, Hannah Gadsby, Interview, Jobs, Josie Long, Katherine Ryan, Leicester Square Theatre, London, Marcus Brigstocke, Mental Health, Miranda Hart, Persona, Podcasting, Risk, Sara Pascoe, Sarah Millican, Sofie Hagen, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Success, Suzi Ruffell, The Guardian, The Guilty Feminist, TV, Twitter, Victoria Wood, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

One of the co-founders of Newport's finest musical export "Goldie Lookin Chain", John "Eggsy" Rutledge is an irrepressibly joyful soul who raps but isn't a rapper.
We talk about the development of the band, why you can't ever get off the tour bus, his "Unexplainers" podcast with Mike Bubbins, and how and when to avoid the grownups.

www.theunexplainers.co.uk | @theunexplainers | @TheGLC | Goldie Lookin Chain
Enjoy ad-free episodes plus a ton of extra content from interviews, as well as access to the private podcast and our super-fan community at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Book now for LIVE ComComPod at Birmingham Podcast Festival:

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Adam and Joe, Age, Alcohol, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, BBC, Big Brother, College, Comedy, Directing, Drinking, Fame, Festival, Flight Of The Conchords, Improv, Inspiration, Interview, Jobs, John Cleese, Mainstream, Money, Monty Python, Music Videos, Musical Comedy, Nick Helm, Onstage Persona, Parody, Persona, Podcasting, Public Enemy, Radio, Reality TV, Rhod Gilbert, Risk, Success, Worth, YouTube

A masterful architect of the complete shambles, Phil Ellis plays "a permanently nose-diving version of himself" on stage and in his BBC Radio 4 series "Phil Ellis Is Trying". We discuss disaster, dignity and anger in his back catalogue of shows that go wrong, and get the inside story of Phil's Edinburgh Award-winning "Funz and Gamez"; the kids' show that deliberately and hilariously sails over the heads of the children in the audience. We also learn which disastrous audition left Phil crawling out of the room...

Extra material available to the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders includes Phil's candid analysis of exactly how and why the TV adaptation of "Funz and Gamez" went awry...

@ThePhilEllis

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)

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Alcohol, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, BBC, BBC4, Bo Burnham, Bottom, Comedy, Edinburgh, Ego, Elis James, Fear, Festival, First Open Spot, Fosters Comedy Award, Frank Skinner, Fringe, Funz and Gamez, Interview, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Success, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Underbelly, Vic And Bob, Victoria Wood, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

Impro aficionado Steen Raskopoulos has mastered a style of audience interaction that lets his volunteers contribute to the show, rather than simply supplying a punchline.
Nominated for Edinburgh Best Newcomer moments after this interview, he talks here about his training, the origins of his characters, and how he’s ended up so aggravatingly well-adjusted…

Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com
And don't forget to join the Comcom Facebook group, which you can do here.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Adam Riches, Audience Participation, Best Newcomer, Clarke MacFarlane, Edinburgh, Improv, Interview, Jordan Raskopoulos, Mario, Paul Byrne, Queen Of The Circus, Setlist, Sketch, The Delusionist, The Super Rasko Bros., This Is Littleton, TV Comedy, Veronica Milsom