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
Tremendous story-teller comedian Alison Spittle is a very sunny specialist in making comedy from trauma, but you’ll be furious that she’s had to undergo so much of it. We talk about her incredible new Edinburgh show “Wet”, and why it’s no longer simply about a fight during an aqua aerobics class. We also cover her excellent shame-beating podcast “Wheel of Misfortune”; the challenge of keeping oneself emotionally secure when making comedy out of pain; and how to be powerful.
25 mins of extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Alison on her earliest material that made her feel like herself; the journey of her expressing her mental health honestly; the importance or not of doing “reps” in comedy; and the non-comedy-related quality that got her where she is…
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.
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
Attracted to transgression, and an avid writer of dirty jokes, we explore whether very funny Diane Spencer has been overlooked for being too filthy. Prizing structure and organisation, her usually ferocious output hiccupped when she was traumatised by the loss of live work during the pandemic. Back in the saddle now, we talk about focusing on YouTube as an audience-builder, being told “we’ve already got one like you”, and how to be your own agent. But are there really “lots of reasons for people to hate her”?
20 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club includes Diane on whether she’s always been so mentally robust; how she coped with being booed offstage; and how she feels when contributions from her comedian husband Kevin Shepherd get laughs…
Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.
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.
“Stuart was brilliant; he nailed the brief, and the balance of meaningful content and humour was perfect for our audience.” Jo Matkin, CEO Celsus Group
Stevie Martin has been generating excellent material for years, and is now starting to break through due to her jaw-droppingly funny online videos, packed with punchlines and with a genuinely unique flavour.
We talk about the huge amount of time and prep that goes into her work, as she battles to feel like a “proper comedian” in an industry that prioritises certain styles, backgrounds and looks.
We also explore her brilliant former sketch outfit Massive Dad, and whether their aesthetic made them “unapproachable” as performers; the relative loneliness of stand-up; and trying to love Edinburgh in the way that it deserves to be loved…
Insiders:
35 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club include Stevie on her murky past as an Edinburgh Fringe reviewer! She also shares some surprising insights about what works on Twitter and why, the inside editorial secrets of content creators, and we find out why her next Edinburgh poster might sell her in a very different way than previous years.
Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.
Athena Kugblenu is an impassioned and very funny comic, intent on making people laugh even when they disagree with her. We talk about joining the comedy circuit from a successful career in the public sector, why she doesn’t debate on Facebook, affinity bias and assimilation. We also cover why she loves changing her mind, and good honest graft.
25 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Athena on why she no longer wants a career in politics, adaptability, and the niche overlap between comics and writers…. Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&A with James Acaster.
Catch up with Athena:
Follow @athenakugblenu on twitter and instagram.
The Infinite Sofa chat show is now available as a solution to remote-working office parties over the festive period and beyond! 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
Sofie Hagen is a remarkable comedian, who is arguably better known at present for her activism than her excellent work in comedy. We talk about the incredible think-tank of the small Danish circuit where she started out, and the toxicity she discovered therein; her insightful analysis of how "losers win" at the Edinburgh festival; the dual purpose of having gender neutral toilets at her shows; and get stuck into some very frank discussion of the social activism element of her profile... and exactly what it's cost her.
45 mins of extra material available exclusively to the Insiders Club includes her opening gambit of reading all the comedy books, and how her process features infinite whiteboards and structural skeletons. We also dive into the delicate balance between trauma, therapy and confessional shows, and the mistake she made that she was too late in noticing to fix... All available now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders
Flawless in delivery, bubbling over with jokes, and with something real and compassionate to say, Suzi Ruffell is at the peak of her powers. We talk about: her latest Edinburgh fringe show "Dance Like Everyone's Watching"; making sure that LGBTQ+ people in the audience feel seen; how punishing she found being a new act (and whether she could do it all again); and why she finds happiness terrifying.
Extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Suzi on her dos and don'ts of tour support, having worked extensively with Josh Widdicombe, Romesh Ranganathan and Kevin Bridges, as well as her thoughts on what makes a good director, and the best advice she was ever given... Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders to support the podcast with a regular monthly donation of your choice. Every level gets the same stuff, you pay what you think is appropriate.
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.
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!
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