The Comedian's Comedian WITH STUART GOLDSMITH

For anyone who writes comedy, makes comedy, loves comedy, or just has an interest in comedians and what makes them so annoying.

332 – Desiree Burch

In a podcast recorded in a less frightening time (about a fortnight ago) Desiree Burch talks us through her upbringing and development to becoming the powerful and hyper-eloquent comic force she is today. We talk about seeking connection, the protective shell of comedy, finding acceptance but to white standards, and why her tremendous debut poster was a literal collage of dick pics.

30 mins worth of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include Desiree’s very inspiring thoughts on being her own boss and recognising her own value, and a deep dive into her last show “Desiree’s Coming Early” which used a twin narrative to reframe her personal history, whilst being incredibly funny…

As the live comedy circuit undergoes a painful transformation into some unknown new form, there HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to keep the podcast alive and get hold of oodles of sweet extra content (including the new special episode about The Great Pivot with ComCom Consultant Pete Dobbing) with a regular subscription. Join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

And join Stu Goldsmith for a Working Lunch! Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/lunch to book your one-to-one social or professional online lunch date with Stu!

@destheray |www.desireeburch.com

www.comedianscomedian.com | @comcompod | @stugoldsmith

Filed Under: Audiences, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Joe Wilkinson, Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Reginald D. Hunter, Stage Persona, Success, TV, Twitter, USA, Writing Jokes

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331 – Janey Godley

Superb comedian, thrilling storyteller and born survivor Janey Godley not only answers back to her online death-threats, but publishes her whereabouts with an open invitation to "come and have a go". We talk about how she thrived despite abuse, poverty and alcoholism in her upbringing; detail her absolute conviction in the power of honesty; and learn how an early experience at the Edinburgh Fringe led her to reject the comedy industry and focus instead on her audience.

CW: We talk about abuse Janey suffered as a child, at the very start of this show, and throughout.

25 mins of extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Janey on how her refusal to play along led to her being banned from a chain of comedy clubs; how she approaches publicising criminal connections whilst keeping her own nose clean; the ramifications of her husband’s autism, and the glee she feels at her daughter Ashley Storrie’s success in the comedy world. Join now and support the show at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Thanks to the Stand Newcastle

www.janeygodley.com | @janeygodley

Janey Godley’s Soup Pot Tour is on right now - tickets available through her website

Stuart Goldsmith's Edinburgh Fringe show "The Void" is on sale now at tinyurl.com/stu2020

329 – Eshaan Akbar

Eshaan Akbar has an extremely diverse comic portfolio. This former wealth manager and government policy maker is now a successful TV comedian with a significant career in the making. We talk about his very precise ambitions and his fascination with the absolute freedom of the stage, as well as his disappointment in finding out that comedy is no longer anti-establishment and that comedians are “a precious bunch”. We also touch on Eshaan’s suicide attempt, and get stuck into the tremendous difficulty of exploring a serious emotional topic using comedy.
*Content warning: mention of suicide*

In 30 mins of extras available only to the Insiders Club, Eshaan outlines some fascinating and unique parallels with comedy from his former careers. He portrays different types of jokes by comparing them to bitcoin, treasury bonds and investments (which if you already know about jokes works neatly as a primer in finance) and explores links between policy making and comedy, via analysis of two very different ideas about “audience”. Quintessential ComCom, available now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

www.eshaanakbar.com | @eshaanakbar

Catch Eshaan at Soho Theatre, 7th-11th April 2020:

sohotheatre.com/shows/eshaan-akbar-infidel-ity

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

www.comedianscomedian.com | @comcompod

The Comedian's Comedian - 329 – Eshaan Akbar

Filed Under: Age, Ahir Shah, Audiences, Awards, BBC, BBC4, Christian Knowles, comcompod, Competitions, Controversy, Corporate Gigs, Corporate Work, Dark Humour, Diversity, Ed Gamble, Edinburgh, Eshaan Akbar, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Kevin Bridges, Lee Evans, Mental Health, Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Sindhu Vee, Stage Persona, Stephen Grant, Success, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

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328 – Seann Walsh

Seann Walsh is an extraordinary observational comic, with a phenomenal talent for getting to the heart of the funny in the most everyday topics, and enlivening a routine with act-outs.

We talk about how his persona changed from open mics to big rooms, and how he strove for authenticity, despite the looming feeling that something was missing from his impressive TV career. Just when this outsider among outsiders seemed finally about to break big, in 2018 he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing (BBC) and pictures surfaced of him kissing his dance partner. We discuss the tabloid uproar and the accusations that followed, and the effect they had on his life and work.

40mins of extras available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Seann on being unsettled by the aggressive environment on panel shows, getting kicked out of college and the cosiness of melancholy; his unique DIY technique for ridding oneself of nervous energy pre-show; and why any future set on Conan (TBS) will be very different to his first one...
Join today at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

@SeannWalsh | seannwalsh.com

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

327 – Matt Winning

A man on a mission, comedian and academic Dr Matt Winning is an expert on climate change and on making the apocalypse funny. We explore how to make a show educational without being worthy, finding purpose in struggle, and how to survive as a comic when you’re not motivated to quit your day job. We also dig into the maintenance of optimism when your crises are about something a little more meaningful than comedy, and gloss over the difference between polar bears and pall-bearers…

25 mins of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include Matt on “coming out” as a scientist in comedy, how his love of the surreal clashes with the mainstream direction of his mission, and we get a morsel of the inside story on the infamous “Bearpit Podcast Podcast”. Join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

mattwinning.com | @mattywin85

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

323 – John Kearns

The only comic ever to have consecutively won Best Newcomer and Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe, John Kearns is a master at finding pathos in the prosaic, combining clowning and standup in a way that makes absolutely no sense written down. With influences from Jacques Tati to Neil Hamburger, we explore his sense of place within himself, overreaching in his writing, and ambition in his career...

Thirty minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes John's brilliant technique for underpinning all his material with genuine pathos, and delves into writing for Harry Hill, meeting Chris Morris, and how the spotlight can burn...
@johnsfurcoat

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

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

11/02/20

York – The Basement

12/02/20

Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

www.comedianscomedian.com | @comcompod

321 Santa Claus (and Herbie Treehead)

In this Christmas Special, we speak to the actual Santa Claus, via his little helper and confidant, consummate clown Herbie Treehead. Herbie is a phenomenal street-performer, known around the world for his joyful daftness, silly songs and funny bones.

We talk about what his first Santa season means to him, and discover an enormously rich and respectful seam of kindness and good cheer. We also dive into Herbie's origins as a performer and his maverick work within vaudeville troupe Slightly Fat Features; learn how to steal a lorry; and reflect on the nature and cost of real performative risk...

www.herbietreehead.info
www.slightlyfatfeatures.com

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

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

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

11/02/20

York – The Basement

12/02/20

Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

www.comedianscomedian.com | @Comcompod

Happy Christmas one and all.

The Comedian's Comedian - 321 Santa Claus (and Herbie Treehead)

Filed Under: Age, Alcohol, Alternative Comedy, Art, Audiences, Edinburgh, Festival, Fire Breathing, Fringe, Herbie Treehead, Interview, Persona, Risk, Santa, Sketch, Soho Theatre, Stage Persona, Street Performance, Street Performing, Street-Performing, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Success

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320 – Flo & Joan

Flo and Joan are a uniquely funny musical duo, with deadpan front-cloth patter rooted in their actual siblinghood. We talk about going from open mics to a special on Amazon Prime in just four years, get the inside story on their recent gig at the Royal Variety Performance, and learn why going viral makes you turn your phone off. We also discover what they learnt from the Canadian improv scene that underpins the whole shebang, and find out why shaking an egg is harder than it looks...

Thirty minutes of extras exclusive to the Insiders Club include a directorial tip that helped them trend on twitter on their first opening weekend; the backstage story on the Nationwide telly adverts that blew up and resulted in death threats; a look at the devilishly cunning improv-style narrative structure that forms the backbone of their special; plus the girls' analysis of each other's strengths and weaknesses!
And some burps.

Join up today at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders
Tour info at floandjoan.com

Soho Theatre run starts 13th Jan

TW: @floandjoan | IG: @floandjoan

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

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

11/02/20

York – The Basement

12/02/20