There’s drive, and then there’s Sikisa! Interrupting her holiday for this interview, we meet an amazing comic with a superhuman work ethic; working as an immigration lawyer, then filling her life with shows and part time work leaving her 4 hours a night to sleep.

We talk about self-care, how to manage multiple shows a day at the Edinburgh Fringe, why hosting a show is like throwing a party, and why she can still feel like a failure in the middle of an ascendant career…

Extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include Sikisa on her experiences teaching at Soho Theatre, and her new wrestling podcast!

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 Sikisa:

TW/IG: @Sikisacomedy

www.sikisacomedy.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: Interview

“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

In 1987, Jeff Shaw decided he was going to do comedy for a living. He meant it.

With shades of “The Story Of Anvil”, this interview follows a man who has picked himself up and started again over four decades, each time achieving a version of his dream, and surviving the paradigm shifts that have accompanied his every decade in the US comedy industry.

With tens of thousands of shows under his belt, and still chasing his dream, Jeff lays out his career as a standup, a comedy writer, and a Carnival Cruise comedy show director, before he found stand-up again, all the while displaying limitless hope, humility and gratitude…

Extras include an Insider’s guide to what works and what doesn’t on a cruise ship comedy gig, from his unique perspective of both act and booker…

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 Jeff:

www.comedianjeffshaw.com

TW/IG: @jeffthefundude

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: Audiences, Interview, Stage Persona, USA, Writing Jokes

This episode is a splash of pure sunshine, with the veteran of 1000 full-length improvised musicals in Olivier Award-winning “Showstopper!”, Ruth Bratt. She’s a supernaturally brilliant improviser and a sparkling human being, who is a) ambitiously lazy and b) feeds off the carrion of her own heart.

We talk about her work with some of the biggest names in her craft; entering a waking dream state during 50-hour long improv marathon shows; getting down to the last two for Dobby in “Peep Show”; and the big choice that won her a role in “People Just Do Nothing”.

30mins of extras exclusively available to members of the Insiders Club include a fascinating dissection of insider impro/v terms, including “shelving”, “deepening”, “edits, taps and swipes” as well as the “circle of ideas”, not to mention Ruth’s experiences of the “horror” of early standup…

Catch up with Ruth:

www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/ruth-bratt

TW: @ruthbratt

IG: @brattbomb

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: Acting, Actor, Audiences, Bridget Christie, Cariad Lloyd, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Impro, Improv, Interview, Josie Lawrence, Mongrels, People Just Do Nothing, Persona, Ruth Bratt, Sarah Millican, Showstopper!, Structure, Success, Trodd en Bratt Say 'Well Done You', TV

Nearly 12 years since his first appearance way back in episode 6, Adam Bloom joins us to celebrate the publication of his book “Finding Your Comic Genius” - an absolute treasure trove of his original and deeply technical comedy writing techniques. We talk about how his writing for and with huge comedians and celebrities over the years has honed his ability not just to write perfect punchlines, but also to share his knowledge with warmth and clarity.

It’s destined to be on every comedian’s bookshelf worldwide, and in this episode he shares some examples of its secrets including "balls and cubes", "see-saws", "balloon-pops" and much much more!

No extras from this one, you’ve got the whole lot, but check out the Insiders Club at 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 Adam:

Immediately go here and buy this book!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Your-Comic-Genius-depth/dp/B0CGWWWZPM

TW: @adambloomie2

IG: @adambloomcomedy

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 live 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

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: Adam Bloom, Audiences, Edinburgh, Interview, Rich Hall, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, Twitter, Woody Allen, Writing, Writing Jokes

Co-host of The Dollop podcast and a superb comic and improviser, Gareth Reynolds is touring the UK right now! In this gold-standard episode we talk about his improv characterisation, the history of his collaboration with Dave Anthony, and how taking “The Dollop Pill” has gradually changed everything he thought he knew about America.

We also get into the “robust mental health triumvirate” of improv, sports analogies and regular income, and explore his YouTube series “Ga’riffs”, in which he heroically improvised stand-up on previously-unseen audience suggestions to camera, alone in the room.

25 mins of unmissable extras available only to the Insiders Club include Gareth going deeper on the techniques and structures he employs while riffing, and exploring the fertile parallels between theatre sports, improv on-stage and crowd-work.

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 Gareth:

Get moving! Gareth is on tour with dates all over the UK from 13th-24th

www.garethreynolds.com/events

Don’t miss his new podcast with movie actor Jake Johnson “We’re Here To Help” 

www.audioboom.com/channels/5113355-we-re-here-to-help

And become addicted to The Dollop at www.dolloppodcast.com

Everything Stu's up to:

Find live 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: comcompod, Covid, Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds, Interview, Writing

Nish Kumar is one of the most powerful and provocative voices in British stand-up comedy, and his debut special “Your Power, Your Control” is streaming now on Sky On Demand & Now TV, for those in the UK & Ireland.  He returns to the podcast to talk in depth about the creative process behind the writing of that show, the inciting incident in which a bread roll was thrown at him at a charity gig, and how that led to a media frenzy, terrifying death threats, and ultimately a total re-evaluation of his mental health.

We talk about making serious things funny, and the phenomenal rise of The Mash report, as well as “Birbiglifying”, “Frankensteining”, and phantom pooping…

23mins of extras exclusively available to members of the Insiders Club include Nish on his therapy journey, writing topical stuff for The Mash Report, and the rollercoaster of creating a stand-up show, from first scribblings to the marathon of the Fringe.

Catch up with Nish:

Nish’s first stand up special is streaming NOW on Sky On Demand & Now TV for those in the UK & Ireland.


TW/IG: @MrNishKumar

www.nishkumar.co.uk

Everything Stu's up to:

Find live 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: Interview

Most recognised for her role on Meet the Richardson’s, writer and creator of To Hull and Back (BBR4) and co-writer on C4’s Hullraisers, Lucy Beaumont is about to embark on her 2023 stand up tour. Despite her massive success, she feels like she’s only just getting started. We discuss her honest and frank writing style and processes – both in writing for herself whether it be stage or TV and for other characters – who come through to her via dead peoples’ spirits. We also delve into her love/hate relationship with stand-up and the prejudice and misogyny she experienced early on in her career, leading her to take a hiatus from performing. Living much of her life on screen, she explains how she feels more prepared than ever to step back on the stage and she gives us some interesting insights into her next steps and future goals.  

15 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club including Lucy’s experience with ADHD and the impact it’s had on her career, a cracking tip about how to think about jokes, and how she’s preparing for her tour

Catch up with Lucy:

Tickets for Lucy’s 2023 tour ‘The Trouble and Strife’ here:

https://lucybeaumont.co.uk/home#live

TW: @LucyABeaumont

IG: @the_one_from_hull

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: Interview