Trigger warning: Discussion of child sexual abuse.

Jonny Pelham has become one of the most disarmingly hilarious comics in the UK by building his punchlines on a bedrock of unflinching honesty. There’s a big difference between the comedy cliche of “saying the unsayable”, and being able to find the humanity and authenticity in a subject that people don’t want to talk about. 

We talk about his new Edinburgh Fringe show “Optimism Over Despair”, and he leads us through the experience at that show’s core: his reflections over using his set on Live At The Apollo to discuss the sexual abuse he experienced as a child. We also learn about his clinical “maladaptive daydreaming”, and what it’s like to always come with a trigger warning.

20mins of *double trigger-warning* extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include Jonny on a joke that he’s always found too dark to make work, but which says something very important about his experiences; how he makes the personal political; and how to make biographical work what you want it to be in the face of algorithmic soup!

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 Jonny:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/jonny-pelham-optimism-over-despair

www.jonnypelham.com

TW/IG: @jonny_pelham

Everything Stu's up to:

Stu’s new Edfringe show “Spoilers” (WINNER Best Show 2023, Leicester Comedy Festival, woo!) is ON SALE NOW at

www.stuartgoldsmith.com/tickets

And 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: Audiences, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, TV, Writing Jokes

Instinctive, irrepressible, and with an inimitable aversion to bullshit, today we revisit Fern Brady's 2016 nascent dalliance with success, mere moments before catapulting herself headlong into the comedy stratosphere...

Catch up with Fern via:

fernbradycomedian.com

@fernfrombathgate

@FernBrady

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 (this episode's very own!) Fern Brady, plus the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

And submit your unmissable moments of ComComPod at www.comedianscomedian.com/unmissable

Stu's new comedy special "I Need You Alive" is available to watch on Amazon Prime, The 800lb Gorilla website, and you can listen at loads of other places - go to stuartgoldsmith.com and hit the exciting yellow button to find all the links!"

Podcast community links, social media and comedy clips, and Stu’s official YouTube channel are 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: 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Alison Spittle, Audiences, Autism, BBC, Billy Crystal, Brendon Burns, Carl Donnelly, ComCompendium, comcompod, Competitions, Coping, Edinburgh, Fringe, Interview, Live At The Apollo, London, Phil Wang, Podcasting, Problems, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Stewart Lee, Structure, Success, Taskmaster, The Guardian, TV, Writing Jokes

Fresh from the ComCompendium annals we rediscover the indomitable Gina Yashere. An engineer in a previous life, and a comic tour de force in this one, Gina's boldness and clarity of mind saw her draft up a plan: simply selling up her life in the UK and moseying over to the ol' USA.

We examine Gina's annoyance at being the 'diversity' on panel shows, point the finger firmly in the direction of The Patriarchy, and discuss the myriad of pitfalls involved with plunging oneself headlong into starting afresh elsewhere.

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, Andi Osho, Audiences, Chortle, Chris Rock, comcompod, Comedy Store, Diversity, Edinburgh, Fame, Festival, Gina Yashere, Ian Stone, Inspiration, Interview, Jimmy Carr, Jobs, Jongleurs, Last Comic Standing, Live At The Apollo, London, Louis CK, MOBOs, Mock The Week, Open Spot, Persona, Plagiarism, Reviews, Risk, Ros Jeep, Stage Persona, Success, TV, Urban Circuit, USA, 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

Sarah Keyworth is a seriously funny comedian, and has a succinct and uncomplicated way of showing it. In this very thoughtful interview, they talk about the point where being saddened by other peoples’ reality meets the irresistible pull of activism. We also explore their creative partnership with the late, great Paul Byrne; and why they’d love to have a pint with JK Rowling…

20 mins of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include what happened when Sarah’s therapist found out they were doing material about them, and we also learn why they’re a little old man at heart…

And submit your unmissable moments of ComComPod at www.comedianscomedian.com/unmissable

Catch Up With Sarah:

On their national tour in Nov, Feb and March, which culminates in a huge show at The Bloomsbury Theatre on 19th March - tickets available now via www.sarahkeyworth.co.uk/gigs

IG: @sarah_keyworth

TW: @sarahkcomedy

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: 8 Out Of 10 Cats, ADHD, Audiences, Awards, BBC4, Catherine Bohard, Edinburgh, Fringe, Interview, LGBTQ+, Live At The Apollo, Mental Health, Mock The Week, Radio 4, Sarah Keyworth, Shelf, Stage Persona, Success, Twitter, Writing Jokes

Skilfully navigating territory of misogyny and a clash between lad culture and woke lads, Esther Manito’s recent show “#NotAllMen” burst at the seams with relatable material rooted in the clash between her Middle Eastern heritage and her Essex upbringing.

Esther talks here about whether you can be too relatable; having children before comedy and musing on an agent’s misguided warning that no-one wants a ”comedy mum”; and growing up in Essex at the time of the Gulf War, with anti-Arab rhetoric prevalent in her school

15mins of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club include more from Esther on her generalised anxiety disorder, and the worst gig of her life!

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 Esther:
www.esthermanito.co.uk
TW: @esther_manito
IG: @esthermanito

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: #notallmen, Audiences, Edinburgh, Esther Manito, Fringe, Interview, Josh Widdicombe, Live At The Apollo, London, Rob Beckett, Russell Kane, Shappi Khorsandi, Stage Persona, Success, Tik Tok

A uniquely nuanced voice in comedy, the riotously imaginative Tom Ward balances gleeful absorption in the creative process and robustly-managed mental health.

Destined to become a fan favourite, this episode sees Tom sensitively exploring: why comics with certainty make him suspicious; his internal landscape and how he copes with the non-triggered meltdowns occasioned by his Complex PTSD; and how his careful devotion to doing one thing at a time impacts his creativity.
He also uses a burner phone so he can’t get distracted whilst writing… •chef’s kiss•

25 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club includes Tom on the therapeutic value of comedy for good or ill; how his stolen Casio beats keep his ambiguity accessible; and the shared desire to write “a joke so good that he doesn’t die alone”.

Catch up with Tom:
www.tomwardvoice.com
IG: @tomwardcomedian
www.facebook.com/tomwardcomedian
Tom Ward: Anthem plays at Monkey Barrel at The Edinburgh Fringe from 3-28th Aug 2022 @22.25

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/tom-ward-anthem

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: Audiences, COVID-19, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Live At The Apollo, Persona, QI, Reviews, Risk, Sean Lock, Stage Persona, Success, Tom Ward

Sharp as a tack and with a scientific bent that underpins her charming demeanour, Ria Lina is experiencing a TV-takeover career breakthrough.  We talk about the different preparation required for Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and QI; why the fact that a comedy career has no end point is so addictive; and how the recent increase in diversity on the circuit gave her an insight into embracing a more distinct character.

With degrees in virology, pathology and forensics, we also learn more than you might expect about bodies washing up on shores, and ask Ria to turn her scientific mind to analysis of how to save the circuit…

25 mins of extra content available exclusively to the Insiders Club include some excellent advice to newer comics, and an investigation of which social media platforms suit which characters - and some brief thoughts on the implied consent of audience interaction videos going viral…

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 Ria Lina:
www.rialina.com
TW/IG: @rialina_
www.tiktok.com/@rialinaofficial
www.facebook.com/rialina

Everything Stu's up to:
This podcast is @ComComPod on Twitter
www.comedianscomedian.com
IG and Tik: @stuartgoldsmithcomedy

Find out everything Stu’s up to at 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, Autism, Edinburgh, Fringe, Have I Got News For You, HIGNFY, Interview, Live At The Apollo, Mental Health, Mock The Week, Ria Lina, Sindhu Vee, Stage Persona, Success, Writing Jokes