The whole of this two hour conversation is available to everyone over parts one and two, but members of the Insiders Club were also treated to a special Q&A over Zoom, asking James their questions in person.  That audio is now available on the Insiders private podcast, and it was so much fun we’re going to do more of them with other comics!  For your future invitations to those, as well as all the extra content from every episode that has it, join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

And now…
To celebrate the forthcoming self-release via Dice.fm of his new special “Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999”, James returns to the podcast for two hours of insight across two episodes!  We explore the rawness of this new special, talk about his new “cool guy” costume, and discuss the pros and cons of having a right royal go at the audience.  We learn about his rejection of social media, the distance between his persona and his real self, and how in the past he’s forfeited his sanity in order not to rock the boat…

“Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999” streams once at 8pm on 17th Dec wherever you are in the world (fancy!) and you can get access here:

https://dice.fm/artist/james-acaster-bbx6o

You cannot follow James Acaster on social media.

 

Everything Stu's up to:

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

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 6Music, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Art, Audiences, Awards, BBC, Channel 4, comcompod, Comedy, Coping, Corona, Criticism, Dave (TV channel), Depression, Ed Gamble, Edinburgh, Fame, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jimmy Carr, Jobs, Joel Dommett, John Kearns, Live At The Apollo, London, Melbourne, Mental Health, Music, Netflix, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Open Mic, Persona, Phil Wang, Podcasting, Radio 4, Radio X, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, Taskmaster, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Whimsy, Widdicombe, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes

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The inter-dimensional ABK is a brilliantly original comic with a penchant for wordy intelligent material that leaves no-one behind. He’s also the creator of the most absurdly wonderful animated trailer for an Edinburgh show you’ve ever seen.

We talk about why he never likes to be part of a group; attention to detail and the merits of commitment; and gives his thoughts on how we get to the A-timeline…

20 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Alasdair gives a fascinating example of using jokes as a means of hiding internal mechanics when scripting video games, and ponders potentially falling between the two stools of arty and club comedy.  Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much, much more.

Catch up with ABK:

www.abeckettking.com

That incredible trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kH-CfCaMl8

@MisterABK

Everything Stu's up to:

Stu 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

This podcast is @ComComPod on twitter and instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

Stu also co-hosts the “Child Labour" parenting podcast with Sindhu Vee

www.childlabourpod.com

(And the latest episode with Sara Barron is a BELTER!)

Mondays 9pm BST - "The Infinite Sofa" chat show

Top celebrity talent (previous guests include Dara O'Briain, Sarah Millican and Russell Howard) join Stu and 12 members of the public, in an increasingly cult-like live online performance experiment.

www.infinitesofa.com

Tuesdays 8pm BST - "Chops" Online comedy club

www.chopscomedy.com

www.twitch.tv/stugoldsmith

 

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LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: ABK, Alasdair Beckett-King, Audiences, Bill Bailey, Billy Connolly, Comedy, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Janey Godley, Jobs, Josie Long, London, Mental Health, Monty Python, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stereotypes, Stewart Lee, Success, Vic And Bob, Worth, Writing, YouTube

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One of the first guests on ComCom about 8 years ago, Paul Sinha has had a rollercoaster of a life in the interim.  From fringe comedian to celebrity quizzer as “The Sinnerman” on The Chase (ITV), to a memorable appearance on Taskmaster (Dave) which came just as he was diagnosing himself with Parkinson’s disease, we catch up on how his comedy has metamorphosed from political agitation to personal story-telling.

We cover how the mainstream-ification of his audiences changed his comedy; how he lost a friend to Covid-19 but managed to survive a devastating dose himself; what expectations he has of his life from now on; and why he’s a better comedian now than he’s ever been…

30 minutes of extra content, available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club, includes Paul on how he refuses to think about mortality, his new style of joke-writing on Twitter, and the inside story on his performance on Taskmaster…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much much more.

Connect with Paul here:

@PaulSinha

www.paulsinha.com

Everything Stu's up to:

"Child Labour" parenting podcast with Stuart Goldsmith & Sindhu Vee

www.childlabourpod.com

Mondays 9pm BST - "The Infinite Sofa" chat show

Top celebrity talent (previous guests include Dara O'Briain, Sarah Millican and Russell Howard) join Stu and 12 members of the public, in an increasingly cult-like live online performance experiment.

www.infinitesofa.com

Tuesdays 8pm BST - "Chops" Online comedy club

www.chopscomedy.com

www.twitch.tv/stugoldsmith

Wednesdays 8pm BST - "ThinkTank"

A new even-more-experimental exercise in creativity, community, and throwing together a virtual bank heist under pressure.

New ideas and new jeopardy every week!

www.twitch.tv/stugoldsmith

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Art, Audiences, Awards, Chris Barrie, comcompod, Comedy, Coping, Corporate Gigs, COVID-19, Criticism, Daily Mail, Dave (TV channel), Edinburgh, Fame, Fringe, Interview, Jobs, Kate Copstick, Lee Mack, London, Mental Health, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Paul Sinha, Persona, political, Political Comedy, Radio 4, Reviews, Romesh Ranganathan, Sexuality, Shappi Khorsandi, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stephen K Amos, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Structure, Success, The Chase, Tim Vine, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Vikki Stone, Worth, Would I Lie To You?, Writing, Writing Jokes

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Stand-up comic and award-nominated playwright Archie Maddocks loves stitching together routines about kebab shops and his "rough-arse" schooling, with pathos and evocative prose. We talk about writing for the comedy club and the stage, why he's the straight-man to his highly-strung family of actors, and how his play "A Place For We" has been put on hiatus by Covid-19. We also talk about how his show "Matchstick" concluded with a heartfelt examination of the Grenfell Tower fire, and why he feels that "we're not people that ever cry".

You can donate to support survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire here www.grenfellfoundation.org.uk

20 minutes of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include Archie's thoughts on why white audiences don't accept surrealism from Black comics, and how his opening line takes back control of people's preconceptions. Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much much more.

TW: @ArchieMaddocks | IG: @ArchieMaddocks

TW: @ComComPod | IG: @ComComPod

STU GOLDSMITH’S INFINITE SOFA

Every Monday and Thursday night at the new later time of 9pm, Stu Goldsmith’s Infinite Sofa brings you the warmest and most atmospheric cure for the social-isolation blues!

Forthcoming guests include Flo and Joan, Alex Horne, Ed Aczel and Thom Tuck, who with 12 members of the public join Stu for a tight 90 mins of brilliant comedy, music and variety with interactive games and big laughs. 

Find out more at www.infinitesofa.com

CHOPS COMEDY

Every Tuesday at 8pm come and watch your favourite comics finding their sea-legs in the new world of online stand-up, with a warm and a generous studio audience, at Chops Comedy!  Forthcoming headliners include Kelly Convey, Alice Fraser, Marcus Brigstocke and Charlie George.

www.chopscomedy.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 30 Rock, Archie Maddocks, Atlanta, Audiences, Comedy, Donald Glover, Edinburgh, Fringe, Interview, London, Mental Health, Persona, Radio 4, Sexuality, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Structure, Success, TalkSport, Trevor Noah, TV, Twitter, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

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At last! Brett Goldstein (movie star, comedian, writer, super-fan of ComCom and perpetual invite-swerver) drops by for a “NonComPod” that won’t expose at all how crackers he is. Sadly Stu can’t help himself and it all goes a bit “Are You Happy?” A brilliant conversation with a kind, funny, deeply handsome man, who lets us into his mind to discuss humility, boredom and workaholism - and why the comedy community is like an AIDS quilt...

25 mins of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club include the backstage view of Brett’s “Films To be Buried With” podcast, how a run of terrible gigs way back during the Comedy Reserve fringe line-up show became a brutal bootcamp, and a decent chunk of Stu giving Brett unsolicited advice on how to navigate his mental health…

Join the Insiders Club now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for all this and much much more.

*New episodes are now streamed live at www.twitch.tv/stugoldsmith on 1pm BST every Wednesday, for release the following week*

STU GOLDSMITH’S INFINITE SOFA
Every Monday and Thursday night at the new later time of 9pm, Stu Goldsmith’s Infinite Sofa brings you the warmest and most atmospheric cure for the social-isolation blues!
Forthcoming guests include Nish Kumar, Suzi Ruffell, Anna Mann and Randy Feltface, who with 10 members of the public join Stu for an hour of brilliant comedy, music and variety with interactive games and big laughs.
Find out more at www.infinitesofa.com

CHOPS COMEDY
Every Tuesday at 8pm come and watch your favourite comics riding their sea-legs in the new world of online stand-up, with a warm and a generous studio audience, at Chops Comedy! Forthcoming headliners include Josie Long, Sarah Millican, Jarred Christmas, Rob Kemp, Russell Hicks and Lost Voice Guy.
www.chopscomedy.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Actor, Audiences, Benny Boot, comcompod, Comedy, Competitions, Coping, Corona, Depression, Derek, Directing, Edinburgh, Fame, Fear, Films To Be Buried With, First Open Spot, Fringe, Inspiration, Interview, Isolation, Jack Whitehall, Jobs, Josie Long, London, Lone Island, Mental Health, Nick Helm, NonComPod, Onstage Persona, Persona, Pleasance, Podcasting, School, Stand Up, Storytelling, Structure, Success, SuperBob, TV, TV Comedy, Twitch, Twitter, Uncle, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, YouTube

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The godfather of British alternative comedy, Alexei Sayle is always at the edge of catastrophe. The star of The Young Ones, Alexei Sayle’s Stuff, The Comic Strip Presents, many more and now his Imaginary Sandwich Bar, gets stuck into why inauthenticity is his bugbear, how to make the most of creative discomfort, the earliest days of the Comedy Store, and the transition from counterculture to national treasure

In 30 mins of extras available only to the Insiders Club, Alexei talks about his real feelings towards Ben Elton, and the current crop of arena comics; how he re-fit his show about political optimism when the wind changed; and identifies a link between standup and martial arts regarding the energy of the audience and his own… Available now only at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

See Alexei on tour now! Details at www.alexeisayle.me

Thanks to Ellen Frost at Bloomsbury Theatre @bloomstheatre

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Adrian Edmondson, Age, Alexei Sayle, Alternative Comedy, Art, Audiences, Awards, BBC, Ben Elton, Bob Monkhouse, Bottom, College, comcompod, Comedy, Comedy Store, Compere, Compere/MC/Hosting, Fame, Fern Brady, First Open Spot, Fringe, Interview, Isolation, Jobs, Live At The Apollo, Liverpool, London, Onstage Persona, Persona, Phil Ellis, Podcasting, political, Political Comedy, Political Humour, Problems, Radio, Radio 4, Rik Mayall, Sketch, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stewart Lee, Structure, Success, The Comedy Store, The Young Ones, TV, TV Comedy, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

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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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: #Hypothetical, Audiences, Comedy, Dave, Directing, Drinking, Dylan Moran, Edinburgh, Ego, Fame, Fear, Festival, Fringe, Greta Thunberg, Ian Stone, Interview, Isolation, Jack Dee, John Maloney, Kevin Bridges, Lee Evans, Live At The Apollo, London, Mainstream, Mental Health, Micky Flanagan, Money, Off The Kerb, Persona, Radio, Reviews, Risk, Romesh Ranganathan, Russell Howard, Russell Kane, School, Sean Lock, Seann Walsh, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stand Up For The Week, Stephen K Amos, Storytelling, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, TV, Twitter, Up The Creek, Vic And Bob, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

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A juggernaut of charisma and filth, Ninia Benjamin has a supernatural connection to her audience and a mind like a firework display. We discuss why she won’t ever explain her race or size, only her point of view, and how she moved beyond the onstage anger that used to motivate her.  We also dig deep into her career rebirth after an ‘annus horribilis’ brought about by professional struggles and her own impostor syndrome.  This far into her career, can she finally accept herself as a “proper comedian”?

Extras include Ninia on writing for Aladdin and what she sang to Will Smith, a deep-dive into why she identifies writing comedy with “homework”, and a full on pep-talk from Stu about exactly how she should attack the Edinburgh festival… Access them, and all other extra content, by singing up the Insiders Club at  www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

IG: @ninia_benjamin | TW: @ninia_benjamin

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 3 Non-Blondes, Aladdin, Audiences, Comedy, Interview, Janey Godley, Jo Caulfield, Jobs, John Gordillo, Jongleurs, London, Mental Health, Mike Gunn, Onstage Persona, Persona, Reginald D. Hunter, Risk, Ross Noble, Russell Howard, Seann Walsh, Sketch, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stephen Grant, Success, Terry Alderton, TV Comedy, Will Smith, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

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