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! In this second part, we talk about how James experiences his fame, why approval doesn’t satisfy him, and why he doesn’t usually admit to desiring a comic legacy.  We also get stuck into some excellent audience questions…

“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

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: Acaster, Age, Art, Audiences, Awards, Classic Scrapes, Comedy, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Radio X, Reviews, Richard Pryor, Risk, Russell Howard, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, Taskmaster, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Whimsy, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes

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

Catherine Cohen took home “Best Newcomer” at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, with a jaw-dropping show bursting with wit, originality and layer upon layer of irony.  Her angle of attack, mocking the audience for being so pathetically in love with her, allows her to take huge risks on stage, in a character that was grown through vast quantities of just the right sort of stage time.

We talk about why she loves the occasional “stone-faced” audience-member, about playing to win and succeeding, surviving burn-out, and why she can’t stop “freaking out about absolutely everything”…

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

Catch up with Catherine Cohen:

http://www.catherine-cohen.com

TW: @catcohen | IG: @catccohen

TW: @ComComPod | IG: @ComComPod

As per the post-amble, consider giving these comics a follow on Twitter:

@DaneBaptweets

@ninia_benjamin

@funmbi

@ginayashere

@destheray

@jamalimaddix

@olathecomedian

@AhirShah

@paulsinha

@MrNishKumar

@tezilyas

@dalisochaponda

@athenakugblenu

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 Rhod Gilbert, Sara Barron, Iain Stirling, Flo and Joan, and Luisa Omelian, who with 12 members of the public join Stu for an hour and a half 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: Audiences, Awards, comcompod, Comedy, Compere/MC/Hosting, Coping, Corona, COVID-19, Drama School, Edinburgh, Equality, Festival, Fringe, Gender, Interview, Isolation, Mental Health, Musical Comedy, New York, Persona, Podcasting, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Success, TV Comedy, Twitter, USA, Whimsy, Worth, Writing, Writing On Stage, YouTube

An experiment was performed in which the co-creator of Look Around You, creator and writer of Friday Night Dinner, former commissioning editor for CH4 and expert Timewaster Robert Popper was subjected to an interview.  We talk about FND and why it has become Robert’s best known work, his experience with death threats in the South Park writers room, and how he and Peter Serafinowicz rolled on the floor crying with laughter at “...thants”. Make a note in your copy books now…

30 mins of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Robert on his one big disagreement with the writers of Peep Show whilst working as series producer, as well as some delicious insight into the world of The Timewaster Letters, and a hilarious toolkit for your own frivolous phonecalls…  Join the Insiders Club now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for all this and much much more.

www.robertpopper.com | @robertpopper

STU GOLDSMITH’S INFINITE SOFA
Every Monday and Thursday night at 8pm, Stu Goldsmith’s Infinite Sofa brings you the warmest and most atmospheric cure for the social-isolation blues!
10 members of the public join Stu for an hour of brilliant comedy, music and variety with amazing guests, interactive games and big laughs.  (Previous guests include Sindhu Vee, Desiree Burch, Phil Ellis and Rob Rouse, and a guy called Ian who often climbs into his own wardrobe.)

www.infinitesofa.com

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Join Stu Goldsmith for a one-to-one coaching session about your comedy career or personal project.  These aren’t joke-writing sessions, more of a sort of micro-ComCom mentoring experience, to identify how you might be getting in the way of your own creativity and offer some solutions!
“Thank you so much for what was an incredibly productive, useful and thought provoking working lunch/therapy session” - Ben Milden
“Stu instantly put any nerves I had at bay, we spoke about many aspects of comedy and I found it be really beneficial, if you’re considering trying one of these sessions don’t hesitate! 10/10” - Jon Meehan

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/lunch and book your one-to-one with Stu now!

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Alan Partridge, Armando Iannucci, Audiences, BBC, Channel 4, Chris Morris, comcompod, Comedy, Graham Linehan, Inspiration, Interview, Jobs, Look Around You, Peter Serafinowicz, South Park, Success, The Day Today, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, Whimsy, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Alternative Comedy, Art, Audiences, Awards, BBC4, Best Newcomer, Bill Cosby, Bob Monkhouse, Character, Chris Morris, Clown, comcompod, Comedy, Competitions, Dave (TV channel), Directing, Dr Brown, Eddie Izzard, Edinburgh, Fame, Festival, Festival Comedian, Fosters Comedy Award, Free Fringe, Fringe, Gregg Turkington, Harry Hill, Interview, Isolation, Jobs, John Kearns, London, Mental Health, Neil Hamburger, Onstage Persona, Perrier Comedy Award, Persona, Phil Burgers, Problems, Radio 4, Risk, Soho Theatre, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Success, Tom Allen, Tony Hancock, Twitter, Whimsy, Woody Allen, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes

Returning to stand-up this month with a run at Soho Theatre, after many years working on other projects including his sitcom Plebs, Tom Basden is inventive and prolific, also handsome. We talk about the parallels between the superb musical comedy that won him Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh fringe and his new stand-up, discover Tom's English middle-class-ness and why he's very suited to telling some "guys" to "calm down", and explore whether his work ethic is pathological...

Extras exclusively available to the Insiders Club include some really specific insight into the structuring and writing of Tom's sitcom "Plebs", and the dangers of mining real life events for comedy, and Stu railing at the injustice of how the TV sketch show "Cowards" didn't become better known. Join the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Find details and tickets for Tom's imminent Soho Theatre run:

13/01/20

14/01/20

15/01/20

16/01/20

17/01/20

18/01/20

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Andy Samberg, Arrested Development, BBC, BBC3, Big Train, Cowards, Edinburgh, Emo Phillips, Interview, Jack Black, Pappy’s, Persona, Pleasance, Plebs, Radio, Red Dwarf, Risk, Simon Pegg, Sketch, Soho Theatre, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Stereotypes, student comedy, Success, The Day Today, The Office, The Pleasance, Tim Key, TV, TV Comedy, Whimsy, Will Ferrell, Worth, Writing, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

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

Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club

28/02/20

Cambridge Junction

www.comedianscomedian.com | @Comcompod

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: 30 Rock, Acting, Age, Audiences, Awards, Canada, College, comcompod, Comedy, Criticism, Dark Humour, Directing, Double Act, Edinburgh, Fame, Fear, Festival, First Open Spot, Flo & Joan, Free Fringe, Fringe, Improv, Inspiration, Interview, Jobs, Just For Laughs, Kerry Godliman, Kristen Wiig, Melbourne, Music, Music Videos, Musical Comedy, Netflix, Newsjack, Onstage Persona, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Russell Howard, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Structure, Success, Tim Minchin, Viral, Whimsy, Worth, Writing, YouTube

YouTube-famous glam-rock showpig Chris Fleming has amassed a legion of fans through his brilliantly funny music videos, such as "I'm Afraid To Talk To Men", "Grad-Student Shuffle" and "Polyamorous". We talk about how he found himself drowning in stand-up, and clawed his way back to shore through developing his live work for the internet. We also discuss proving one isn't "a YouTuber", the "restrictive freedom" of comedy, and whether he's a real pariah or just a wannabe...

30mins of extra content available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Chris on his contemporaries from the early days and what it feels like now there are "more freaks than bros" in comedy; his mantra for self-confidence; some more powerful insights into the nature of online comedy; and what he'd do if the internet broke.
Join today at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Chris Fleming on YouTube | chrisflemingfleming.com

FB: chrisflemingfleming | IG: @chrisflemingfleming | TW: @chrisfluming

Get tickets for Stu's tour:

04/11/19

Nottingham Glee Club

08/11/19

Bristol – The Comedy Box at the Hen and Chicken

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

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Chris Fleming, Comedy, Fame, Fear, Festival, Interview, LA, Mental Health, Music, Music Videos, Musical Comedy, St Vincent, Stage Persona, Stand Up, Success, Twitter, USA, Viral, Whimsy, Worth, Writing Jokes, YouTube