Host of Live at the Apollo, and with her own Netflix special under her belt, not to mention The Mash Report and appearances on QI and Mock The Week, Ellie Taylor is a born comedian who revels in the dynamic between glamour and grotesque. We discuss her unique introduction to comedy via reality show, how her happy life outside of comedy protects her, the weird science of writing and why she "can't do clever topics"...

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

Ellie is on tour with her new show "Don't Got This" from 26th September, get tickets and info here: https://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/ellie-taylor-tickets

www.ellietaylorcomedy.com | @elliejanetaylor

Catch the second leg of Stu's "End Of" tour show:

05/10/19
Edinburgh Stand (early show – 5pm)

11/10/19
Northampton Royal and Derngate

25/10/19
Teignmouth Pavillions

26/10/19
Swindon Arts Centre

04/11/19
Nottingham Glee Club

05/11/19
Birmingham 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

28/02/20
Cambridge Junction

comedianscomedian.com | @ComComPod

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Edinburgh, Interview, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Open Spot, Patrick Monahan, Persona, Radio 4, Sara Pascoe, Show Me The Funny, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Success, Tiffany Stevenson, Tom Allen, TV, TV Comedy, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

Vikki Stone is a polymentalist, which is like a polymath for instruments. You'll all be using it soon...
Combining pinpoint observations with an innate compositional ability, not to mention all those tangible musical skills, she's underscoring set-ups and key-changing punchlines until your ribs hurt. We talk about side-hustles, captivity and the tricks of the trade, and find out why you're wrong about panto...

Tickets for Vikki's show Song Bird at the Ed Fringe

www.vikkistone.com | @VikkiStone

Tickets for my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Al Murray, Alan Partridge, Audiences, Corporate Gigs, Corporate Work, Directing, Drama School, Edinburgh, Festival, Festival Comedian, First Open Spot, Fringe, Inspiration, Interview, Isolation, Jobs, Mental Health, Micky Flanagan, Money, Music, Musical, Musical Comedy, Nick Helm, Persona, Pleasance, Podcasting, Radio 4, Reviews, Risk, Sarah Millican, Stage Persona, Stephen Fry, Stereotypes, Structure, Success, The John Bishop Show, The Pleasance, The Pub Landlord, Tim Minchin, TV, Twitter, Victoria Wood, Vikki Stone, Whimsy, YouTube

The giddily funny star of Crashing, You Made It Weird and his eponymous sketch and chat show, Pete Holmes lets his effervescent personality bubble over from the word go. We talk about his unerring ability to make the insanity of existence as funny as it is accessible, uncover how to embrace the coolness of uncoolness, and basically learn the meaning of life. This one is just amazing, enjoy!

peteholmes.com | @peteholmes

Tickets for my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Beth Stelling, Bill Cosby, Fame, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jeff Dunham, Jerry Seinfeld, Jobs, John Mulaney, Judd Apatow, Just For Laughs, Live, Mainstream, Maria Bamford, Mental Health, Money, Netflix, Onstage Persona, Patton Oswalt, Persona, Pete Holmes, Podcasting, Seinfeld, Sketch, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Structure, Success, The Colbert Report, TV, TV Comedy, Twitter, USA, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube, Zach Galifianakis

Almost certainly the comedian with the most online content in the world, Paul Smith has uploaded over 1000 short clips of his crowdwork at Liverpool's Hot Water Comedy Club, and caught a wave of success he could never have imagined. We talk about the moment he nearly lost control of his 8000-strong hometown arena show, why he doesn't want or need TV exposure, and how he feels about the prospect of being credited as the originator of certain stock material and structures...

30 mins of extras available by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders including Paul's advice for comics aiming to follow in his footsteps, his very early TV work in a standup competition, and how he manages to retain his resistance to pressure.

Paul's Youtube clips | @paulisthejoker | Paul's upcoming Hot Water gigs

Tickets for my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Awards, Compere, Compere/MC/Hosting, Competitions, Dan Nightingale, Daniel Kitson, Heckles, Hot Water, Improv, Interview, Jobs, Liverpool, Mainstream, Markus Birdman, Onstage Persona, Open Spot, Persona, Risk, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Storytelling, Structure, Success, TV, Twitter, Viral, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, XS Malarkey, YouTube

I said it and I'm sticking with it: Russell Hicks is a risk-taking ball of fire. Making a conscious choice to bet the house on every gig, he eschews material in favour of 100% riffing, with explosive results. We explore the economic consequences of approaching a set like a game of pinball in an industry based on reliability, dig into his use of comic muscle memory, and find out why he paints on a cave wall and not a canvas...

Extra material available exclusively to members of the Insiders Club includes Russell on why he chose the UK over America, how it felt to be told he wouldn't succeed whilst succeeding, and the suggestion other comics always make to him... and why he ignores it. Join up at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders

Find Russell's comedy album, consisting of three different hours recorded in Edinburgh 2016 at www.russellhicks.co.uk

See my show Primer at this year's Edinburgh Fringe

@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Alex Edelman, Alternative Comedy, Audience Participation, Audiences, Awards, Bill Hicks, Bob Slayer, Comedy Store, Daniel Kitson, Dave Chappelle, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jobs, John Gordillo, Johnny Vegas, Lenny Bruce, London, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Mental Health, Money, Netflix, Onstage Persona, Persona, Phil Kay, Reviews, Ross Noble, Russell Hicks, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, USA, Viral, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

Beloved of her fans, and radiating a genuine adoration for people, Bec Hill fizzes with comic creativity. We talk about how she lost and refound her sense of play, and explore the relationship between her faith, her self-critical voice and her work. We also cover the difference between a nerd, a geek and a dork; and talk fringe shows, flipcharts and whether she peaked at Piaf...

Extra material exclusively available to members of the Insiders Club includes:

• Her biggest challenge with social media and the surprising reason she no longer posts jokes
• How Bec dealt with a new act reproducing a very specific aspect of her style and what she fears from big business
• Bec and Stu share some more private stuff about what success means to us both.

And come and see me at the Ed Fringe
@ComComPod | www.comedianscomedian.com

This episode was recorded at The Cheese Comedy Club, Bristol

www.facebook.com/thecheesecomedyclub/ | cheesecomedy.club | @cheese_comedy

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Actor, Adelaide, Audiences, Australia, Awards, Bec Hill, Eddie Izzard, Edinburgh, Ego, Equality, Fear, Festival, Festival Comedian, Fringe, Gaming, Gender, Glee Club, Hannah Gadsby, Improv, Interview, Jobs, Josie Long, Mental Health, Onstage Persona, Persona, Plagiarism, Reviews, School, Stage Persona, Storytelling, Structure, Success, Twitter, Viral, Whimsy, Writing Jokes, YouTube

Creator and host of the Guilty Feminist podcast, Deborah Frances-White is a phenomenally energetic woman on a mission. A former Jehovah's Witness, she now leads her own army of followers, employing the machinery of business to liberate and entertain, and to inspire genuine activism. We explore how improv conquers repression, go into detail on the genesis of her extraordinary podcast and its roadmap for the future, and she exhorts the listener to make your own model.

Extras available only to members of the Insiders Club include two incredible pieces of advice: one on how to pass pretty much any interview for anything, and the other on how as a comedian she nipped bitterness in the bud. Plus some truly brilliant coaching on why and how to create your own model for success.... Join now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders 

Her movie Say My Name is out on 23rd April, go to guiltyfeminist for tickets and details.

deborahfrances-white.com | @DeborahFW | guiltyfeminist.com

Get tickets to my new tour dates at www.comedianscomedian.com/tour or on any of the following venues below:

27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican

9-11/05/2019 Soho Theatre, London

05/10/19 Edinburgh Stand (early show – 5pm)

11/10/19 Northampton Royal and Derngate

25/10/19 Teignmouth Pavillions

26/10/19 Swindon Arts Centre

04/11/19 Nottingham Glee Club

05/11/19 Birmingham 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

28/02/20 Cambridge Junction

@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com

Charity Gig Shout-out!

On Monday 13th May, help support women, children, mothers and babies in the world’s poorest communities. Tickets for this gala line-up featuring loads of past ComCom guests and more besides can be got at the Leicester Square Theatre website or www.womenandchildrenfirst.org.uk/comedy

Comics new and old!

Check out www.comedy.co.uk/pro to see everything British Comedy Guide has to offer you and your career: curate your online profile on the most-visited website about UK comedy; get involved at the opportunities hub; and access exclusive articles about performing, writing and producing!

Don't forget to use the code COMCOM to get £5 off your membership.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Audience Participation, Audiences, Australia, BBC4, Bridget Christie, Diversity, Dr Who, Drama School, Drinking, Feminism, Feminist, Fern Brady, Festival, First Open Spot, Fringe, Gender, Hannah Gadsby, Interview, Jobs, Josie Long, Katherine Ryan, Leicester Square Theatre, London, Marcus Brigstocke, Mental Health, Miranda Hart, Persona, Podcasting, Risk, Sara Pascoe, Sarah Millican, Sofie Hagen, Stage Persona, Structure, Success, Suzi Ruffell, The Guardian, The Guilty Feminist, TV, Twitter, Victoria Wood, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage, YouTube

In a double first for the podcast we speak not only across a transatlantic internet connection but also to our first critic! But Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw is unlike any other; a fast-talking and acerbic eviscerator of computer games, his hilarious "Zero Punctuation" reviews regularly attract downloads in the millions, while his sci-fi and fantasy novels have garnered critical acclaim. We discuss world-building, why games lend themselves to horror more than comedy, and cover investment, anxiety and shouting rude words. 

Extras: Yahtzee explores his comedy influences, his one attempt at standup and explains the iterative process behind his videos. Sign up now at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders 

@YahtzeeCroshaw | Youtube | Zero Punctuation | Yahtzee's Blog

Get tickets to my new tour dates at www.comedianscomedian.com/tour or on any of the following venues below:

13/03/2019 Salisbury Art Centre

20/03/2019 Cheltenham Playhouse

29/03/2019 Crawley -The Hawth

05/04/2019 Reading – South Street Arts

12/04/2019 Leamington Spa - Royal Spa Centre

17/04/2019 Oxford Old Fire Station

19/04/2019 Bromsgrove – The Artix

27/04/2019 Plymouth Barbican

9-11/05/2019 Soho Theatre, London

05/10/19 Edinburgh Stand (early show – 5pm)

11/10/19 Northampton Royal and Derngate

25/10/19 Teignmouth Pavillions

26/10/19 Swindon Arts Centre

04/11/19 Nottingham Glee Club

05/11/19 Birmingham 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

28/02/20 Cambridge Junction

@comcompod | www.comedianscomedian.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Character, Character Comedy, Charlie Brooker, Eddie Izzard, Ego, Fame, First Open Spot, Gaming, Horror, Interview, Isolation, Jobs, Mental Health, Mogworld, Monty Python, Open Mic, Persona, Podcasting, Problems, Reviews, Risk, Stage Persona, Stereotypes, Success, Writing Jokes, YouTube, Zero Punctuation