Bear-like in stature and authority and nimble of wit, Pierre Novellie is a fantastic comedian and writer who wrings every punchline out of his routines.  We talk about how his origins in Johannesburg and the Isle Of Man make him an “outsider expert” on the English, and discover why he deliberately obscured his vice-presidency of Cambridge Footlights. We talk about his early assumptions that he was somehow low status on stage; explore his body of work, and attitudes to risk and certainty; and discover the perils of “getting your bum out too early”…

A belting 40 mins of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club features Pierre and Stu sharing their tips on how to survive corporate gigs, with advice on material selection, mindset and how to think about the money in the right way. Also Stu reads some of Pierre’s reviews back to him - the monster! - and we learn about authenticity, and how to wring all of the topics out of a joke…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

Catch up with Pierre Novellie:
www.pierrenovellie.com
TW/IG: @pierrenovellie
Pierre is co-host of @TheBudPod with Mr Phil Wang
Watch Pierre’s sketch show CUTS here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZMCN60lVA

Everything Stu's up to:
TW/IG: @ComComPod
www.comedianscomedian.com

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.stuartgoldsmith.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.
“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

“The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you."  - Ben Gott (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Age, Audiences, Awards, BBC, comcompod, Corona, Corporate Gigs, Corporate Work, COVID-19, Dave (TV channel), Dylan Moran, Edinburgh, Eshaan Akbar, Festival, Footlights, Fringe, Futile Attempts, Garrett Millerick, Geoff Norcott, Ian Cognito, Interview, Jeff Dunham, Jon Robins, London, Mark Olver, Matt Ewings, Mental Health, Mike Gunn, Nish Kumar, Onstage Persona, Persona, Phil Wang, Pierre Novellie, Radio, Reviews, Stage Persona, Success, The Mash Report, TV

Comments: No Comments

Everything Stu's up to: This podcast is @ComComPod on Twitter and Instagram www.comedianscomedian.com   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.stuartgoldsmith.com   Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.   “It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!” - Maria Kuzak, (Fundraising Manager at CALM)   "The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you."  - Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)     For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, comcompod, Corona, COVID-19, Persona, Podcasting, Stage Persona, Stuart Goldsmith, Success, SXSW

Comments: No Comments

A quite brilliant stand-up, with gloriously unique and surprising one-liners, Aaron Chen started comedy incredibly young, and was already working to shed every ounce of hackery while still in his teens. As well as his deeply alt roots and proclivity to experiment with comedy forms, he is also a master of the internally collapsing vox pop, pushing through the soul-crushing rejections to a place of genuine brilliance.

We talk about his early experiments with ultra-awkwardness, his astounding YouTube figures, why he searches for the one-line joke in every story, and discover why he never performs in Chinese, despite his huge Chinese audience.

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.

Follow Aaron:
TW @aaronch3n
IG @chennylifestyle
Wisdom School with Aaron Chen (Adult Swim)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUdPv8VmH5c

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

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.stuartgoldsmith.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”
- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

“The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 
- Ben Gott (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Adult Swim, Age, Art, Audiences, Australia, Awards, Interview, Melbourne, Mitch Hedburg, One Liners, Onstage Persona, Persona, Russell Peters, Stage Persona, Stewart Lee, Structure, Success

Comments: No Comments

CW: Discussion of transphobia by people who aren’t affected by it.

Adam Rowe is a killer. Huge punchlines, banging material that draws screams and whoops from his crowd, and a laser-like focus on achieving his ambitions. But what does his urge to defend controversial opinions for fun cost him, or indeed his audience?

We talk at length about whether or not his “Victoria’s Secret” routine is transphobic, and whether getting the laugh is more important than a moral or ethical stance. We also cover whether aiming to be the best is enough to stay happy, the origins of his very shrewd “Club Comic” special, and where his drive comes from.

30 mins of extras available exclusively to the Insiders Club features Adam on the smash hit success of his and Dan Nightingale’s “Have A Word” podcast; some great insights into his writing process; and why he assumes he has ADHD.

 

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

Catch up with Adam Rowe:

Have a word podcast - https://haveaword.page/

TW @adamrowecomedy

www.adamrowe.co.uk

IG @adamrowecomedian

“Club Comic” www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9E5NYKOBdk

Everything Stu's up to:

This podcast is @ComComPod on Twitter and Instagram

www.comedianscomedian.com

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.stuartgoldsmith.com

Stu’s “Virtual Office Party” is now available as the perfect solution to remote-working office parties, sales conferences, motivational and wellbeing events.

“It was an absolutely hysterical and wonderful evening, for both those partaking and everyone watching online!”

- Maria Kuzak (Fundraising Manager at CALM)

The games and interactive element were hilarious and extremely well executed! 10/10 from us, you created a real buzz in our business, thank you." 

- Ben Gott, (SVP at Merkle)

For more info on how this unique concept can bring your staff together while working apart, go to www.stuartgoldsmith.com

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Adam Rowe, Audiences, Awards, Bethany Black, Bill Burr, comcompod, Comedy Store, Compere, Controversy, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Jason Manford, Paul Smith, Peter Kay, Richard Pryor, Risk, Stage Persona, Success, YouTube

Comments: No Comments

A consummate compere, wielding her natural warmth and blunt honesty to devastating effect, Thanyia Moore has pulled off something extraordinary - a slot on Mock the Week before she debuts her first hour. We discuss her lack of love for writing, and the inverse pressure of a post-TV debut, as well as her secret game-plan for comedy and beyond. We also talk about whether the change in UK comedy industry booking policy as a response to Black Lives Matter is meaningful or temporary; spotting accidentally radicalised language in reviews; and how to tell when you’ve just done some good acting…

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.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acaster, Acting, Age, Athena Kugblenu, Audiences, comcompod, COVID-19, Dane Baptiste, Edinburgh, Interview, Katherine Ryan, Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Stage Persona, Success, Whoopi Goldberg, Writing Jokes, Writing On Stage

Comments: No Comments

Superbly funny and effortlessly real on stage, Harriet Kemsley grew up scared of saying the wrong thing and making mistakes, but after trying stand-up at the suggestion of her parents, found in it the ability to embrace both her failures and her self. We talk about coping with having your debut show critically mauled; the self-control beneath the dizziness that people often assume of her; and crying at failing at clowning.

20 mins of extra content from this interview is available exclusively to the Insiders Club! We discover Harriet’s process for the roast of her husband, fellow comedian Bobby Mair, and her appearance on Live at the Apollo; discover why men often assume she needs help; and how she’s ageing into her persona. Plus, we finally get to the bottom of what she really thought of New York…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Acting, Audiences, Bobby Mair, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Katherine Ryan, Live At The Apollo, London, Romesh Ranganathan, Stage Persona, Success

Comments: No Comments

You might know brilliantly witty and wise singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton as the writer of the Portal theme “Still Alive”, or from his many viral hits, albums, huge tours, or even his fan-cruise…

We talk about "JoCo’s" Thing-A-Week project and how it (combined with a timely fascination for crowd-funding) propelled him from a software career, to one of the kings of online creativity. We also discuss the pros and cons of aiming for viral success, his tool-kit for uncovering catchiness in his music, and why he secretly finds it hard to rock authentically.

32 mins of extra content from this interview is available exclusively to the Insiders Club! /,br> We discover Jonathan’s manifesto on art and commerce, and how the book Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig informs it; learn how many fans you need to make a cruise happen; and find out what moderation is necessary to keep the space safe for risk…

Go to www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders for this and much more, including the exclusive Insiders Q&As with Nish Kumar, James Acaster and Fern Brady and the incredible “self-help for comedians” special with Amanda Donnet.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Bo Burnham, Interview, JoCo, Success, USA

Comments: No Comments

A ramshackle prospective who's who (also: when's when and where's where) for this year's truncated Edinburgh Fringe. Feels nice. Might see you there.

LISTEN HERE

Filed Under: Audiences, Carl Hutchinson, comcompod, Corona, COVID-19, Daniel Sloss, Dara O'Briain, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, The Pleasance, The Stand

Comments: No Comments