87 – John Hastings
John Hastings has the soul of an alt comic, hiding between the power-chords of a bullet-headed club-jockey.
He describes in detail how the Canadian circuit differs to the UK, and we talk about the two different types of bombing, his unusual writing technique, and how it feels to do well in a tough room but regret the choices you made…
Filed Under: 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Canada, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Have I Got News For You, Imran Yusuf, Interview, Jongleurs, Josh Widdicombe, Michael McIntyre, Mock The Week, Montreal Comedy Festival, Nick Helm, Patton Oswalt, The Comedy Store, The Pleasance Cellar, Tony Law
73 – Max And Ivan (Live)
To call Max and Ivan a comedy double-act with a narrative doesn't really do justice to this pair of rubber-faced, multi-voiced storytellers, who have a penchant for sneaking actual theatre into their work.
They've only recently quit their day-jobs, but with a run of international festival appearances and award nominations under their belt, it seems to be working out – you could literally just slap them. Here, the boys outline their writing and rehearsal process, who gets final say over the editing, and which one of them has a google alert for their own reviews…
Filed Under: Bo Burnham, Daniel Kitson, Double Act, Dum Show, Edinburgh, Festival, Fosters Comedy Award, Fringe, Holmes And Watson, Interview, Live, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Nick Helm, Radio 4, Reviews, Sketch, Tim Key, Tom Parry, TV Comedy
65 – Nick Helm (Live)
Nick Helm grunts and sweats his way through a hilarious hurricane of jokes, songs, poetry and swearing, all the while undergoing a total emotional breakdown on stage.
We encounter the soft-spoken and articulate theatre-maker behind the heavy metal mask, exploring how he structures his epic shows, the origin of his bombast, and his feelings on his starring role in BBC3's "Uncle".
Filed Under: Angelos Epithemiou, BBC3, David Trent, Evel Knievel, Interview, James Acaster, Jimmy Carr, Joel Dommett, John Lydon, Josie Long, Leicester Comedy Festival, Live, Live At The Electric, Nick Helm, Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment, Poetry, Uncle
28 – James Acaster (Live)
He might look like he's just won a Duke of Edinburgh Award, but he's got a mean streak a mile wide… In this special episode recorded live after a 30min performance, thrillingly talented "Slim Jimmy" Acaster reveals the difference between his real self and his onstage persona.
We discuss sensitivity to the direction in which one's audience want to be taken, and also explore how James overcame the need for truth in his material, by hiding under a bush in a dress.
Filed Under: Daniel Kitson, Edinburgh, Festival, Fringe, Interview, Josh Widdicombe, Josie Long, Live, Milton Jones, Nick Helm, Observational Comedy, Phil Kay, Phoenix Nights, Radio 4, Richard Herring, Russell Howard, Storytelling, Touring Comedian
15 – Josh Widdicombe (Live)
Josh Widdicombe is a rising star on the UK circuit, with a host of competition wins and nominations to his name.
He's also a champion of pure observational comedy, and here articulates in fascinating depth the process by which he creates and structures his material. But is his main drive really "fear and negativity"?
Filed Under: #Hypothetical, Dave, Dave (TV channel), Edinburgh, Fear, Festival, Fringe, Holly Walsh, Hypothetical, Interview, Jack Dee, James Acaster, Jon Richardson, Live, Michael McIntyre, Nick Helm, Nish Kumar, Observational Comedy, Rhona Cameron, Seann Walsh, Show Me The Funny, Stage Persona, Stewart Lee, Structure, Tom Craine