Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (RHLSTP)

Book Club #130 -  Picnic on Craggy Island - Richard talks to ex radio and TV producer and now successful novelist Lissa Evans about her fab book of reminiscences about working on Father Ted. They discuss what it is that a producer actually does (which is an awful lot as it turns out), how Lissa went from fan girl to producing the second and third series of this iconic...

#550 Julian Clary’s Glittery Balls -  Rich pays tribute to a former guest who we have very sadly lost, but is trying to look on the bright side too and get some laughs as is only right at the death of a comedian. His guest is alive at time of recording, Nish Kumar. They talk about the new Tory leader (at time of recording) and how they compare with the sexiness of previous head honc...

#350 Docking - Richard had written an actual joke and been dreaming of tiny animal attacks, plus performing music in quite an unusual way. His guest it arguably a more accomplished musician - it’s the impossibly cool and talented Louise Wener.  They discuss the similarities of their experiences of school and the 90s, what it’s like to appear on Top of the Pops (and the impossibility of both o...

Book Club #129 - A Voyage Around The Queen - Richard talks to journalist Craig Brown about his fantastic biography of Queen Elizabeth II, A Voyage Around the Queen. They discuss his glorious tangential approach to biography which he’s already used to great effect in books on Princess Margaret and the Beatles, how the Queen in an alternate universe might have been a more anonymous fi...

#549 Noleros -  Richard has taken on a huge personal challenge for charity that might affect his ability to do his job (so what was the excuse before?). His guest is crossword compiler (though we never mention that) Dave Gorman. They talk about a jacket potato based autobiography, who the Queen is, how trying to save the planet could help terrorists, why he’s returned to Modern Life...

Book Club #128 - Don’t Make Me Laugh - Richard talks to journalist Julia Raeside about her debut novel Don’t Make Me Laugh about the dark side of the comedy industry and the coercive vampiric narcissists who can inhabit it. It’s a lively chat about how comedy attracts emotionally stunted performers and emotionally vulnerable fans and the grey areas that can be created and explo...

#547 The Higher the Hair -  Rich has had a bit of trouble getting to the theatre tonight as if he didn’t have enough to put up with being roasted by his kids. But he’s here and ready to give as good as he gets with the fabulous and wise Milton Jones. They chat about bat boxes, falling off stage, turning 60, Sting’s pulling power, what it would be like to be handsome, Tricorn hats, r...

Book Club #127 - The Centrist Dad Handbook - Rich chats to Nico Tatarowicz about the book he cowrote with Jason Hazeley, The Centrist Dad’s Handbook. What is a Centrist Dad? Is it essentially just Rich? Why is this a stereotype that seems both fair and ripe for the picking? Is it really so bad to be someone who compromises and what does it have to say about the state of masculinity in ge...

This very special episode is brought to you in paid partnership with Cancer Research UK. At the end of last year, myself, Matt Forde and Mark Steel sat down to have a frank, raw, funny and open conversation about something that has affected us all - cancer. We were later joined by Dr Sam Godfrey, the Science Engagement Lead at Cancer Research UK, who gave us invaluable insight into...

#547 Armadillo -  Richard is lonely enough to consider taking up cycling, but is he prepared to cycle 47 miles to end up where he started? His guest is posho stand up Ivo Graham. They discuss the biscuity temptations of writers’ rooms, a dangerously unfocused attitude towards Wordle, disastrous appearances on the Weakest Link, how you can’t really dine out forever on a 15 year old c...

Book Club #126 - Munichs - Richard dials up Japan to talk to one of his favourite writers David Peace about his book about the Munich Air Disaster, Munichs. They talk about how David’s father made him want to cover this harrowing story, after his funnier books about Brian Clough and Bill Shankly, the delicate balance of combining history and imagination to create this relentless and mesmerisi...

#546 Smash or Pass?  Richard is considering becoming a sex worker, but there’s a line he will not cross. His guest is hilarious newcomer Chelsea Birkby. They chat about what it's like to do support in big theatres (and in your home town), making a gimmick of unusual physical features, the blurred area between objectification and flattery, being made to dress up as a baby by a Frenchman,...

Book Club #125 - The Peepshow - Dip My Brain In Joy - Richard chats to Yvonne Innes about her fabulous and moving book about her fabulous husband, Neil Innes, Dip My Brain In Joy. They talk about Neil’s amazing and wide-ranging career, his freewheeling personality which may not have made him the greatest businessman, but probably meant he had a lot more fun and joy in his life, the...

#545 Who Chooses The Sperm?  Richard is back in Birmingham, after having iodine squirted through his veins (for some reason). His guest is Twitter sensation and fine stand up comedian Josh Pugh. They talk about how lockdown led to his hilarious videos on social media, his many caps for England, the Atherstone Purge, the disappointment of hosting the coverage of the Paris Paraly...

Retro 88 - Carry On Cocaining - Richard is worried that his comments about a royal might lead to his ultimate demise... buy he's more worried about extreme vaginal temperatures. He's got two great gigs to distract his lazy ass, Isma Almas and Tony Slattery. With Isma he discusses how it's possible to tick too many boxes, performing in a burkha, why comedy is the perfect job if you hate working and...

Book Club #124 - The Peepshow - Richard talks to former obituary writer, Kate Summerscale about her fantastic book about murder and post-war London, Kate Summerscale. They discuss whether the crimes of Christie are as familiar to younger people as they were to us in our childhoods, how you approach writing about such a gruesome and sensitive subject and the modern day events th...

#544 Is This About Up the Arse? -  Richard returns to Birmingham Town Hall for another couple of weeks of Brum based podcasts. His guest this week is Twitter sensation, Ruth Husko. They discuss how she has shared some great comedy on the moribund social media channel and why she got banned from it, the cockfighting of Wednesbury, why Freddie Starr is schmokin’, Richard’s plan to win the...

Book Club #123 - You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here - In the first of a new series of Book Club Richard talks to psychiatrist and former stand up Benji Waterhouse (if that is his real name) about his terrific memoir about working for the NHS and the importance of prioritising mental health. They discuss how to treat this subject with humour and sensitivity, as well as providing y...

#543 House of Losers   - Richard has had a worrying dream, but what can it all mean? His guest is an alien from outer space and not a man in an impressive but ridiculous costume, the artist formerly known as Lord Buckethead, Count Binface. They discuss his reasons for travelling light years to take on sitting Prime Ministers in UK elections, some of his excellent policies involving hand...

Best of 2024 - Part 6 - And there we have it, the final Best of 2024 compilation episode. This time, guests include Tommy Cannon talking about his partnership with Bobby Ball, and Peter Serafinowicz on his optimism about technology fusing with art. If you're getting tired of all this looking back, don't worry - new episodes start up again next Wednesday! If you prefer this to the normal podcasts,...

Best of 2024 - Part 5 - IIIT'S NEEEW YEEAAAR'S! Don't celebrate too hard - surely now more than ever we should be looking back on the ups and downs of 2024. But especially the ups, and especially 2024 viewed through the lens of RHLSTP releases. This time, guests include Tommy Tiernan talking about how he thrives in stressful environments like The Tommy Tiernan Show, and Charlotte Church on how her...

Best of 2024 - Part 4 - It's not Christmas any more. But here's another RHLSTP compilation! This time, guests include Jon Ronson on the time he stayed up all night with real-life superhero Phoenix Jones, and Neil Hannon talking about his cricket album The Duckworth Lewis Method - plus, the Edinburgh Fringe run begins! See a live recording of RHLSTP - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE S...

Best of 2024 - Part 3 - IIIT was just CHRIIIISTMAAAS! Why not take some time to relax, play with your new Scalextric, and listen to your eighth favourite podcast? This time, guests include Bob Mortimer talking about The Satsuma Complex and a new off-the-cuff TV concept, and Rob Brydon on meeting Paul McCarney with Steve Coogan. See a live recording of RHLSTP - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUP...

Best of 2024 - Part 2 - IIIT'S CHRIIIISTMAAAS! And we are continuing our fortnight-long trawl through every episode that was released this year (2024). This time, we hear about Julia Sawalha's relationship with Rich, and Ross Noble's coincidentally Christmassy game of weed charades - and much more besides. See a live recording of RHLSTP - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch o...

Best of 2024 - Part 1 - IIIT'S nearly CHRIIIISTMAAAS! And we are choosing to look back on the year as any self-respecting podcast should - by putting out a series of highlights from every episode that released in 2024. That said, this time, we're still within the episodes that were recorded in 2023 - including Lee Mack talking about being in the secret Inside No. 9 episode "3 By 3", and Steve Pemb...