The Comedian's Comedian Podcast

With a cut-glass accent that reflects her precision-tooled comedy, Tania Edwards inflicts maximum damage with faint praise. We talk about her process, her practice and her peeves - and learn why you can't have your cake and eat it too... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders Get tickets for Stu Golds...

One of the most inventive comics in Britain, documentary pioneer Dave Gorman gives us a genuinely thorough and methodical analysis of the four (or more) phases of his career. We discuss the TV show he's least proud of, the wince-inducing way he found out a show wasn't re-commissioned, and dig into the critical value of structure (Gorman-esque or otherwise...) Get ad-free new episodes, bonus conten...

Bird-flipping, bumhole-shouting Gein's Family Giftshop are horror-obsessed, wildly inventive and deeply funny. We dig into the internal dynamics of the group, find out why they don't wear wigs, and examine the crucial role played by their unseen fourth member. Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders Ge...

Winner of two UK Barry Awards - voted on by comedians - for his 2015 show "Proper Job", Spencer Jones is a natural born, funny-boned twinkler. Never mind his clowning, props, vocal loops and charming idiocy, he reduces an audience to tears just by walking on to the stage. The hard work and professionalism underpinning the chaos might surprise you... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from int...

With appearances on "Conan", "Letterman" and "Totally Biased", comic firebrand Hari Kondabolu has a lot to say, and the research to back it up. We discuss the New Yorker's politicisation post-9/11; a comic's license to simplify a political argument; and what happens when a healthy social life requires a bit of discretion. Hari also argues passionately against UK comedy's fixation with pr...

With his own Radio Four series and a raft of Mock The Week appearances under his belt, Nathan Caton remains astonishingly down to earth and level-headed. We explore panel-show tactics, discuss using comedy to heal people close to you, and learn how he was dropped by a leading agent out of the blue. He's happy, well-balanced and kind - will Stu manage to crack the bastard?  Get ad-free ne...

Wise beyond his years, the innocent-seeming Matt Kirshen has an extraordinary breadth of experience in UK comedy, even before "Last Comic Standing" introduced him to an American audience. As well as some very vigorous technical analysis, the perky polymath gives us a uniquely transatlantic perspective on how it all works, and goes hog-wild for tagging jokes... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus...

Wickedly spiky and dry as sand, controversy-courting stand-up Jena Friedman has writing credits for "Letterman" and "The Daily Show" under her belt. We discover her unusual origin, as her thesis on Chicago's improv scene drew her into the undertow of the comedy world, and talk in depth about the courage required to "own" difficult material... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from inter...

In at the beginning of alternative comedy, and now a "venerated lefty" and Columnist Of The Year 2015, punchy pundit Mark Steel has lost none of his passion. We discuss his BBC Radio 4 series which pokes fun at the British on a town-by-town basis, learn about the startling revelations of his personal history, and hear how he rubs shoulders with the enemy, backstage at "Question Time"... Get ad-fre...

Stand-up; songwriter; Peep Show's "Dobby"; and under it all still "The girl who jumped off Matlock Bridge for a quid", Isy Suttie applies a psychedelic imagination to her forensic grasp of life's minutiae. We explore the stubbornness that underpins her eccentricity, dissect the word "whimsical", and accidentally vomit into a spiderweb. Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews a...

Alarmingly successful for one so young, tender wee boy Daniel Sloss likes to get his teeth into an argument on stage. We discuss the pleasures and pitfalls of really committing to an angle, as well as learning who urinated on whose bag... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders Get tickets for Stu Gold...

Ronny Chieng is the fastest-rising new comic in Australia, with huge audiences flocking to his shows from the word go. With a boxer's eye for society's weak spots, he's at the forefront of a new generation of comics who plan for global domination. We talk supporting Bill Burr, paying in pizza for the freedom to experiment, and why a show is always a "special"... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus con...

"How dare I not be entertaining!?" One of the world's greatest one-liner comics, Stewart Francis brings his quickfire mind to bear on the podcast, and gets grappling. For a man who claims he has no need to perform, Stewart seems utterly unwilling to let go of the gags, but what starts as a scuffle begins to yield some insight into a professed disdain for self-indulgence. Will we learn mo...

An extraordinary education in stand-up from someone who's been doing it since the seventies! San Francisco-based Will Durst mixes observations about life in one's sixties, as well as political fire-brandery that swirls from column to stage. We talk about: the backbeat of jokes; escaping the responsibilities of adult life; "running twice as fast just to stay in the same place" and getting kicked ou...

An irrepressibly charming personality, Aisling Bea's standup bubbles over with unusual perspectives and ludicrous family stories; few acts have climbed as high as fast. She talks here about finding a balance between her sitcom success and her comedy career, intimidating herself, and loving working... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club...

Introducing Jason Byrne to an audience is like dropping a vitamin tablet into a glass of water; his shows are a masterclass in improvised mayhem. He talks here about the challenges of translating that madness onto TV, examines the structure of a particularly memorable incident in real depth, and also discusses the times when the show hasn't catalysed as he wanted. Get ad-free new episodes, bo...

Known for years as being the guy whose unchecked anger screwed up his career, Dave Anthony has resolved his issues and enjoys a career which straddles standup, podcasting, and being a writer on Maron . We talk about self-sabotage, the dangers of being "solid", and his desire to break with the US tradition of non-themed comedy shows. Has podcasting vanquished the old gatekeepers, and have new ones...

In the second part of our conversation, Jimmy Pardo discusses his incredibly successful "Never Not Funny" podcast, the super fans who regularly go to great lengths to see the show, and the "misfitness" of the podcast audience. That's you people. We love you.  Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.c...

Sick of being told he was the funniest guy off-stage, something had to change for lightning-fast wise-cracker Jimmy Pardo. Fortunately it did, and he became the "self-deprecating blowhard" America knows and loves today. We talk about the pros and cons of opening for Conan O'Brien, and explore the irresistible allure of TV, even in the face of new media. But can you ever escape feeli...

In this second part of our conversation, blisteringly funny Todd Glass issues a passionate call to people to "keep evolving". He also details the cash wager with comedian David Cross that saw him push a piece of material to its limits, and reveals a cunning plan for some technological trickery to make his arguments onstage more resonant... Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews an...

Todd Glass is a runaway train; stoked by righteous anger, coupled together by a natural warmth. Known for coming out of the closet some thirty years into his career, he talks here about the ramifications of that announcement, his propensity to be "always on", and how rage can fuel liberalism. Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www....

Charismatic, stubborn and powerful, Jackie Kashian might have started off life as a "spooky reading girl", but is now the rallying champion of nerd comedy. Head Ranger of The Dork Forest podcast, and writing partner of Maria Bamford, she produces very funny and robust material that stands up for the weakest in society. But how can you become a Zen comic like her? Get ad-free new episodes, bonus co...

Having chosen possibly the only career where his good looks can count against him, comedy- and creativity-addict Joel defies those who would write him off as an MTV jawline. We get stuck into his moving, inventive and hilarious solo shows and their tricksy relationship with the truth, and discuss whether comedy has to stand up in court. We also meet his collaborator Steve Dunne, and learn the rule...

One of the most recognisable faces in UK comedy, Matt Lucas charts his journey from Shooting Stars' improvising baby-grow nutcase George Dawes, to the double-act with David Walliams that made him a household name, to his most recent foray into purely physical comedy Pompidou . We explore his writing and creative process, and as well as unpacking the controversy surrounding Little Britain and Come...

Canadian comic Mae Martin combines sparkling punchlines and disarming candour in her deeply personal standup. We talk about her startling origin as an audience volunteer, gender politics, and we investigate her responsibility or otherwise to her audience. Get ad-free new episodes, bonus content from interviews and much more by joining the Insiders Club at www.comedianscomedian.com/insiders Get tic...