In this podcast I ask the big questions, What is comedy? Who is it, and why is it? To help me I’ve enlisted the help of comedians, performers, promoters, and fans like myself, to discuss what comedy means to them, and to sum all their experience up in a nutshell. Please remember to like, subscribe, rate, review and share. Thank you! For information about me and the more than 1600 comedians I’ve seen live over the last 40+ years, as well as links to upcoming live comedy shows and more, visit my website www.thecomedynerd.com
Episodes
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
In this episode I spoke with stand-up comedian Robyn Perkins, who talked about science, being ready for competitions, when cocktails are or are not funny, and deciding who to be.
Instagram @RobynHPerkins
Twitter @RobynHPerkins
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
In this episode I spoke with stand-up comedian Adele Cliff, who talked about one-liners, working with a director, zoom gigs, writer's rooms, her new Edinburgh show and her forthcoming podcast.
I was first charmed by Adele Cliff's wit and whimsy when I saw her show "Undershare" at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, then I saw her at the 2020 Leicester Comedy Festival in the mixed bill "A Punchline Hour" and of course she won that year's UK Pun Championship. In the year that followed I was not deprived of her joke-writing skill as her multiple appearances with the UK Pun Off among others, kept me fed with quick quips. Adele's show "In The Dark", which we talk about in this episode, I first saw her working on for the 2021 online Leicester Comedy Festival and it was at the second outing of this the following year that we finally met. It was a pleasure to have this chat with Adele Cliff because she is as clever as she is funny, and as engaging as she is entertaining.
Instagram @AdeleCliffcomedy
Twitter @AdeleCliff
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Monday Jul 18, 2022
In this episode I spoke to blogger, podcaster and comedy fan Richard Gill, who talked about his earliest comedy shows, the Edinburgh festival, making the comedian laugh, and saying positive things.
I think I finally ran into Richard Gill at the Water Rats in North London in 2021, at one of Vix Leyton's excellent Comedy Arcade panel shows. Rich and I were well aware of each other's comedy pedigree by then and despite being surrounded by Vix Leyton, Rich Wilson, Robin Ince and Robin Morgan, we spend most of the remainder of the evening chatting with each other. Since then we've become firm friends in comedy and run into each other constantly, but now that we recognise each other, we can stop for a drink and a long dialogue about the exciting comedy we've seen since we last met.
His blog "A Rich Comic Life" in which he archives the many shows he has seen over the years, has been called "a rare and wonderful thing" and it's a pleasure to know someone who loves live comedy (almost) as much as I do.
Instagram @R.W.Gill
Twitter @rw_gill
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
In this episode I spoke with stand-up comedian Vix Leyton, who talked about her first 100 gigs, learning while on stage, women in comedy, starting out in promoting, reverse auctions, and MC-ing for Women and Children First.
By the time I first met the wonderful Vix Leyton in a field at the Cambridge Comedy Festival in July of 2021, we were aware of each other from our interactions on Instagram and her varied appearances on Zoom comedy shows. Since then I've had the pleasure of seeing Vix perform at various venues all around London, Brighton, Leicester and Edinburgh.
An assured stand-up comedian and an ebullient panel host, Vix Leyton is a constant delight. She is vivacious and full of life and a joy to be around.
Instagram @VixLeyton
Twitter @VixLeyton
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
In this episode I spoke with stand-up comedian Aidan Goatley, who talked about Billy Connelly, his 5-star Edinburgh show 10 Films With My Dad, his 2022 Edinburgh show Tenacious, and being nice.
I saw "10 Films with My Dad" at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe and thoroughly enjoyed it, something I should've expected given that it had been a huge hit at the Fringe year after year since 2011. I met Aidan after he performed his show "Tenacious" at the 2022 Hastings Comedy Festival , and spent I-don't-know-how-long just chatting about comedy and his shows. He is an unassuming performer with a genuine passion for niceness and a warmth and generosity of spirit that is evident in his performance and conversation. It is my pleasure to have had the chance to speak with him and I sincerely hope to spend time in his company again.
Instagram @goataid
Twitter @MrAidanGoatley
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
In this episode I spoke with stand-up comedian Lorraine Hoodless, who talked about getting what you need from a work in progress, theme nights, her 2022 Edinburgh show "Bumpy", and being inclusive.
During the Lockdown of 2020 and on into 2021, Lorraine Hoodless was a regular fixture on my household calendar with her Instagram shows "Cock-Tagi-Con", and later work in progress streams for "According to Everyone Else". I found her easy charm and ready wit engaging and her conversation in this episode is intelligent, forthright and delightful.
Update: I was delighted to finally see Lorraine Hoodless perform live at 2022's Edinburgh Fringe in her show "Bumpy". It was a fun show and Lorraine was as vibrant and charming as I've come to expect. It was a true pleasure to chat with her face to face and I hope to see her perform again soon.
Instagram @LorraineHoodless
Twitter @lorrainecomedy
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
In this episode I spoke with rising stand-up comedian Alice-India, who talked about her approach to comedy, her stage persona, and also about her experiences with shady characters on the comedy circuit.
I first became aware of Alice-India when she was a finalist at the 2021 2Northdown New Comedian of the Year, but it was at her 45 minute work in progress "Be Brave (or Whatever)" at the Caroline of Brunswick for the 2022 Brighton Fringe that I saw first hand her comedy prowess. In this show she was looking for new friends and was obvious that she'd found some in her audience, a fact I communicated to her after the show.
Update: After this episode came out, I revisited the show "Be Brave (or Whatever)" at an intimate venue of the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe and was impressed with Alice's tenacity and resilience in the face of a tight-knit rambunctious crowd. I enjoyed her comedy for a second time and predict we will hear much more from Alice-India in the near future.
Instagram: @popularcomedianAliceIndia
Twitter: @popularcomedianAliceIndia
The Comedy Nerd Instagram @The ComedyNerd
Comedy in a Nutshell Instagram @ComedyInANutshell