The Edinburgh Fringe and changing comedy. PR guru Mark Borkowski joins comedy critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in Edinburgh… What is good, bad, changed and unchanged at the Fringe? Why agents not PR people are the downfall of the Fringe. Plus the return of The Establishment Club and Borkowski’s new search for comics, artists, musicians, poets etc for a new TV series on a channel you would not expect. And Copstick’s attempt to bring vaudeville back to TV....

The Edinburgh Fringe and changing comedy. PR guru Mark Borkowski joins comedy critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in Edinburgh… What is good, bad, changed and unchanged at the Fringe? Why agents not PR people are the downfall of the Fringe. Plus the return of The Establishment Club and Borkowski’s new search for comics, artists, musicians, poets etc for a new TV series on a channel you would not expect. And Copstick’s attempt to bring vaudeville back to TV....

The snooty sneering of the Oxbridge elite and some comics against popular humour. Variable opinions on The Weirdos and the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society. The talent of Luisa Omielan. The irresistible sexual attraction of Italian comic Giacinto Palmieri. The inability of comics like Michael McIntyre, Frank Carson & Matthew Kelly to stop being themselves. Copstick’s work with Basil Brush and her admiration for the Chuckle Brothers. Coughing John’s failure to visit Amsterdam’s red...

The snooty sneering of the Oxbridge elite and some comics against popular humour. Variable opinions on The Weirdos and the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society. The talent of Luisa Omielan. The irresistible sexual attraction of Italian comic Giacinto Palmieri. The inability of comics like Michael McIntyre, Frank Carson & Matthew Kelly to stop being themselves. Copstick’s work with Basil Brush and her admiration for the Chuckle Brothers. Coughing John’s failure to visit Amsterdam’s red...

The brilliance of Alan Davies at Pull The Other One. The unfeasible tallness of Darren Walsh. The formidable talent and influence but silence of Richard Herring. How Jim Jefferies did not destroy Piers Morgan over Donald Trump’s ban. How Reeves & Mortimer ‘died’ in Basingstoke. How Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson (not Ben Elton) ‘died’ on stage in Inverness. Plus Kate Copstick’s pet hates about stand-up comics, Ariane Sherine’s “Love Song for Jeremy Corbyn”, the meaning of Alt Right and...

The brilliance of Alan Davies at Pull The Other One. The unfeasible tallness of Darren Walsh. The formidable talent and influence but silence of Richard Herring. How Jim Jefferies did not destroy Piers Morgan over Donald Trump’s ban. How Reeves & Mortimer ‘died’ in Basingstoke. How Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson (not Ben Elton) ‘died’ on stage in Inverness. Plus Kate Copstick’s pet hates about stand-up comics, Ariane Sherine’s “Love Song for Jeremy Corbyn”, the meaning of Alt Right and...

Comic Janet Bettesworth joins critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in the busy Mama Biashara emporium in London. They discuss the usefulness - or pointlessness - of having an MA course in stand-up comedy, being an aural voyeur and Facebook arguments. Plus Copstick on her plan to become a torch song singer, how she boil-washed her passport and the rules of butt-plug hoopla. John remembers how he took an elephant up England’s highest mountain and Copstick laments how someone...

Comic Janet Bettesworth joins critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in the busy Mama Biashara emporium in London. They discuss the usefulness - or pointlessness - of having an MA course in stand-up comedy, being an aural voyeur and Facebook arguments. Plus Copstick on her plan to become a torch song singer, how she boil-washed her passport and the rules of butt-plug hoopla. John remembers how he took an elephant up England’s highest mountain and Copstick laments how someone...

Thom Tuck joins critic Copstick and an ineffectively interjecting John at Mama Biashara in London in a doomed attempt to plug The Penny Dreadfuls’ new project. Copstick passionately attacks the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society and a female comedian but is clearly now warming to Sarah Millican. Thom talks about his indescribable new show and his ambition to appear in Doctor Who while Copstick wants to play a villain. Thom talks about panel shows. Copstick talks about him performing in her...

Thom Tuck joins critic Copstick and an ineffectively interjecting John at Mama Biashara in London in a doomed attempt to plug The Penny Dreadfuls’ new project. Copstick passionately attacks the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society and a female comedian but is clearly now warming to Sarah Millican. Thom talks about his indescribable new show and his ambition to appear in Doctor Who while Copstick wants to play a villain. Thom talks about panel shows. Copstick talks about him performing in her...

Italian comic Luca Cupani on representing the UK in worldwide comedy competitions. The problems of performing to US and Canadian audiences. Copstick on why English language comedy is more precise. Theresa May’s Brexit speech. New Edinburgh Fringe venues. Copstick offers to marry Luca if he eats her. The sins of the Catholic Church and why anyone who celebrates mass logically has to go to Hell. Plus Copstick and Cupani sing - sort of. http://www.grouchyclub.co.uk You can also download this...

Italian comic Luca Cupani on representing the UK in worldwide comedy competitions. The problems of performing to US and Canadian audiences. Copstick on why English language comedy is more precise. Theresa May’s Brexit speech. New Edinburgh Fringe venues. Copstick offers to marry Luca if he eats her. The sins of the Catholic Church and why anyone who celebrates mass logically has to go to Hell. Plus Copstick and Cupani sing - sort of. http://www.grouchyclub.co.uk You can also download this...

Ariane Sherine, musical comedy performer, journalist and TV scriptwriter joins critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in London’s bustling Mama Biashara emporium They disagree about sex on a first date, discuss hairy men, why sex is like a cup of coffee and why Charlie Brooker is kind. Plus the joys of meeting famous comics on The Guardian’s dating site, Ariane’s upcoming novel, the Simon Singh-along with Tim Minchin and Ariane’s “Love Song For Jeremy Corbyn”. Then... fear of a bad...

Ariane Sherine, musical comedy performer, journalist and TV scriptwriter joins critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in London’s bustling Mama Biashara emporium They disagree about sex on a first date, discuss hairy men, why sex is like a cup of coffee and why Charlie Brooker is kind. Plus the joys of meeting famous comics on The Guardian’s dating site, Ariane’s upcoming novel, the Simon Singh-along with Tim Minchin and Ariane’s “Love Song For Jeremy Corbyn”. Then... fear of a bad...

Nick Awde - critic, reviewer and author - joins Kate Copstick, John Fleming and a future gag writer aged 8½ in London’s Mama Biashara emporium for an even more-than-usually meandering and annoyingly interrupted podcast supposedly but only marginally touching on comedy amid discussions on linguistics, Ireland’s Black Lodge, Janey Godley’s family dog, Copstick’s family background, Brexit and the cultural influence of France - despite the fact that the French apparently do not have a word for...

Nick Awde - critic, reviewer and author - joins Kate Copstick, John Fleming and a future gag writer aged 8½ in London’s Mama Biashara emporium for an even more-than-usually meandering and annoyingly interrupted podcast supposedly but only marginally touching on comedy amid discussions on linguistics, Ireland’s Black Lodge, Janey Godley’s family dog, Copstick’s family background, Brexit and the cultural influence of France - despite the fact that the French apparently do not have a word for...

Martin Soan, comedy promoter and creator of The Greatest Show On Legs, talks to critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in London’s Mama Biashara emporium. Has all the quirkiness gone out of the comedy business? Can Michael Brunström and Spencer Jones save British comedy? Did the Arts Lab start alternative comedy? Memories of The Browns’ double act, the influence of Germany, teddy bear torturing, walking on the ceiling and eating your own brain. Plus political correctness, sexism, the...

Martin Soan, comedy promoter and creator of The Greatest Show On Legs, talks to critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in London’s Mama Biashara emporium. Has all the quirkiness gone out of the comedy business? Can Michael Brunström and Spencer Jones save British comedy? Did the Arts Lab start alternative comedy? Memories of The Browns’ double act, the influence of Germany, teddy bear torturing, walking on the ceiling and eating your own brain. Plus political correctness, sexism, the...

Comedy Cafe owner Noel Faulkner reveals the background to the club’s closure and possible re-birth in a perfect-sounding venue in February. Why a benefit show for the club would be “scandalous”. Why Malcolm Hardee’s Wibbley Wobbley is about to sink. The racism and sexism of club owners. How club owners schedule acts. The blame game played by comedians. Why booking women can be sexist. Why Friday night audiences are worse than Saturday night audiences. Plus rumours of a risk to the Comedy...

Comedy Cafe owner Noel Faulkner reveals the background to the club’s closure and possible re-birth in a perfect-sounding venue in February. Why a benefit show for the club would be “scandalous”. Why Malcolm Hardee’s Wibbley Wobbley is about to sink. The racism and sexism of club owners. How club owners schedule acts. The blame game played by comedians. Why booking women can be sexist. Why Friday night audiences are worse than Saturday night audiences. Plus rumours of a risk to the Comedy...

How Michael McIntyre succeeded in UK comedy. Why Louisa Omielan and Tom Binns are succeeding. The late Addison Cresswell’s talent. Five-year career plans. Copstick’s health, career and balls. The tragic closure of the Comedy Cafe in London. The effect of free entry clubs on pay-to-enter clubs in the UK. Is it necessary as a comic to play the UK comedy circuit or is there another way? The pointlessness of comics performing to comics and not ‘real’ audiences. And Copstick sings....

How Michael McIntyre succeeded in UK comedy. Why Louisa Omielan and Tom Binns are succeeding. The late Addison Cresswell’s talent. Five-year career plans. Copstick’s health, career and balls. The tragic closure of the Comedy Cafe in London. The effect of free entry clubs on pay-to-enter clubs in the UK. Is it necessary as a comic to play the UK comedy circuit or is there another way? The pointlessness of comics performing to comics and not ‘real’ audiences. And Copstick sings....

Often controversial London comedy club owner Martin Besserman talks to critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in a noisy Mama Biashara emporium. Martin on being mugged in a Manchester hotel. Why running a comedy club is getting more difficult. The problem (or not) of ’free’ shows. Misleading advertising. Jack Whitehall’s virginity. Patrick Monahan’s hugs. PLUS... Is it impossible for women to be sexist? Flirting and sexism in comedy. Alison Moyet. The lack of any political correctness...

Often controversial London comedy club owner Martin Besserman talks to critic Kate Copstick and blogger John Fleming in a noisy Mama Biashara emporium. Martin on being mugged in a Manchester hotel. Why running a comedy club is getting more difficult. The problem (or not) of ’free’ shows. Misleading advertising. Jack Whitehall’s virginity. Patrick Monahan’s hugs. PLUS... Is it impossible for women to be sexist? Flirting and sexism in comedy. Alison Moyet. The lack of any political correctness...