Best British Theatre Guide Podcasts (2024)

1
Guy Masterson's 30th and final Edinburgh Fringe as producer 38:13

11d ago38:13

38:13

Guy Masterson, one of the most well-known and well-respected theatre producers on the Edinburgh Fringe, this year celebrates his thirtieth consecutive festival season. However, he has announced that this is also to be his last festival visit as a producer. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Guy just after the first performance of one of the shows…

1
RHLSTP 526 - Tommy Tiernan 1:04:16

1h ago1:04:16

1:04:16

#526 Joyfully Reckless - Richard is back in Dublin and is intrigued by the Book of Kells. His guest is the superb and philosophical comedian and interviewer Tommy Tiernan. It’s a lovely sprawling waffle encompassing the trouble that being mischievous can get you into, the stress of doing a show with no plan, how studying acting made Tommy a worse a…

1
RHLSTP 525 - Lindsey Santoro 55:43

1h ago55:43

55:43

#525 The Biggest Award in Comedy - Richard has been sent to Coventry and remembers a previous visit to the Warwick Arts Centre where he had to turn the other cheek. His guest is the winner of the biggest (and slowest) award in comedy, Lindsey Santoro. Find out what Lindsey spent her money from this RHLSTP backed award and listen as the award itself…

1
RHLSTP 524 - Stuart Laws 55:21

29m ago55:21

55:21

#524 Burning Vas Deferens - More fun from a performer at the Edinburgh Fringe - this time the wonderful Stuart Laws. They discuss the genesis of the gilet that has become his trademark (though not according to imdv),magic realism versus actual realism in comedy, the nitty gritty of a vasectomy and why some procedures use the testicular seam and oth…

1
RHLSTP 523 - Dan Tiernan 51:48

5d ago51:48

51:48

#523 Dyspraxic Dinner Lady - It’s another Edinburgh Fringe podcast, recorded hundreds of miles away from the the Festival to keep Richard sane. His guest today is the multi-award winning new comedian Dan Tiernan. They chat about how to get them to do a retake on the now defunct BBC show Doctors, why being a stand-up comedian is the perfect job for …

1
RHLSTP 522 - Stevie Martin 43:07

1h ago43:07

43:07

#522 Arse Twins - Richard talks to the brilliant Stevie Martin about her show Clout, the weirdness of secretly watching your family on a Ring Doorbell, what it was like to act alongside ventriloquist dummy Ally Sloper, the joys and dangers of mooning, writing fabric-based puns for the Sewing Bee, the pain of rejection and only creating work when yo…

1
RHLSTP 521 - Nerine Skinner 42:25

2d ago42:25

42:25

#521 Pork Markets - Richard chats to Liz Truss impersonator extraordinaire (and so much more) Nerine Skinner about the creation of the character, her first solo Edinburgh show, The Exorcism of Liz Truss, how she has become obsessed with the politician (thankfully not in the same way as Richard has) and the dangers of the success of one of your char…

1
RHLSTP 520 - Susie McCabe 57:04

1d ago57:04

57:04

#520 Double Berocca - Richard is in Glasgow at the Oran More, remembering the time he was picketed at this venue and almost wrecked someone’s wedding. His guest is Glaswegian phenomenon Susie McCabe. They talk about her getting into comedy due to a drunken bet, working on building sites, estimating the cost of lighting in a velodrome, the ultimate …

1
RHLSTP 519 - Olaf Falafel 1:00:28

19d ago1:00:28

1:00:28

#519 Everything’s a Piñata - Richard is at the Bedford Corn Exchange where he’s fascinated by the animal sanctuary that bears his name and the Bedford cult that was expecting the second coming of Jesus. His guest is the mysterious Swede Olaf Falafel, if that is his real name or nationality. He talks about how he got into comedy, the double edged sw…

1
RHLSTP 518 - Simon Munnery 1:02:14

6d ago1:02:14

1:02:14

#518 Elbowing Banksy - Rich is back in Leicester, trying to work out the sexiest ever UK Prime Minister. His guest is comedy legend and fellow monoball, Simon Munnery. They talk about the crimes of the one-balled community, appearing at the Tunnel Club alongside the much-missed Malcolm Hardee, visiting CERN with the actor Kevin Eldon, travelling th…

1
RHLSTP 517 - Phil Ellis 1:00:29

8d ago1:00:29

1:00:29

#517 Phil Spins - Rich is back with the kingstealers of Leicester (but he’s not going to mention that) and is pleased to be in the home of DNA fingerprints. His guest is the unpredictable award winning comedian Phil Ellis. They talk about working in an airbag factory, delivering pizzas to tight millionaire footballers, the extreme lengths Phil will…

1
RHLSTP 516 - Abi Clarke 51:37

11d ago51:37

51:37

#516 Tooth in a Bag - Richard is back in Bristol and details some of the things that have made this city so famous. His guest is TikTok sensation and stand up Abi Clarke. They chat about almost going to circus school, how lockdown shifted her focus from stand up to online content and how that helped her find an audience, working with your parents, …

1
RHLSTP 515 - Phil Hammond 59:26

28d ago59:26

59:26

#515 Sex, Sleep or Scrabble? - Richard has travelled to Bristol, a place where they take a dim view of statues (after a while) but name everything after Colston anyway. His guest is broadcaster, doctor and the other half of Struck Off and Die, Phil Hammond. They chat about being slapped in the face by Tony Slattery, infuriating John Redwood, being …

1
RHLSTP 514 - Marjolein Robertson 58:16

15d ago58:16

58:16

#514 Bag For Life Full of Bones - Richard returns to his kingdom of Edinburgh and it’s Chriiiiissstttmas (in a few weeks or a few months ago, whichever way you look at it). His guest is Shetland storyteller, actor and comedian and cultural icon Marjolein Robertson. They talk about how a terrible few months in Amsterdam led to her becoming a stand u…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 107 - Michael Redmond 48:57

21d ago48:57

48:57

Book Club #107 - Eamon, Older Brother of Jesus - Richard chats to stand up legend and surprisingly underused Father Ted star Michael Redmond about his book Eamon, Older Brother of Jesus and the surprisingly controversial history of the story, from stand-up show, to radio show that was cancelled at the last minute, to self-published book. They also …

1
RHLSTP 513 - Neil Hannon 59:28

20d ago59:28

59:28

#513 Bashful Secrets - Richard has come to Dublin and with 900 people in the 3 Olympia it’s an incredible atmosphere! He discusses his Irish heritage and why Ireland should leave Europe! His guest is the man behind and in front of the Divine Comedy, Neil Hanlon. They chat about their authority figure dads, whether “My Lovely Horse” will be his endu…

1
Just the Tonic celebrates 20 years on the Edinburgh Fringe 42:05

25d ago42:05

42:05

2024 marks twenty years since Just the Tonic venues first appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, although founder Darrell Martin had been putting on shows at the festival since 2002 and started the company by running Sunday night comedy clubs in 1994. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Darrell before the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe about 20 years o…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 106 - Stefan Stern 39:17

26d ago39:17

39:17

Book Club #106 - Fair or Foul - The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition - Richard chats to journalist and friend Stefan Stern about his terrific book about the positives and negatives of ambition, Fair or Foul. What prompted him to tackle this subject? Why is the play Macbeth the perfect scaffolding for this discussion and what do people need for their …

1
RHLSTP 512 - Nick Wilty 51:18

1M ago51:18

51:18

#512 Veteran - Rich is back in Canterbury and has some great stuff about medieval archbishops that should play well on Live at the Apollo. His guest is veteran comedian and army veteran, Nick Wilty. He is a man with the most extraordinary life who has talked himself and others out of deadly situation. Amazing stories include convincing someone not …

1
How I Built a 15,000+ Community by Embracing Feminine Energy (& How You Can Too!) | Jasmine Douglas | Voice #91 44:41

1M ago44:41

44:41

"Resilience can mean having a break, so that you can come back stronger." About Jasmine Douglas: Jasmine Douglas is the founder of Babes on Waves, a community for women of colour in creative and entrepreneurial fields. In just two years, she built a community of over 15,000 members without any investment. Jasmine has won £100k in grants and been fe…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 105 - Rob and Neil Gibbons 45:02

1M ago45:02

45:02

Book Club #105 - Alan Partridge Big Beacon - The time has come for the creator of Alan Partridge to meet the current writers of Alan Partridge, the Gibbons Brothers, who sadly don’t share a bunk bed, but have done amazing work over the last decade or so with the character. They discuss how they ended up with this lucrative gig, how not being obsess…

1
RHLSTP 511 - Tony Gardner 1:06:15

1M ago1:06:15

1:06:15

#511 What You On? - Richard is back in Colchester with possibly the greatest example of a local news story that there has ever been. His guest is doctor turned actor Tony Gardner. They chat about being bitten by an over enthusiastic zombie, the decision to go to Edinburgh that would change his life, how it became impossible to keep both his GP job …

1
RHLSTP Book Club 104 - Marcus Chown 49:38

2M ago49:38

49:38

Book Club #104 - A Crack In Everything - Richard talks to physicist and journalist Marcus Chown about this fascinating book about Black Holes and the people who discovered them, A Crack in Everything. Are Black Holes black and holes? Can we time travel if we go inside one? Why is the one at the centre of the Milky Way smaller than most and what rep…

1
RHLSTP 510 - Rob Brydon 1:04:49

1M ago1:04:49

1:04:49

#510 McCartney Set List - Richard is still being played on by Scant Regard, but as this long tour progresses his stand up sections get mercifully shorter! His guest is the multi-talented Rob Brydon. They chat about how a birthday message to Margot Robbie led to a part in a potentially Oscar winning film (You’ll know if it won by now, but we poor fo…

1
From a 14 Year Old Victim of Police Brutality to Mentor of Thousands | Sayce Holmes-Lewis | Voice #90 1:03:05

2M ago1:03:05

1:03:05

"Start looking at the issues in our community and how you can actually find solutions because we can't allow these things to get to our doorstep when it reaches the level of violence that we're seeing in our community." About Sayce Holmes-Lewis: Sayce Holmes-Lewis is the founder of Mentivity, a community organization dedicated to fostering change t…

151
Morecambe, Cooper and Monkhouse have The Last Laugh in Edinburgh 44:17

2M ago44:17

44:17

Writer-director Paul Hendy brings back three comedians through performers Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright. Every year, the Edinburgh Fringe programme features solo performances about real people, which in the past have included Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe in Tim Whitnall’s Morecambe from 2009, Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper in …

1
RHLSTP Book Club 103 - Sofie Hagen 51:41

2M ago51:41

51:41

Book Club #103 - Will I Ever Have Sex Again? - Richard chats with comedian and author Sofie Hagen about her thought-provoking and often heart-breaking, but also hopeful book Will I Ever Have Sex Again? They talk about the minefield that sexual politics still is, why we should talk about (and during) sex, why no means no and yes sometimes means no t…

1
RHLSTP 509 - Armando Iannucci 1:04:44

2M ago1:04:44

1:04:44

#509 Pot Noodle is Bad For You - Richard is doing some stand up that was super topical on 5th February when this was recorded, but for you will be a nice window to see what the people of the past thought was mildly amusing, plus there’s an exciting new addition to the show. His guest is comedy genius Armando Iannucci. They talk about how a Christma…

1
RHLSTP Emergency Questions 9 46:54

2M ago46:54

46:54

EQ: Cheese It's time - at long last - for the Cheese episode. See Rich on tour http://richardherring.com/ballback/tour SUPPORT THE SHOW! Come and see us live GIGS Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 102 - James Wright 50:23

2M ago50:23

50:23

Book Club #102 - Richard talks to archaeologist and trained stonemason James Wright about his terrific book busting some of the myths about ancient buildings. They chat about why people wrongly believe that spiral staircases are often clockwise, how castles were bling rather than defensive, why you can’t trust anything written on a pub, why stonema…

1
RHLSTP 508 - Maisie Adam 1:04:28

2M ago1:04:28

1:04:28

#508 Matterface - Richard is back in Brighton and is aghast at the local news of rude waiters and big cats. His guest is football mad stand up Maisie Adam. They discuss how a choice in a writers’ room they were both in led one of their careers to sky rocket (but which one), the disappointment of the wrong Royal at the Variety Performance and how ma…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 101 - Janey Godley 36:28

2M ago36:28

36:28

Book Club #101 - JANEY: The Woman That Won't Shut Up - Richard talks to brilliant comedian, author, actor and agitator Janey Godley about her fab autobiography Janey. They discuss living with a cancer that you know will kill you, why she wanted to be honest about the horrors and laughter that cancer brings and why survival is nothing to do with the…

1
RHLSTP 507 - Rufus Jones 1:02:55

2M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

#507 Jackie Chan and the 700 Mops - Richard has come to the Brighton Komedia with plans to Mount Everest and a surprising testicular fact. His guest is writer and actor Rufus Jones. They discuss the mystery of the year of Rufus’ birth, getting pissed with Terry Jones, playing an American president with a squeaky voice, the magnificent achievement o…

1
The Power of Representation in Literature and Media | Sofia Akel | Voice #89 41:45

2M ago41:45

41:45

"Challenge yourself to watch or read or play something that you would normally turn your nose up at...you'll be surprised at what you might enjoy." - Sofia Akel About Sofia Akel: Sofia Akel is the founder of the Free Books Campaign, a community interest company dedicated to distributing books by authors of colour to those who can't afford or access…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 100 - Joel Morris 1:06:53

3M ago1:06:53

1:06:53

Book Club #100 - Be Funny or Die - In our 100th Book Club podcast Richard talks to comedy writer Joel Morris about his frog dissecting book, Be Funny Or Die, which promises to reveal the secret of comedy and does a pretty decent job of doing so. They discuss what makes a good and a terrible catchphrase, how no comedian can make everyone laugh and w…

1
RHLSTP 506 - Urooj Ashfaq 49:19

2M ago49:19

49:19

#506 Review Rainbow - Richard has some dispiriting revelations about what people google when they are looking for him, but is quickly revived by the ready wit of Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer 2023, Urooj Ashfak. They chat about the difficulties (or not) of taking comedy across international boundaries, the burgeoning Indian stand up scene, b…

1
Retro RHLSTP 86 - Harry Shearer 1:06:59

2M ago1:06:59

1:06:59

RETRO RHLSTP #86 - Creative Differences - Richard has some news of an amazing time travelling finger and is clearly super excited to be meeting one of his all-time comedy heroes, Harry Shearer from off of This is Spinal Tap and The Simpsons. Rich was too scared to talk to him when he saw him improbably travelling on London's tube, but hopefully he …

1
RHLSTP Book Club 99 - Catherine Nixey 35:52

2M ago35:52

35:52

Book Club #99 - Heresy - Richard talks to journalist and author and daughter of a nun and a monk, Catherine Nixey about her witty and informative book about the early days of Christianity, Heresy. They chat about what the word Heresy really means, the extraordinary gospels that didn’t make it into the New Testament which show Jesus’ murderous side …

1
RHLSTP 505 - Bob Mortimer 1:10:48

3M ago1:10:48

1:10:48

#505 Cheeky Underground Presence - Richard is back to work after the Christmas break (we’re coming to you from the past) and is worried about the door of depravity that he has opened up, but there is no need to fear because his guest is processed meat advocate, Bob Mortimer. It’s a free-wheeling chat as you might be prepared for that takes in farme…

1
How a 29 Year Old ENTREPRENEUR Built a £3M Agency in 3 Years | Chloë Downes | Voice #88 45:50

3M ago45:50

45:50

"Happiness over profits is the main thing." About Chloë: Chloë Downes is an award winning marketeer and the Founder & CEO at SHFT, an influencer talent management agency shifting the industry and bringing back the true meaning of the word 'influence'. Throughout her career, Chloë has maintained a focus on making the industry a fairer place for crea…

1
Retro RHLSTP 85 - David Mitchell 1:43:34

3M ago1:43:34

1:43:34

RETRO RHLSTP #85 - The Shreks of Westminster Bridge - Slightly worse for wear after having lunch with Alice Cooper at the Q awards, Richard is delighted to welcome a man he thinks might be him from another time stream, David 'Mitch' Mitchell. He's certainly met his match in pedantry and both men accidentally reveal some shocking details about their…

1
RHLSTP Book Club 98 - Kevin Jon Davies 48:55

3M ago48:55

48:55

Book Club #98 - 42 The Wildly Improbably Ideas of Douglas Adams - Richard talks to Kevin Jon Davies, the editor of this fascinating collection of items from the archives of Douglas Adams. They chat about the insight the notes, letters, scripts and thoughts give to the mind of this extraordinary thinker, the notebooks that started with optimism, mov…

1
RHLSTP 504 - Justin Moorhouse 1:05:50

3M ago1:05:50

1:05:50

#504 Respect Hook - Richard is back at the Lowry Theatre Salford and is annoyed about an Amazon review for his book. His guest is comedian, actor and former Edinburgh flatmate, Justin Moorhouse. They discuss doing a corporate for an arms manufacturer, improvising with Eric Cantona, how everyone in the Manchester area has to appear on Coronation Str…

1
Dr. Bolu Eso's Guide to a Successful Veterinary Career | Voice #87 49:40

3M ago49:40

49:40

“Medicine is actually one of the highest suicide rates within professions because of how difficult it can be and the pressures that are there.” Dr. Bolu Eso, a distinguished veterinarian, opens up about the profound challenges and triumphs of his career in veterinary medicine. From navigating a competitive academic journey to tackling the intense p…

1
Retro RHLSTP 84 - Charlie Brooker 1:21:12

3M ago1:21:12

1:21:12

RETRO RHLSTP #84 - Gulping Robot Toilets - Richard is hoping he will find his way into the Guinness Book of Records, but Norris Macwhirter is not answering his calls. His guest is making a return visit to RHLSTP after 7 and a half years (but will his hair reveal his success?) - it’s the amazing Charlie Brooker. The conversation is predictably dark …

1
New Wolsey travels 500 miles to Pitlochry with Footloose 46:21

3M ago46:21

46:21

Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland and The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich are co-producing a new production of the stage musical Footloose, based on the ‘80s film of the same name that starred Kevin Bacon. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to New Wolsey Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul, who will direct the production, and Pitlochry’s Artistic D…

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