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A cracking finale to the latest run at the Leicester Square Theatre with two very funny, though partly very serious, RHLSTPs with Ardal O Hanlon and Alan Davies. There was a big crowd but unbelievably it wasn’t sold out. It’s a time of great uncertainty: money is tight and getting tighter and many are still nervous about Covid (and that’s understandable). The podcast will remain free and you can listen to it as far away from the rest of humanity as possible for these and many other reasons. I hope those of you who are keeping away will return in better times. The audience is what makes this podcast special. There were certainly enough in to make this all-star line-up fly. Both guests have written fantastic books in the last couple of years. I was listening to Alan’s
“Just Ignore Him” in the car on the way to the theatre and it’s an enormously affecting and heartbreakingly sad book about losing his mother and being abused by his father. It is beautifully written with a controlled and understandable anger and pain. I highly recommend it.
Ardal has also written a cracking book, full of intrigue and dark humour, which I am only part way through, but which has me gripped.
It’s out soon. In some ways it is a surprise that these two funny men have written books of such seriousness and drama, but it shouldn’t be. Especially to me as a comedian. They are two extremely clever men, who have both made a living by pretending to be more stupid than they are.
They were both on top form tonight, even though Alan was still a bit poorly from a recent bout of Covid. Neither of them has done the London podcast before, which seems crazy after all this time and 400 or so podcasts, so it was amazing to get them both on the same night.
It’s been a good run, but the last two shows in particular have been excellent, partly because there was an almost full theatre and partly, I think, because I was less ill and exhausted. At almost 400 episodes (probably more if you take into account all the specials and 500 episodes of you include RHEFP) it still seems to be breaking new ground and staying fresh. In a world of much podcast competition I hope that you will stick with me and recommend me to podcast virgins (also actual virgins make up most of the audience).
We’re back at the LST in September for a nice long run, but there’s gigs at the Phoenix and the Edinburgh Fringe to come before that. It’s a very good value night out (I think tickets at the Phoenix are only £11). Guest news coming soon.
