{"podcast":{"title":"The comedians paradise","slug":"the-comedians-paradise-149885","podcast_index_feed_id":149885,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/thecomediansparadise/","website_url":"http://riceandchips.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/452619d8-69df-4d2e-8e10-8e072fe7327f/DnOjEyz95KviBPgwF6Brx_sA.jpg","author":"Marvin McCarthy","episode_count":300,"summary":"Join comedian and promoter, Marvin McCarthy each Sunday at 8pm UK time as he interviews the mavericks of the comedy world.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T02:19:15.799643+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-comedians-paradise-149885"},"episode":{"title":"10 Years as a Working-Class Comedian at the Fringe","slug":"10-years-as-a-working-class-comedian-at-the-fringe","published_at":"2026-06-21T19:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-comedians-paradise-149885/10-years-as-a-working-class-comedian-at-the-fringe","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-comedians-paradise-149885","url":"https://instant-laughs.com/tom","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/a897193c-c7c1-4e39-8255-f4946070a633.mp3","summary":"Welcome to The Comedian's Paradise! In this episode, we sit down with the critically acclaimed, award-winning UK stand-up comedian Tom Mayhew (BBC Radio 4’s Benefit Scum, Soho Theatre). Known for his fiercely funny, authentic working-class perspective and hit Edinburgh Fringe solo shows (I, Tom Mayhew). Here is an overview of what we discussed: [01:05] Never Been Called Tantalising & What Do You Need for the Fringe? [05:32] Tom shares a hilarious opening anecdote and looks at why the Edinburgh Fringe remains so brilliant. [01:05] The Fringe: Do What You Want, Not What Everyone Else Is Doing [14:57]A deep dive into making money at the Fringe and why it remains the absolute best place to build an audience. [14:20] The Best Place to Get an Audience [14:42] Why the live festival environment offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with real comedy fans. [15:03] Are You a Club Comic or a Festival Comic & The Cost of the Fringe? [20:30] An honest breakdown of circuit comedy versus solo shows, alongside the rising financial expenses. [15:03] Are You a Club Comic or a Festival Comic? [15:21] The core differences in performance style, joke structure, and material needed for these two distinct worlds. [20:30] Being a Working-Class Comedian [22:43] A raw, authentic conversation about class representation and navigating the modern British creative industry. [26:55] You Can Joke About Anything & There Is No Such Thing as Bad Press [34:08] Tom debates the limits of stand-up and whether negative media attention can actually boost a career. [28:00] Dealing with Bad Press [29:26] How modern comedians navigate public backlash, media criticism, and cancel culture on the UK circuit. [26:55] Is It Funny Because It's Shock? [27:46] An analysis of shock humour and the mechani…","meta_description":"Welcome to The Comedian's Paradise! In this episode, we sit down with the critically acclaimed, award-winning UK stand-up comedian Tom Mayhew (BBC Radio 4…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3708,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-comedians-paradise-149885/episodes/10-years-as-a-working-class-comedian-at-the-fringe/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-comedians-paradise-149885/10-years-as-a-working-class-comedian-at-the-fringe.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}