Paul Ricketts and Steve Gribbin – Is Comedy Really the Hardest Job?

For this episode, you get 2 stars for the price of 1. Danny is joined by comedians Paul Ricketts and Steve Gribbin, the co-hosts of “You Should´ve Been Here Last Week”, an irreverent show that pulls back the curtain on the world of professional comedy. This episode is packed with often funny, sometimes hair-raising, stories about gigs that took an unexpected turn, including coked up audiences, the police being called, flashers and a very saucy ping pong (wiff-waff) related story. Danny, Paul and Steve´s conversation provides a great insight into what it is really like to work on the modern comedy circuit. If you can´t get enough of these podcasts, head to https://www.patreon.com/DannyHurst to access my exclusive, member-only, fun-filled and fact-packed history-related videos. KEY TAKEAWAYS Inspiration for the best comedy comes from some odd places e.g. Paul and Steve´s play about the origins of Monopoly. The comedy game has changed radically in the past couple of decades. The fact that comedians have a huge vocabulary for gigs not going well is a strong indicator of how hard stand-up can be. Going out and taking a look at your audience before a performance is an easy way to make yourself more nervous. The weirdness has gone out of the comedy circuit. These days, there are very few weird acts. Covid forced comics to learn new skills and do things differently. BEST MOMENTS “There were a lot of comic´s podcast that were just talking to each other, trying to wedge material into what sounded like a conversation, but wasn't.” “You don't leave comedy. Comedy leaves you, as in the older you get. There is a kind of prejudice against older comics.” “I go the other way; I lie about my age.” “They were coked out of their heads.” “The longer you stay in comedy, the less friends you are going to have.” “I was a Gorilla Gram.” “That's a good way to end with a lovely image of someone playing ping pong with their c**k.” EPISODE RESOURCES Comedians Theatre Company presents - Name Of The Game (Rehearsed Reading via Zoom, March 2021) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-shouldve-been-here-last-week/id1679451158 Danny´s Monopoly History Series episode 1 - https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-monopoly-series-the-board-games-surprising/id1723833083?i=1000642032881 HOST BIO Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can. CONTACT AND SOCIALS https://instagram.com/dannyjhurst facebook.com/danny.hurst.9638 https://twitter.com/dannyhurst https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720 This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/