Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (RHLSTP)

Book Club #129 - A Voyage Around The Queen - Richard talks to journalist Craig Brown about his fantastic biography of Queen Elizabeth II, A Voyage Around the Queen. They discuss his glorious tangential approach to biography which he’s already used to great effect in books on Princess Margaret and the Beatles, how the Queen in an alternate universe might have been a more anonymous figure, how she had been there through almost all of our lives, the occasionally excretory effect she had on people how met her, whether it’s possible to grasp her real character, the profundity of people queuing to see her lying in state, the possible truth about Michael Fagan and how Rich might have figured in the book had he been a little braver. Plus how Royal protocol resulted in Cherie Blair getting pregnant, how Craig upset Donald Trump and the wrong uns that drifted through the Queen’s life.

Buy the book here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voyage-Around-Queen-bestselling-biography/dp/0008557497

Come to a RHLSTP live! - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#549 Noleros - Richard has taken on a huge personal challenge for charity that might affect his ability to do his job (so what was the excuse before?). His guest is crossword compiler (though we never mention that) Dave Gorman. They talk about a jacket potato based autobiography, who the Queen is, how trying to save the planet could help terrorists, why he’s returned to Modern Life is Goodish after 7 years ad the reason there are only 3 episodes in the series, rather than the recorded 4, when snacks mutate and super-long finger nails and will Dave Gorman return to Neighbours?

To support Rich in his Solero challenge please donate here https://www.justgiving.com/page/nolero

To see Rich on tour head here http://richardherring.com/ballback/tour

Come and see RHLSTP live http://richardherring.com/rhlstp

SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL

See extra content at our WEBSITE

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #128 - Don’t Make Me Laugh - Richard talks to journalist Julia Raeside about her debut novel Don’t Make Me Laugh about the dark side of the comedy industry and the coercive vampiric narcissists who can inhabit it. It’s a lively chat about how comedy attracts emotionally stunted performers and emotionally vulnerable fans and the grey areas that can be created and exploited within that, the changes that have happened to the industry over the years and the problems that still persist, whether people who have been caught out should be allowed to return to the job, how women in comedy have combined to fight the problem and why that’s quite tedious for them and why it’s difficult for men to talk about this issue.

Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/don-t-make-me-laugh-julia-raeside/7744516?ean=9781835011850

Come to a RHLSTP live! - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#547 The Higher the Hair - Rich has had a bit of trouble getting to the theatre tonight as if he didn’t have enough to put up with being roasted by his kids. But he’s here and ready to give as good as he gets with the fabulous and wise Milton Jones. They chat about bat boxes, falling off stage, turning 60, Sting’s pulling power, what it would be like to be handsome, Tricorn hats, reverse engineering puns. Piers Morgan’s surprising unpleasantness, being a weather girl for a day, 10 second sermons, whether the gospels are funnier than we realise and what’s OK and not OK to joke about as a Christian and the legal case against Ha! Milton is given some evidence that will hopefully see Milton heavily sued.

See Ha!Milton. Details here -  https://www.miltonjones.co.uk/

SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL

See extra content at our WEBSITE

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #127 - The Centrist Dad Handbook - Rich chats to Nico Tatarowicz about the book he cowrote with Jason Hazeley, The Centrist Dad’s Handbook. What is a Centrist Dad? Is it essentially just Rich? Why is this a stereotype that seems both fair and ripe for the picking? Is it really so bad to be someone who compromises and what does it have to say about the state of masculinity in general? Would it be possible to do an entire book of headlines parodying Adrian Chiles’ columns? Also some interesting chat about the state of comedy writing for TV and why the decline of sketch shows might have serious implications for the future of the craft.

Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-centrist-dad-handbook-jason-hazeley/7725471?ean=9781526681997

Come to a RHLSTP live! - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This very special episode is brought to you in paid partnership with Cancer Research UK. At the end of last year, myself, Matt Forde and Mark Steel sat down to have a frank, raw, funny and open conversation about something that has affected us all - cancer. We were later joined by Dr Sam Godfrey, the Science Engagement Lead at Cancer Research UK, who gave us invaluable insight into the incredible work Cancer Research UK are doing and why the future is looking bright. Disclaimer for this one - very strong language and discussions of cancer diagnosis and treatment are used throughout. Disclaimer: CRUK can only accept donations from countries where we are a registered charity. Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). #ad

Donate here - https://donate.cancerresearchuk.org/donate

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#547 Armadillo - Richard is lonely enough to consider taking up cycling, but is he prepared to cycle 47 miles to end up where he started? His guest is posho stand up Ivo Graham. They discuss the biscuity temptations of writers’ rooms, a dangerously unfocused attitude towards Wordle, disastrous appearances on the Weakest Link, how you can’t really dine out forever on a 15 year old competition win, coming last in Taskmaster, whether we should have sympathy for someone who boarded at Eton and why it’s admirable to embrace rather than hide your privilege as a comedian. 

Check out Ivo’s gigs here https://www.ivograham.com/

Watch his special here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2E4eQ6_bvE

SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL

See extra content at our WEBSITE

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #126 - Munichs - Richard dials up Japan to talk to one of his favourite writers David Peace about his book about the Munich Air Disaster, Munichs. They talk about how David’s father made him want to cover this harrowing story, after his funnier books about Brian Clough and Bill Shankly, the delicate balance of combining history and imagination to create this relentless and mesmerising novel, the brilliance of Christopher Ecclestone as an audiobook reader, the magical boots of Tommy Taylor, the surprising rapidity of opposing supporters turning against United, giving a voice to ordinary people, the lottery of survival and the inevitable what ifs and David’s plans to take the story further.

Buy the book here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Munichs-Novel-David-Peace/dp/0571381154

Come to a RHLSTP live! - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#546 Smash or Pass? Richard is considering becoming a sex worker, but there’s a line he will not cross. His guest is hilarious newcomer Chelsea Birkby. They chat about what it's like to do support in big theatres (and in your home town), making a gimmick of unusual physical features, the blurred area between objectification and flattery, being made to dress up as a baby by a Frenchman, whether Chelsea is bipolar or not, if the Cheeky Girls know more about philosophy than Plato and attempting to send the lottery results psychically to yourself in the past.

Chelsea’s gig details can be found here https://www.chelseabirkby.com/

See a live recording of RHLSTP - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL

See extra content at our WEBSITE

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #125 - The Peepshow - Dip My Brain In Joy - Richard chats to Yvonne Innes about her fabulous and moving book about her fabulous husband, Neil Innes, Dip My Brain In Joy. They talk about Neil’s amazing and wide-ranging career, his freewheeling personality which may not have made him the greatest businessman, but probably meant he had a lot more fun and joy in his life, the wide range of his work from the Bonzos to Raggy Dolls to the Idiot Bastard Band, the various disputes and fallings out that scuppered some of his projects, getting paid by Oasis and Rich failing to say hello when they got in and out of the same taxi in Melbourne.

Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/dip-my-brain-in-joy-my-life-with-neil-innes-the-official-biography-yvonne-innes/7695395?ean=9781785121692

Come to a RHLSTP live! - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.