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Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip
Stephen Merchant - Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip #255
Welcome, welcome, and once more, welcome, to episode 255 of the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip! Heavyweight comic realness this week, as Pip is joined by cast iron champ STEPHEN MERCHANT!
“…you realise you’re sort of somewhere between Rocky and A Star Is Born”
An absolute legend right here, in not only TV, stage and film but the good old Wild West days of podcasting! A solid in-depth chat with Stephen, covering his illustrious career from those early days of his arch-character in standup comedy (which divided audiences down the middle) and his his return to the stage later down the road, the genesis of the undisputed TV classic ‘The Office’ and its evolution in the US (and being able to watch it objectively at last), right up to being holed up in off-track US locations with Richard E Grant, as well as his current position behind the camera as director of the wrestling biopic ’Fighting With My Family’! How much more besides? So much… Many perspectives and insights and straight up wisdom dropped in this powerful podcast, so set aside some time and ENJOY!
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628. Ralph Ineson: ascending and adjusting, and being a larger than life character, literally (The Fantastic Four / The Office / Nosferatu) #628
46:15||Ep. 628Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by Leeds acting legend RALPH INESON!We join Ralph in that limbo state of him being wrapped on a film but us, the public, having not yet seen it (at time of broadcast) - but playing the role of Galactus must be quite a trip, and certainly quite a height to come back down to Earth from. Thankfully Ralph is a delightful blend of proud but also humble, and we get to hear a perfect collage of tales from his career. From the early days of wokring as security to being a teacher and then - with echoes of Ed Skrein's past mantra - someone saying "Why the f•ck not?" in regards to whether or not he should give acting a shot... We also get to hear about the conflicts of playing, or maybe rather being associated with 'Finchy' from The Office, the strangeness of being part of the MCU which already has a very dedicated fanbase, and his 25 year old son leading the bootcamp for him in the MCU too. There's also the uniquely strange experience of playing Galactus and how that whole thing worked - but this is all for you to enjoy...! As well as Ralph's unmistakeable voice.PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureIMDBINSTAGRAMFANTASTIC FOURTHE GREEN KNIGHTFINCHYSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDBPOD BIBLEVicky McClure (This Is England / Insomnia / Line Of Duty) • Friday Rewind
01:06:25|emocleW, emocleW, emocleW to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This is your bonus FRIDAY REWIND episode! Today, we catch up with Vicky McClure, originally episode 187 from 2018-01-31.Original writeup below:Surely you will have seen Vicky's acting greatness on the big and small screen, having a HUGE part to play in the filmography of the legend Shane Meadows in films such as A Room For Romeo Brass, This Is England and the series of which the film spawned (as ‘Lol’), but if not you will most definitely be catching up after this chat with Pip, as she goes all the way into the archives, back to her days in the acting workshop where she honed her craft and improvisational skills (which would be vital in her later roles), Nottingham days, her very realistic and sobering view on her own acting profession which is very refreshing to hear, a TON of fascinating behind the scenes science on the Meadows method and the deep connection between director, cast, and overall end product, and her own collaboration with fashion label Finery. An all round podcast of pure perfection, so set aside some time and enjoy every moment. You shall.PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureIMDBINSTAGRAMTHIS IS ENGLANDINSOMNIAPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITTERPIP IMDBPOD BIBLE627. Harry Trevaldwyn: the life and times of a fully fledged Drama King (How To Train Your Dragon / The Acolyte) #627
59:57||Ep. 627Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by actor and comic HARRY TREVALDWYN!A wonderful episode which is a joyous celebration of all things actorial, but certainly not limited to... Harry and Pip have shared screen time by way of The Acolyte (albeit in very different roles) aka the wokest Star Wars ever, but Harry's world has been on a beautiful path throughout. From early days of the pandemic working on The Bubble (a Judd Apatow joint), right up to most recently How To Train Your Dragon, and the release of his new book 'The Romantic Tragedies Of A Drama King', there's so much happening and now is a great time to catch him. And who better to catch him than Pip. Lovely stuff - make sure you check Harry's work!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureIMDBTRANSACTIONTHE ROMANTIC TRAGEDIES OF A DRAMA KINGHOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGONTHE BUBBLETHE ACOLYTESPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDBPOD BIBLEJoe Gilgun (This Is England / Preacher / Brassic) • Friday Rewind
51:21|emocleW, emocleW, emocleW to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This is your bonus FRIDAY REWIND episode! Today, we catch up with Joe Gilgun, originally episode 284 from 2019-08-21.Original writeup below:Indeed - this is the week, people. Pip’s been hyping it up for a while now, rightfully so, as Joe is an awesome guest who fits right in like hands to a pair of gloves. And boy howdy do Pip and Joe get into it all… From his appearances on the brilliant Two Shot Podcast, to his own dealing with bipolar (including the importance of having characters who deal with the condition but not as their only character asset), not being the condition you have, working with the powerful Shane Meadows and the many actors under his expansive wings, his bipolar purchase decisions (including parrots and many, many pairs of trainers), living in a derelict house in the woods, social media and its many pitfalls including reasons for him to not use it, all his acting work from Corrie to Brassic and all in between, the lush countryside of the Midlands, being a ‘tall poppy’ - the one who isn’t allowed to get above his station back in the days, learning words through context clues, learning the hard way with a strict teacher, the freedom of taking ideas to Sky, and dealing with memory problems. Yes it’s rammed. Yes you’ll enjoy it. GO IN!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureONLINEIMDBBRASSICPREACHERPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITTERPIP IMDBPOD BIBLE626. Kae Tempest • Polarbear • Hollie McNish • Musa Okwonga • Jodi Ann Bickley! #626
01:10:41||Ep. 626Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by a full assortment of UK spoken word and poetry excellence - KAE TEMPEST, POLARBEAR, HOLLIE MCNISH, MUSA OKWONGA & JODI ANN BICKLEY!Listeners who got on board in more recent years might not be aware of the incredible XFM radio show that Pip used to host called 'The Beatdown'. It was totally essential listening for those with even a passing interest in Hip Hop and Rap and spoken word poetry, and if those were your chose specialist subjects, you would be spoiled by the riches contained within each episode. Interviews, special themed segments, live recordings, spoken word and poetry, it was all in there. This is producer Buddy typing and I was even a guest at one point, which was a true delight (and a rare treat to see Pip operating the set in real time).Here is a collection of some classic moments from the shows, which all pre-date the Distraction Pieces Podcast mind you, where Pip gets in full interview mode and gets some marvellous results from the guests.Here are some timecodes if you want them but do peep the whole ep in full, it's a total treat:Kae Tempest • 3m 20sPolarbear • 19m 51sHollie McNish • 27m 42sMusa Okwonga • 33m 10sJodi Ann Bickley • 54m 49sLovely stuff, a really great chance to hear some long lost treaures!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDBPOD BIBLEBob Vylan (...Presents The Price Of Life / Humble As The Sun) • Friday Rewind
01:07:22|emocleW, emocleW, emocleW to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This is your bonus FRIDAY REWIND episode! Today, we catch up with Bob Vylan, originally episode 561 from 2024-03-27.Original writeup below:Speaking of rays of light, the Bobby Vylan album 'Humble As The Sun' comes out on April 5th, so keep that on your agenda. As you know with Distraction Pieces and the work Pip does / has done, the conversations usually dip in and out of music and acting (but not limited too, of course) - and this week, we have a wonderful chat with Bobby of the band of the same name, which goes into the music but also into the very soil from which the music comes... The physical, political and mental landscape, the world around us, and where we're all going. A fascinating conversation which will be of immediate interest to BV fans but also anyone and everyone who is yet to become acquainted. And for those folks, this is the perfect way in. ENJOY!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureBBC ARTICLE in case you want to have a lookDISCOGSONLINEINSTAGRAMMANY LINKSPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITTERPIP IMDBPOD BIBLE625. Jordan Gray: showrunning, compartmentalising, and loving the craft again (Transaction / Is That A Cock In Your Pocket... / Is It A Bird?) #625
01:02:24||Ep. 625Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by national treasure, showrunner, comic and musician JORDAN GRAY!Pip and Jordan have been pals for a lot of years, and many of you will likely have heard Jordan appear on this very podcast since the 20-teens. The first episode was a pivotal one which is often refered back to with a number of teachable moments that echoed over the years, but whatever your perspective - Jordan's been putting in the work creatively, socially and mentally. With her Edinburgh Fringe show 'Is That A Cock In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Here To Kill Me' featuring this year, and the hit show 'Transaction' on TV, things are looking lovely - but as you'll hear, this stuff doesn't just happen. You knew that of course. But for real - it is a grind. She and Pip expound on such items as memories and place, compartmentalising, PR glow ups, prepping and ironing out a show, gauging audience temperatures, death threats, the good old toilet debate, the difficult world of Harry Potter, and many such ports of call - but all with a strength and positivity that is hard to not be influenced by. ENJOY!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureJORDAN GRAY (new show)TRANSACTIONATTITUDE ARTICLEIS IT A BIRDSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDBPOD BIBLEGoldie (Timeless / Metalheadz / D&B legend) • Friday Rewind
01:17:45|emocleW, emocleW, emocleW to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This is your bonus FRIDAY REWIND episode! Today, we catch up with Goldie, originally episode 156 from 2017-06-21.Original writeup below:A proper filfy drum n' bass banger right here this week too as Pip is joined FINALLY after a long bout of scheduling and planning by the one and only, the Metalhead himself, the UK's national drum & bass treasure - Goldie! "The barbarians from within will raise their heads and rise the deities..." ...and that's one single quote from this absolutely ram packed and intense juggernaught rollercoaster of an episode, as Pip white-knuckles the railing and hold on for dear life as the whirlwind rolls through town and demolishes all in its path! The whirlwind being Goldie, that is. I'm sure you gathered that. Finding his home out in Phuket these days, the path has been rocky, full on, winding and incredible and Goldie has lived through it all - the raves, the graf days out in the Bronx, early days of techno, being a household name in what they used to call 'intelligent drum & bass' with his smash hit 'Inner City Life', a rugged divorce, heavy personal life events including the passing of his mother, and every single second underpinned by his unending appetite for his craft and music making. A fantastic and thrilling ride of an episode, which will make you want to dig out the back catalogue and reminisce over the past while waiting for his new album 'The Journey Man' to download... As Goldie put it himself; "There are no full stops in my life... At all..." Oh and wait for the American and German accents later on. Blimey.PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureDISCOGSONLINEINSTAGRAMMANY LINKSPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITTERPIP IMDBPOD BIBLE624. Danny Boyle: a chat at Curzon, Soho (28 Years Later / Slumdog Millionaire / Trainspotting) #624
33:15||Ep. 624Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by the UK film titan in town on business for 28 Years Later, it's DANNY BOYLE!An immense amount of cinematic greatness can be packed into a smaller episode, as you shall witness with this awesome episode with Danny. This was recorded as part of the Converstions @ Curzon series, where the best of the best film folk get to chat about the craft in a perfect environment for such conversations. As you can hear Danny is always great for a film talk, and even though up against the clock, it was enough to get into some proper good ground relating to output, theory and general approach. He and Pip also check in on cinema seating and the specifics, the effect of sound on an audience and working with sonic layers, working with Young Fathers, the changing image of horror, funding for films, the idea of cultural stasis in the time of the original 28 Days Later, and handing over the reins for the third iteration. Told you it was a lot for a shorter run time... Go in on this!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureCURZON YOUTUBEDANNY • DPP #27628 YEARS LATERSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDBPOD BIBLE