RHLSTP with Richard Herring

RHLSTP Book Club #163 - Lost On Infinity - Richard talks to Steve Punt about the book and incredible multi-media experience that he has created (along with Elaine and Matthew Sweetapple), Lost On Infinity. They have a long chat about Steve’s Benjamin Button career from starting on BBC1 on the Jasper Carrott show to 26 years on the Now Show, the lessons that the rollercoaster of Weekending taught them both and whether Eric Idle might be Steve’s dad. Then they discuss the long gestation period of the book and the rock opera and why it was important that for all the magic of the writing that the project was scientific, how it manages to make points about the environment and extinction without detracting from the story, whether it would be preferable to live in a world without dogs or without humans, why the ultimate goal is to create a work that can be enjoyed by all members of a family and why it’s good to use language and music that pushes the reader of listener and doesn’t patronise them.Buy the book here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Infinity-creatures-incredible-dramatised/dp/1739263065Find out more about Rockford’s Rock Opera at RockfordsRockOpera.comSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

RHLSTP #591 - Grolsch - Richard is back at the Leicester Sq Theatre and has a new moral dilemma to rival the Trolley Problem. How guest is actor, presenter, film director, author and philosopher Richard Ayoade. They discuss Ayoade’s impressively varied career, why he wrongly doesn’t see himself as an actor, the sleeper cult show Garth Merenghi Darkplace, being the only one of the British/Irish cast who went to America to do the IT Crowd pilot, trying not to laugh at Bob Mortimer, why there should be more 40 minute films, his fabulous book of comedy wisdom “Afterthoughts” and whether anyone watched “The Watch”.Buy Afterthoughts here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/afterthoughts-some-pistachios-won-t-open-wisdom-for-an-unreflective-age-richard-ayoade/7893644See RHLSTP Live - https://richardherring.com/gigsSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

#417 Captain Dick - Rich and some other Londoners are only alive today thanks to his skilful driving which means he is here to interview the absolutely remarkable Anneka Rice. They discuss her new stand up career and the way she tackles serious subjects like death and Alzheimers in her radio show Anneka Has Issues, why she was recently arrested at an airport, the return of Challenge Anneka and whether there’s the same community spirit that there was 30 years ago, the physical imperfection that nearly derailed her entire on screen career (despite it not existing), CB TV Channel 14 (that maybe only Richard remembers), how Anneka nearly killed a man and then considered killing her dad and what she would have to do to change her obituary photo.Come and see us live http://richardherring.com/rhlstpBuy Richard’s new book here http://gofasterstripe.com/ballSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

RHLSTP Book Club #162 - The Traitors Circle - Richard talks to journalist and author Jonathan Freedland about his non-fiction thriller, The Traitors Circle, which isn’t about the TV series, but the horrific consequences of failing to discover a traitor in your midst in real life. They chat about the parallels between Nazi Germany and other more recent political developments, the surprising group of people who resisted Hitler in varying degrees and the complicity of the vast majority. How one of the characters in the story was at the heart of development of mass extermination and how others were willing to go along with mass murder, the incredible luck that Hitler enjoyed in the various assassination plots that he survived, the fervour with which his supporters continued his work, even as their enemy was at the gates and how there is no justice for the traitor at the heart of the circle. Plus how in spite of the horror of the subject, the bravery and rebellion of the people who opposed the regime is an incredible positive and what effect does a subject like this have on the author.Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-traitors-circle-the-rebels-against-the-nazis-and-the-spy-who-betrayed-them-jonathan-freedland/7872819SUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

RHLSTP #590 - Richard Osman Urinal Conundrum - Richard is at the Podcast Room in Central London, with a spare hour of studio time and Rhys James already in the hot seat, so let’s do a good old-fashioned rude RHLSTP with little to no research. The pair end up discussing how poker can buy you a sofa (or just buy one), haggling too hard for picture frames with clocks in them, Rolex spoons, selling only one DVD of your comedy special (deliberately), how Rhys intends to prank the lactose intolerant, what it’s like to be tall but identify as small, how to wee next to a man in a theatre toilet and what happens to Taskmaster when Greg Davies dies.Buy Rhys’ book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/you-ll-like-it-when-you-get-there-a-life-lived-reluctantly-rhys-james/7844250SUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

#416 John the Mouse - Rich has some helpful suggestions to help the footballers support LGBTQ+ rights and is amazed by the press reaction to last week’s podcast. His guest is superlative stand up comedian and podcaster James Acaster. They discuss Nasty Nick’s funeral, the Richard E Grant mystery, why James never retired from stand up and why he’s now inviting hecklers, the weird experience of being a last minute replacement mouse in Cinderella, confusing and angering people with his fantastically funny new book “James Acaster’s Guide to Quitting Social Media”, his new audio sitcom and how his brilliant routine about edgy comics has done no good at all. Plus will James agree with Richard’s conjecture that all music is terrible?Buy James’ book here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/james-acaster-s-guide-to-quitting-social-media-james-acaster/6882707Listen to Springleaf here - https://www.jamesacaster.com/springleaf/Buy Richard’s book here http://gofasterstripe.com/ballSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

RHLSTP Book Club #161 - Seriously Silly - The Life of Terry Jones - Richard chats to renowned comedy historian Robert Ross about his fabulous new biography of actor, writer, director and Python, Terry Jones. The topics includes what it’s like to befriend a Python and how that friendship affects the writing of a biography, how comedy history can be a map for future comedians, how Jones’ influence in the sketch group is perhaps underestimated, how the Python members could never have imagined that the sketch show they were embarking on would bind them for the rest of their lives, what a fine movie director he was, how he helped Rich get an A in his A level English, how his dementia affected his later years and how the new naked statue of Terry will be viewed by the people of the future.Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/seriously-silly-the-life-of-terry-jones-the-authorised-biography-robert-ross/4553b8f600a0191aSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

RHLSTP #589 - Dopplegängr - It’s Richard’s last show of the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, but what is the Edinburgh Fringe? Luckily Liam Gallagher knows. Richard’s guest is not in Oasis and is unlikely to support them after this, it’s the loquacious (thank goodness for Rich) Nish Kumar. They chat about at what point you have to stop claiming to be working class, how Nish survived his tour of America unscathed and the positives he took from the experience, why both sides-ism is an unhelpful concept, how even Nish’s grandma thinks he might be Jason Mantzoukas, why Taskmaster is didn’t too badly when it comes to diversity, but how being in a comedy gang can be a big help in maintaining the necessary quality for a career and has Nish been in a canoe? This is the only podcast where you will find out. Thanks so much to the magnificent staff at the Stand in Edinburgh and the brilliant audiences that made this Fringe an absolute pleasure. Same time again next year?SUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE

#415 Mosquito in the Kitchen - Richard recalls a couple of childhood memories that can’t possibly hare happened. His guest is the king of mischief and righteous anger (who is also very funny) Joe Lycett. They talk about how Joe brought down a Prime Minister, how he was almost arrested for a joke, how his spoof Sue Gray report fooled some members of parliament, how people decided what snacks Santa would be getting, the personal heartbreak behind Joe’s anger about the government’s reaction to Covid, why he literally talked sh*t and the extreme steps Joe is taking to try and persuade David Beckham to withdraw from his role in Qatar. This is an exceptional show which is why we are putting it out as soon as possible.Buy Joe’s extraordinarily funny and beautiful special “More More More” here https://watch.joelycett.com/Buy Richard’s new book here. http://gofasterstripe.com/ballSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE