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You Should've Been Here Last Week
Shazia Mirza - Grafting and staying the course!
Season 4, Ep. 7
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Shazia Mirza is an award winning British Asian Muslim comedian, actress, and writer. She is best known for her stand-up comedy, touring internationally across the USA, Europe and Asia. Now a familiar face on TV, Shazia shares how hard work helped sustain her career.
Book tickets to our LIVE SHOW featuring Robin Ince! Saturday, October 18th at The Bedford in Balham. Tickets only £5: https://cheerfulearful.podlifeevents.com/festival/you-shouldve-been-here-last-week-feat-robin-ince---live-from-cheerful-earful-podcast-festival-18-oct-2025-tickets
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6. Robin Ince - "I'd rather be woke than an ignorant twat!"
56:43||Season 4, Ep. 6After 16 years, comedian, broadcaster and author, Robin Ince resigned from co-presenting role on BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage. After making the decision last September, a month later he appeared at this live show recording to talk to Steve and Paul about how much to he loves the freedom of live comedy performance.
5. Jessica Fostekew: "Having a son was the turning point"
37:20||Season 4, Ep. 5Jessica Fostekew is a comedian, actor and writer who has appeared on numerous entertainment shows. A regular on BBC Radio 4, BBC 1, Sky as well as being a very successful podcast. Jessica talks to Steve and Paul about how having a son changed her focus on her career.
4. Comedy Club Fight Stories - Part 2
24:22||Season 4, Ep. 4More violence in comedy club stories from Steve and Paul. This time the outbreaks are mainly focussed on themselves as they're two comics you just love to hit!
3. Comedy Club Fight Stories - Part 1
40:05||Season 4, Ep. 3When punchlines turn to punch ups, jokes to jabs and riffs to biffs. Violence can break out in comedy clubs, either in the audience, onstage, backstage or even in the car park. Steve and Paul tell their favourite stories of outbreaks of comedic fisticuffs.
2. Ben Norris: "TV - the money would have destroyed me!"
46:02||Season 4, Ep. 2Ben Norris, successfully set out to be a consummate stand up comedian in 1993. MTV, BBC and Paramount Comedy shows followed as he further honed his live craft. He talks to Steve and Paul about his journey and how new comics these days won't leave the green room to watch closing acts unless they're dying.Ben Norris on 'Comedy Central at the Comedy Store': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf-1ItvY9gY&t=282s
1. Is Artificial Intelligence Funny?
48:16||Season 4, Ep. 1So many things can be improved by using AI. But what about writing stand-up comedy? Steve and Paul decide to find out if AI can write them new sets in their style and judge the results. With special guest Amazon's Alexa.
20. David Tsonos - They said UK comedy crowds were rowdy, so I came over to find out!
36:15||Season 3, Ep. 20David Tsonos, Canadian comedian, writer and actor, came over to the UK over a decade ago. Since then he's become such beloved part of the UK comedy scene that he considers himself to be more a British comic. Plus, he's created an Edinburgh Fringe institution with his 'The Drunken Heckle Show'.David dealing with a heckler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMw4n5k8aAo
19. Alex Petty - Edinburgh Fringe is about open access - not quality control!
34:44||Season 3, Ep. 19Alex Petty, the man behind the Laughing Horse Free Festival - a constant at the Edinburgh Fringe for 21 years. Helping thousand's of comedians to stage shows using the 'free model' to reduce costs for performers and audiences.