Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast Season 24

It's a bonus episode to end series 24 with the world class stand up Doug Stanhope, recorded over zoom from Dublin just an hour or so after Doug arrived on a TransAtlantic flight for his UK tour where people are about to lose their minds due to the death of our beloved monarch. They chat about authenticity in comedy, the self-destructive nature of Doug's lifestyle and how things are changing with age, performing drunk, whether cancellation is a smart career move, making your audience apply to come to gigs and Nicholas Witchell. Plus fans of urine will be glad to find out that you can hear Doug do a wee in this one.

It's Richard's last day at the Fringe and controversy over a cancelled show (not this one) is just taking off. Richard is chatting to comedian and movie star, Omid Djalili. They discuss the films that he got cut out of, how he got cast in The Mummy, some surprises from the set of Sex and the City 2, the late, great Sean Lock, performing for the Queen and the role comedy plays in helping us move forwards. A great end to a fab run at the Assembly Rooms and Richard's last ever Fringe show (perhaps)

Richard has been to see his best friends in Edinburgh again and disappointed that any problems he has can't be blamed on anyone but himself. His guest is actor and writer Sanjeev Kohli. They talk about how Scotland welcomed his family, why he went to University in the city he grew up, how he got distracted from the wonderful world of mathematics, stalking Prince, the worldwide success of Still Game, being Hugh Laurie's husband (in Avenue 5) and trying to joke with John C Reilly. Plus the power of the pun and the difficulty of explaining why that are funny!

Richard has just watched the equivalent of Shakespeare performing Hamlet, and now has plans to make a cartoon with his latest guest timkey. They perform a play, recite poetry and there's some asexual tension and hand holding throughout, plus what it's like to watch a quiz show where no one knows who you are, winning the big Edinburgh Comedy Prize, writing a poem a day to get through lockdown, acting alongside Daisy May Cooper, counting the cocks on the Bayeaux Tapestry and slamming together unsuitable films. Would Parkinson have asked the questions that Richard asks? Maybe he should have.

Richard has a problem with a couple of Edinburgh posters (though one of them is for a restaurant) and has been mainly watching Monty Python. His guest is Taskmaster loser (though I'd be surprised if that's even mentioned) Ed Gamble. They discuss how they would have got on with life 1000 years ago, sending Greg Davies into space, whether emergency questions are good for dating apps, how easy it is to hunt James Acaster, getting the Pointless gig, love in an abattoir and Rich does an audition for Mock the Week. Plus why all music is rubbish and Rich tries and fails to boost his feminist credentials by talking cock.

RHLSTP has hit an important milestone, but what number exactly and why is Scotland so hot right now? Richard's guest is legendary stand up and actor, Janeane Garofolo. They talk about the tangential nature of Janeane's comedy, being mistaken for a homeless person, why she doesn't have a podcast (or any social media), working with Gary Shandling and giving it up for Saturday Night Live, getting typecast, regretting early stand up and why it's hard to work with executives. It's a fascinating chat about a long and varied career that included parts in the Sopranos, West Wing, Seinfeld, 24 and coming to terms with the changes in fortune and why stand up remains the most important thing.

Richard has a son who has gone over to the dark side, but is delighted to welcome back the wonderful John Robins for his 7th RHLSTP appearance. They talk about a headphone heist, how you have to want to act in order to act, the dangers of a Fringe that is ever more expensive and ticket prices that have hardly changed, whether a long term relationship is a success or a failure, the secret of double act longevity, a potential name for a new Robins' tour and no emergency questions!

Richard is still obsessing over the Cat in the Hat, though his greatest moment of theatre happened in bed. His guests are the singing spinsters, Flo and Joan aka Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. They talk about whether musical comedy can ever be cool, the perils of dating apps, who will be the first person to have sex with an alien, being made of stone, whether sex with a robot is cheating, the tensions of a double act and how to tackle serious subjects with comedy songs. Plus the Royal Variety performance and whether Richard will ever take part (he won't)

Richard has been to the Museum of Scotland and knows which exhibit he'd like to be gifted. He's also bemoaning how left wing the Fringe has become. His guest is the indestructible force of nature that is Janey Godley. They discuss their somewhat different experiences of cancer and chemotherapy, how having cancer doesn't make you brave, writing a love letter to the 1970s women of Glasgow, how to cheat your electricity meter, how Janey got cancelled before getting cancer and whether we should forgive people their trespasses if they are repentant. Plus whether Scotland should become independent and why Tories wear red trousers

Richard has seen a piece or theatre that has made him question everything, but also a fantastic stand up show by today's guest Vir Das. They chat about how a passionate speech at the Kennedy Centre led to Vir being in danger of arrest in his native India, how the world is split between those looking to the future and those wanting to stay in the past, the difference between patriotism and nationalism, how terrible events are great news for comedians, ghostly experiences, working with Judd Apatow and how Vir got the attention of Bollywood film producers. A really stonking episode with a world class comedian and film star (sadly both Vir). Don't miss it.

Richard is still trying to come to terms with the fact his first Fringe happened 35 years ago, as well as how much his landlord is making from the show. Never mind - his guest(s) today are Conrad Koch and his little friend Chester Missing. They talk about what makes a normal human being turn to ventriloquism, how a puppet can be the best medium to discuss huge political issues (or they can be a carrot that fails to do double entendres properly), how Chester because a huge hit in South Africa and why politicians want to be interviewed by him, plus the revelation that the end of Apartheid was not the end of racism and why racism is white people's problem. Richard decides to show Conrad how to do ventriloquism properly and so there's an appearance from a certain cancerous bollock. Who is the best ventriloquist? See if you can decide via an audio only medium.

Richard's children are being exposed to the artistic posters of the Fringe, whilst Rich is wondering why anyone is bothering (already). His guests are Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLean. They chat about how podcasts are rubbish now everyone is doing them, dodgy tummies, Gollum's suit case, whether you can eat a rescue chicken and whether the working class have more challenges to face when it comes to stand up.

The King of Edinburgh is back for his 26th Fringe and another dirty dozen shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. His first guest is bipolar comedian and nearly Big Brother contestant Harriet Dyer. They talk about her fantastic autobiography Bipolar Comedian, turning terrible events into comedy and channeling mental illness into something positive, poisoning a contestant on a TV dating show, a coat full of farts, becoming Richard Herring and how the other Harriet Dyers have impacted on Harriet Dyers life.