Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast

RHLSTP #622 - Cheesy Sisyphus - Rich is at the Podcast Room talking to some proper big TV/film stars, Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson. They talk about why the Hell they are returning to the Fringe to do a sketch show, their enduring friendship and how that informs their work together, Charly’s brain tumour and why she called it Britney and why that led to them both being called Britney, clouds in film studios, judging pizza with Steve Carrell, living another life in a coma and why Richard would only be a very specialist interest on wikifeet. See their Fringe sketch show - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/britney-holy-mackerel See their Fringe play https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jitters See RHLSTP at the Fringe/London http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Recorded at the Podcast Room Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Fringe 2011 #14 - The Oxfam of Comedy - What's that unusual atmosphere in the air today? Could it be genuine reverence. Rich is joined by one of his absolute comedy heroes, Barry Cryer and is trying to be on his best behaviour. Barry's butterfly brain means he has a story about everyone and everything that gets mentioned from Nicholas Parsons to Stewart Lee and Jack Benny to Richard Pryor. He also comes up with the best answer yet to the Keith Allen Question (as it is known in parliament). So just sit back and listen to a comedy legend (which is pretty much that all Rich does in this episode) and find out who's really the king of Edinburgh. Rich has also just been offered an advert where he'd have to live in a perspex box for three days (he may not take it). What a lovely way to spend the afternoon. See RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstpt/tour SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP Book Club #191 - Middle Aged Women Get Sh*t Done - Richard is at the Podcast Room chatting to friend and comedian Lucy Porter about her fun and fascinating book, Middle Aged Women Get Shit Done. Is it just for women or should men read it too? Should it be pulped because of what it says about Scrabble? What does it mean to be a Linda? Would the NHS collapse without middle-aged women? What about the middle-aged men? Plus some chat about quizzing and whether Rich is the best at Mastermind. Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/middle-aged-women-get-sh-t-done-a-manifesto-or-a-cry-for-help-lucy-porter/e627fe5b294dcdeb?ean=9781035441570 See Lucy at the Fringe https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/lucy-porter-the-name-of-the-games-wip SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) Recorded at the Podcast Room Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #621 - Cyberman Having a Fag - It’s another remote RHLSTP and Rich is talking to writer, artist and stand up Tom Neenan. They chat about building a Dalek in your house, Tom’s fantastic art and Rich’s less impressive pottery and why it’s good for comedians to use the other side of their brain sometimes, the Spitting Image “Is Nothing Sacred?” Video insert booklet, whether Rich personally knows the Naked Man and Naked Woman from the Fist of Fun cash in book, why men are so rubbish (not all men) and Tom’s attempt to do ventriloquism with no puppet, because they’re too expensive if your great-grandad hasn’t made you one. See Tom in Edinburgh https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tom-neenan-portrait-of-a-tom-as-a-young-neenan See RHLSTP in Edinburgh http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come Closer To The Screen We’re on the road still and at the Lowry in Salford where the lightest local headline is not really ripe for frivolity, but at least they are paying fitting tribute to their greatest painter. And it’s possible that the theatre is literally on fire, but Richard is not letting that stop him. The guest tonight is showbiz legend and punster extraordinaire, Jimmy Cricket and something that the RHLSTP audience might not be used to, proper jokes. But amongst the silliness, Jimmy reveals some fabulous stories about the days of the working men’s clubs, the summer camps or Ireland, Laurel and Hardy’s last tour, working with the Honey Monster, being a Papal Knight and why he still has the hunger for treading the boards in his wellies. There’s more, how his This is Your Life almost got derailed by a chance meeting and a letter from his Mamie. To buy Jimmy’s DVD or find out about his live dates or performances of his play check out his website - https://www.jimmycricket.co.uk/ It’s a heart-warming, corny and hilarious hour of chat. But will Rich ask clean-living Jimmy THAT emergency question? See RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstpt/tour Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Fringe 2019 #21 - Nine Minutes - Rich has just hit the 200 average crowd he coveted and worked out just how much his landlord has made from each ticket sold and there’s an end of term atmosphere as he meets Flo and Joan and John Kearns. With Flo and Joan the talk revolves around time travelling gang bangs, Bros’ Cheddar antics, double act rivalry and memories of Tring. With John, Richard is skittish from lack of sleep and counting down the time, but still manages to find out whether a plastic cup can substitute for false teeth and how the speaker of the House of Commons takes a shit. Plus a revival of a plan to quell sex offenders. Thanks to the crew at the New Town Theatre and to Liam for coming to so many shows and messing up his cue. See Flo and Joan on tour http://floandjoan.com See John on tour https://www.johnkearnscomedy.co.uk/ See RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstpt/tour SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 30th July 2026 - Sweet Perineum - Rich and Ally are back with more news that you won’t hear anyone else, all squished into a five minute bulletin. Today they are looking at the wildfires sweeping in the world and wondering if they could be anything to do with global warming. Plus a very disturbing report from France or maybe Spain where the fires are going on (though that’s not what is disturbing). Plus a surprise visit. Keep watching til the end. Friday July 31st 2026 - Egg Head - Second Newsround of the week - oh ambassador with these Newsrounds we are really spoiling you. Today we look at something the Lamestream media won’t touch, because they are in the pay of the billionaires, corruption in FIFA or UEFA, whichever one it is. With the interview that everyone wants. And some very impressive songs from Ally. See RHLSTP at the Ed Fringe http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Or support this with a badge - https://gofasterstripe.com/badges Titles by Andy Bobbin Music by Mike Cosgrave Directed by Chris Evans. Any similarity to John Craven’s Newsround is entirely coincidental Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP Book Club 190 - The Umbrella Man and Other Stories - Another remote Book Club where Rich talks to author Martin Fitzgerald about his book about the JFK assassination, which looks at everything from a very different perspective by examining the witnesses and not worrying about whodunnit. Was the Umbrella Man really signalling to all the assassins that it was time to shoot (and wouldn’t that be a bit of a distraction rather than a help)? What was it that attracted these people to the relatively quiet part of the route in Dealey Plaza rather than the ticker tape of Main Street? Is it possible to understand the amateurish nature of the detective work from a 21st Century perspective? Why did some witnesses hog the limelight whilst others disappeared immediately and did some people insert themselves into the story who weren’t there? How did the racism endemic in Dallas at the time affect the responses of the African- American witnesses? What effect did the assassination have on Dallas as a whole? And how easy is it to be a reliable witness or a truly impartial judge of what happened? It’s a terrific book and a really interesting approach to the event and I thoroughly recommend it. Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-umbrella-man-and-other-stories-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-the-jfk-assassination-martin-fitzgerald/80bddf3b35dec416 SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #620 - Greggs Chicken Bake - Rich is doing a few remote podcasts again due to a medical condition, so tonight we’re going to party like it’s 2020. He is chatting to character comedian and writer Rosalie Minnitt who is about to do her second hour about her Fringe breakout success Clementine. They chat about how she Peter Kayed her student play, her itinerant childhood, the genesis of her crazy Jane Austen influenced stage persona and how it sometimes surprises here with how far it goes, how men brought up to play stooges all think Rosalie might genuinely be into them and what happened when she actually went on a date with one of them, working with Alan Partridge and the difficulty of finding new subjects for Horrible Histories. Tickets for Rosalie’s Edinburgh show here https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/rosalie-minnitt-clementine-2 Tickets for RHLSTP at the Ed Fringe here http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#443 Blew Peter - Richard has not drunk alcohol for 27 months, but should he go back to his drunken (and more amusing ways). As is now traditional his final guest of the series is a member of the Ellis family, it’s the brilliant Janet Ellis. They discuss day time drinking with John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, the irritatingly slow speed of K9 from Doctor Who and the embarrassing googlewhack that happened when Richard searched for his favourite episode of Jigsaw. Plus the sinister presence of Noseybonk, the health and safety nightmare of 1980s Blue Peter, being a nepo mum and what prompted her to become a novelist and the potential awkwardness of reading the steamier bits for the audiobook. Come and see RHLSTP live - all dates and confirmed guests here http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deam Me Up, Scotty - Rich and Ally are back, if only briefly, for more news that the lamestream media ignores. Today some bad news for fans of dogs and Doctor Who as Richard questions the wisdom of the royals using a Tardis. And then an exciting adventure as someone steals the time machine and makes diabolical plans. Should Ally be the new Doctor? Could be! See Rich at the Ed Fringe http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Or support this with a badge - https://gofasterstripe.com/badges Titles by Andy Bobbin Music by Mike Cosgrave Directed by Chris Evans. Any similarity to John Craven’s Newsround is entirely coincidental Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP Book Club #189 - Running Through Sand - Richard chats remotely with stand up and extreme runner Paul Tonkinson about his attempt to complete the 250km Marathon des Sable through (a little bit of) the Sahara desert. They chat about what drives someone to do such an insane thing, midlife crises, how men don’t talk enough about getting older, working with Michael McIntyre, the wisdom that comes with experience and whether anyone should listen to you, writing a book that is partly about writing the book and having hallucinations in the desert. Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/running-through-sand-an-ageing-comedian-s-ill-thought-out-ultra-in-the-sahara-paul-tonkinson/7f395e6f5eac21c8 SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #619 - Daily Branch Whack Punishment - It’s another remote RHLSTP, with another Edinburgh bound member of the SNL UK writing team, Chris Cantrill. They chat about working with the delightful Amy Gledhill, the relentless process of writing Saturday Night Live and how it might not live up to the coke-fuelled ego-fest of the original American series, Chris’ new stand up show Rewilding, which centres around the appalling act of vandalism at the Sycamore Gap, why he likes performing at lunchtime and why the Fringe has never been the booze-fuelled holiday that it was for Rich in the 1990s. Plus getting to play small parts in hit sitcoms and an overhaul of our judicial system. Tickets for Chris’ Edinburgh show here https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/chris-cantrill-rewilding Tickets for RHLSTP at the Ed Fringe here http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#543 House of Losers - Richard has had a worrying dream, but what can it all mean? His guest is an alien from outer space and not a man in an impressive but ridiculous costume, the artist formerly known as Lord Buckethead, Count Binface. They discuss his reasons for travelling light years to take on sitting Prime Ministers in UK elections, some of his excellent policies involving hand dryers and Ceefax, whether snooker is already in 3 dimensions, losing a bind, whether old people should lose the vote, improving the House of Lords and how the UK’s future span out of control due to the Olympic opening ceremony and a bacon sandwich. Will Count Binface become Mayor of Croydon? Watch this (outer) space. Check out the Count’s live dates on his website, and vote for him in Clacton on 13 August if you can https://www.countbinface.com/ See a live recording of RHLSTP - https://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP Book Club #188 - The Secrets of Our DNA - Richard has a remote chat with Professor of Genetics and archaeologist Turi King about her fantastic book encompassing the many advances in our understanding of DNA, a surprising number of which overlap with Richard’s interests. Find out how Cheddar Man is not as related to Richard’s history teacher as Somerset likes to claim, how some of Richard III’s bones ended up in York (for a little while at least), whether Hitler actually had one ball and whether DNA can tell us how big historical figures genitals are (and if not, what’s the point). It’s such a fun chat, also including the Princes in the Tower, bringing back dinosaurs, the guilt or innocence of OJ Simpson and catching serial killers via DNA websites. Plus find out what Richard’s surname reveals about his origins. Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-secrets-of-our-dna-how-genetics-has-changed-the-world-professor-turi-king/c2eeb0f1c0ed98da SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #618 - Two Large Fifty-Something Tiny Tims - Rich is back in salty Droitwich with last week’s guest Mitch Benn. They discuss the huge number of Edinburgh shows Mitch has done, his fandom of Tom Lehrer, Mitch is the 37th Beatle, an unexpected Dickens connection, whether satire is best done from an apolitical perspective and why fascism is ultimately doomed, not being retained by the Now Show after 17 years, how all the old satirical songs some around again, Mitch’s prodigious work ethic and how he gets so much done whether we need proportional representation, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Dracula and the return of a classic emergency question. See Mitch in Edinburgh - https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/mitch-benn-asking-elvis See RHLSTP in Edinburgh - https://www.thestand.co.uk/fringe/2925/richard-herring-rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#442 Hungover Mastermind - Richard is basking in the possibly short-lived approval of one of his kids and is trying to make money off the ideas of the other one. His guest is Mock the Week favourite, Rhys James. They discuss the tallest building in Swindon, the worst place in Hertfordshire, writing right wing and left wing material on the same subject, what Richard said about Rhys when he saw him in a new act competition, the enduring problem of the last packet of crisps falling into a volcano, whether it’s better to have one ball or one kidney, wearing a tuxedo on Pointless, why people might think Rhys is deaf and more sad tales of romantic embarrassment. Come and see us live http://richardherring.com/rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 6th July 2026 - Old Red Eye is Back - Rich has got out of his sick bed to bring you all the news that you won’t hear on the lamestream media. Today finally Pizza Express has done an investigation to find out whether Andrew Battenberg-Cake came there in March 2001 and the results are frankly astonishing. We hear from the man himself to see where his life may go now. Tuesday 7th July 2026 - Farage Above the Garage - Rich and Ally are back with breaking news about Farage’s resignation and Richard’s health. The badinage is strong. The news is balanced and unbiased. Wednesday 8th July 2026 - Imagine There’s a Heaven - Rich and Ally are back tacking the really big news stories that others are too scared to handle. Today they report on what happens when you die and get a report direct from Heaven to see if that idea is correct. Friday 10th July 2026 - Stamford Brook - It’s the last Newsround for a little while as the team head off for a much deserved holiday, but we’re covering a big story - the cock infested Reading Embroidery. Should the British Museum keep it or should it be censored. Expect some strong opinions and a factually dubious song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP Book Club #187 - Neurodivergent Moments - Richard chats to Joe and Abigoliah about their book of humorous essays, Neurodivergent Moments. They discuss whether neurodivergence is an advantage as a comedian, why you can hate being in crowds, but love performing in front of crowds, how comedy remains the best way to educate people without them noticing, why this book is nonetheless primarily about making jokes rather than teaching lessons (but still does both jobs), what masking involves and why it is necessary, how risk taking can present itself in having loads of sex with strangers and why it’s OK to make mistakes about this kind of stuff, as long as you’re genuinely interested in learning about it. Here’s all the places you can buy the book https://linktr.ee/ndm_book SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #617 - Wild-Eyed Loner at the Gates of Oblivion - Rich is in salt-obsessed Droitwich at the second Rik Mayall festival and reads a bit of the never produced script of Man Down that he wrote for Rik (who would have done it better). His guest is Rik-fan, musician and comedian (usually at the same time) Mitch Benn. They chat about the remarkable cast of the Edinburgh show “The Bootleg Bootleg Beatles” and their varying fortunes, what Rik meant to the kids back in the early 80s, how Mitch was secretly the most popular comedy character in the UK for several years and getting to play Zaphod Beeblebrox alongside the original radio cast. It’s a solo performance to match the great Brian Blessed, but Rich manages a couple of humorous interjections! See Mitch in Edinburgh - https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/mitch-benn-asking-elvis See RHLSTP in Edinburgh - https://www.thestand.co.uk/fringe/2925/richard-herring-rhlstp SUPPORT THE SHOW! See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL Become a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Audio mix by Ben Evans (NTO) Thanks to Chris Evans (NTO) and Ben Walker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.