RETRO RHLSTP #79 - Away or Towards? - A weary Richard films the audience as evidence of dissent for the future fascist government of the UK, before introducing a man who comes with his own magical minor ticker tape parade, David Cross. Starstruck and clearly in disbelieving awe, Rich flounders around and mainly embarrasses himself, but luckily Mr Cross is able to come up with some amazing riffed comedy about frozen vegetables, Abraham and taking cocaine near President Obama, whilst getting a bit more serious about Donald Trump, the responsibilities of fatherhood, why Richard should probably not take hard drugs, the benefits of the middle-aged sketch show and David’s part in the creation of kickstarter. Richard hoped that he would so impress David that they would become good friends and could appear in Doctor Doolittle 3 together as method-acted monkeys, but I think it’s safe to say that that will not happen. Cross put away an impressive amount of bitter during this podcast and still remains focused and coherent, but clearly needed the toilet near the end, which turns into a battle of the obstinately pedantic 1990s underrated sketch show stars. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #91 - Bird - Rich is in Canterbury where everyone is up in arms about the Silent Disco, but saying nothing about the Canterbury Tales. His guests are charmingly giddy husband and wife Jim and Nancy Moir. And though there is some chat about the artist formerly known as Vic Reeves’ book, they also discuss the dream job of Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir, the Marmite Museum, painting in the nude, dancing for Instagram, appearing in Love Actually, being the face of Pampers, having fun in and out of the Australian jungle and the mystery of Jim’s ghostly encounter is finally solved. Buy Birds here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/birds-the-sunday-times-bestseller-jim-moir/7040075?ean=9781800182028 Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#497 Shoe Horn - Richard is in Northampton and astonished to hear the place once burnt down (as well as the stuff that makes the papers). HIs guest is actor and character comedian Jon Pointing. They chat about not sampling the thing you’re advertising, the tricky nature of the double act (especially with your brother-in-law), the surprising depths of his BAFTA nominated performance in Big Boys, playing out of character in the new series Smothered and his early foray into gangster films. He also brings Richard gifts (it’d be nice if all the guests did that) and has some pertinent questions about the suncream armpit. See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #78 - Minstrels - Richard is worried about the psychological impact of Winnie the Pooh's skull being on display in a museum, but overcomes his fears long enough to introduce ex-philosophy student Aisling Bea. Find out what it's like making love to Enya, whether a degree still counts if you cheated all the way through your studies, how trying to impress someone by riding a horse can leave you in the shit, and some baffling Irish references that must have been doubly confusing for the man who had come from India to see the show. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #90 - Killing Thatcher - Rich talks to journalist Rory Carroll about his fascinating account of the Brighton Bombing of 1984, Killing Thatcher. They discuss the importance of maintaining balance in the account of this true event, to truly understand motivations, how telling the story through the eyes of some of the major figures in the political situation, the terrorist attack and the police investigation brings it to life, the human and sometimes humorous details that make it resonate even more and the extraordinary plot that came within feet of wiping out the UK government. Plus the remarkable journalism required to uncover the facts and the fantastic writing that makes this a page turning thriller. This is Richard’s favourite book of 2023 and is now out in paperback - so don’t miss it. Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/killing-thatcher-the-ira-the-manhunt-and-the-long-war-on-the-crown-rory-carroll/7364190?ean=9780008476694 Or the audiobook here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Thatcher-Manhunt-Long-Crown/dp/B0BN4L6XQV Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#496 Julia Sawalha’s Well - Richard has great news about his (pre-breakfast) weight (which may no longer be true by time of broadcast). And in another attempt to get some closure for his romantic past, his guest is fantastic actress and ex-partner, Julia Sawalha. They talk about the impact of Press Gang and the gruelling audition process, working with Rik Mayall and Michael Palin (not at the same time), the process by which Absolutely Fabulous developed and brilliant casting that led to its success and how Julia won Stars in Their Eyes after zero sleep thanks to a Coronation Street actress throwing chairs around. There may be some mention of the relationship, the embarrassment of watching Fist of Fun with Richard’s dad, Rich and Julia’s shared spirit guide, the extraordinary nicknames of her former partners (including Richard’s), some controversy and disagreement about how they broke up and the drunken fights and near death experiences of the Time Gentlemen Please cast. Plus an amazing ghost story and the surprising recasting of a movie sequel. This really has everything. Don’t miss it. See RHLSTP on tour- http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #77 - How To Twerk - Richard is marvelling about a new interpretative dance based on “All You Need is Love” but soon he will be dancing himself with brilliant new comedian and writer, Sophie Willan. They talk about how a trip to Ibiza with your techno-loving gran can ignite a love of theatre, what Rylan is like in real life, the therapeutic nature of stand up (and whether it’s healthy to work things through on stage), the intersection between madness and comedy, growing up in and out of care, thinking Richard Ashcroft is your dad and why comedy and theatre are so middle class. Plus is it always best to be in a monogamous relationship and how much is comedy like sex work? If you’ve seen Richard dancing, then not very much. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #89 - The Stranger Times - Richard meets former stand up and now best selling novelist Caimh Mcdonnell to talk about all of his many books, but specifically the Stranger Times series. They discuss the frustrations of writing for TV, a top tip to move towards writing a novel, how a memory of a forgotten sitcom script led to the creation of this series, making Manchester the star, using a comedian as inspiration for one of the characters, selling TV rights and retaining control over your work by setting up your own company and publishing house, as well as using more traditional avenues. A fantastic success story and lots of great advice for your own writing. Buy the book here - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-stranger-times-the-stranger-times-1-c-k-mcdonnell/6412054?ean=9780552177344 Or the audiobook here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Stranger-Times/dp/B08LHCJ9T5/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#495 Speared by a Moose - Richard is still in Norwich and has more local news and celebrates the city’s most famous son. His guest is the phenomenon that is Joe Pasquale. In the chat Joe reveals more than any guest has done before, literally and physically as he recounts many tales of clumsiness and accident, including how he nearly died the perfect comedy bath (again literally), the funniest telling of a having a badly broken leg after being run over, how a flight with the Red Arrows ended in excruciating pain and an upsetting encounter with some bum grapes. Plus how Ken Dodd helped the young Pasquale become a hit, the boredom of I’m a Celebrity, an amazing story about what happens if you piss off (or piss on) Christopher Dean, how a comic real life explosion led to Joe playing Frank Spencer, a legendary episode of Doctors and connecting with his son. It’s an amazing podcast from a terrifically funny man. Don’t miss it. See RHLSTP on tour- http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #76 -  Improvisation My Dear (Mark) Watson - Richard is reeling from forgetting about his daughter and another attack on his home (how will he ever sell it?), but excited to be welcoming the eponymous star of Improvisation My Dear Mark Watson to the stage and hoping to talk about nothing but that title for a full hour. Alas he gets distracted into discussing aversion to non-binding cheese; how thunder storms are the UK's biggest killer; advertising pear cider, and the criticisms that engendered; and Watson's love of dry stone-walling. Richard continues to try and pinpoint where having sex with a machine counts as infidelity and tries to encourage Mark to enact some of his fans' sexual fantasies. Also find out why Watson was the Rachel Dolezal of Wales. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #88 - Glutton - In another live Book Club Richard discusses his lentil based culinary disaster before introducing regular guest and fierce podcast rival Ed Gamble to discuss his annual Glutton. Richard is perhaps not as respectful to this author as he is to his other Book Club guests, but really gets to the heart of why this book exists, how much is the right amount to drink, the size of Ed’s facial features, whether feta has too much feta in it, eating four pizzas in a day, Rich’s work with Ice T and having your own fleet of ice cream vans. Buy Ed’s book here (for example) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/glutton-the-multi-course-life-of-a-very-greedy-boy-ed-gamble/7546918?ean=9781787636316 Or the audiobook here - https://www.audible.co.uk/search?searchAuthor=Ed+Gamble Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#494 Quiz of the Week - Richard is at the Norwich Playhouse, but his microphone is working this time (cf RHLSTP Book Club). His guest is actor, character comedian and writer Emma Sidi. They talk about how she came up with the idea of a parody Mexican soap opera set in Woking, the thrill of getting to be a Ghost, finding your comedy gang, playing Emily Maitlis in Prince Andrew: The Musical, the inadequacies of Sale of the Century and Notting Hill, the brilliant Starstruck and what it’s like to do love scenes with your partner and the amazing and welcome changes in filming intimate scenes that have come about since Richard last got his arse out on TV, coming up with multiple characters and how a simple weird idea can often to be hilariously effective. See RHLSTP on tour- http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #75 - Spaced By The Bell - At last it's the podcast that addresses the burning issue of modern Britain - which is the best Somerset based show cave complex? Cheddar Gorge (obviously) or rubbishy old Wookey Hole. It'd be a shame to have Britain's most exciting film director on the show without wasting most of the time talking about this and the obscure and sexist Roald Dahl short story - Switch Bitch. And Richard hates to disappoint. Luckily he occasionally manages to blunder into discussing Wright's canon of work, from A Fistful of Fingers through Asylum, some ideas for a new series of Spaced, right up to the amazing new film The World's End. But there's still time to talk about what it's like to be taught by both parents, desecrating the graves of your former employers and Rich's ideas to reboot Goodnight Sweetheart and We Will Rock You before Edgar has to dash off to finish off his new film. But is there time to add a shrek? SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #87 - 101 Things That Never Happened - Richard chats with Dutch historian Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse aka The Fake History Hunter about her internet quest to spot historical rubbish online and correct it and how that has led to a fabulously entertaining and pedantic book. They discuss the non-existence of the chastity belt, how Vikings didn’t have horns on their helmet, how Beethoven was not black and why medieval people are wrongly perceived as dirty animals, plus whether it’s possible to be sure that any history is true, why we should question what we see on the internet and the darker side of fake history. Plus how to become a history detective yourself and how being corrected online can lead to thanks or anger. And did Hitler only have one ball - you’ll have to read Rich’s book to find out about that. Buy the book here (for example) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fake-History-Things-Never-Happened/dp/0753559676/ Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#493 Weed Charades - Richard’s kids are unimpressed by his appearance on Top of the Pops 95 and provide a scathing critique of his work. His guest is a man with 8 mind-blowing facts about himself, Ross Noble (though an audience member called Kirsty also stars). They talk mainly about frozen things, Ben or Jerry’s funeral, Rod Hull in a freezer and being buried in an ice rink, but also some fantastic stories about appearing on the Australian Apprentice, blowing up a woman, selling cursed sand and responding to Lord Sugartits in the board room. Also some amazing news about Brian Blessed and the birth of a brand new game show, that might not entirely work in audio format (or might be much much better).  Buy Ross' specials here - https://stream.rossnoble.com/ See RHLSTP on tour- http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #74 - The Football Eagle Has Landed - Richard believes he will soon be a multi-millionaire but agrees to give 1/365th of this profits to charity. His guest is comedy legend Matt Lucas. They talk about the power of honesty in comedy, even if the comedian comes out of it badly, how Matt became possibly the only person who's rung up to complain about a TV show to end up working with the stars, the combination of talent, hard work and luck that is required for success, being in a Blur video by accident, dealing with tragedy and a considered look back at Little Britain and how it should or shouldn't be judged in hindsight. And the importance of talking about issues rather than shouting over the social media divide. Also Rich reveals his gay experimentation and considers changing teams. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #86 - The Bone Chests - Rich talks to bio-archaeologist and broadcaster Cat Jarman about her terrific book, The Bone Chests about the remains of a surprisingly number of medieval kings (and a queen) whose remains are in Winchester Cathedral. Why aren’t the people of Winchester making more of this, like the king-stealing thieves of Leicester? What happened to King Alfred and why did he choose to build a palace at Richard’s school? Why were the women of the period written out of history? What happened to the bones of those killed in major battles? Why are the things we know about kings of this period nearly all made up? Why did the early kings have such complicated names and not just call themselves something like Cnut which is easy to remember and why didn’t they think of historians who would be doing audio books and come up with monikers that would be easier to pronounce. Buy Cat’s book here (for example) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bone-Chests-Cat-Jarman/dp/0008447322/ Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#492 Davinadroid - Richard has been frightened by a weeing Samurai and an apparently dead audience member, but he’s back for more RHLSTP, back a the LST and with a guest who is too good for this rubbish, the glorious Davina McCall. They discuss how she (eventually) beat a comedian to host God’s Gift, Street Mate on skis, how Davina is ultimately to blame for the destruction of the world, why Richard was one of the first to know about an historic moment in Big Brother, why sitcom was not for McCall, overcoming addiction to chase her dream, beating Salman Rushdie to book of the year, the best professional to be in a relationship with and a never before revealed royal secret. See RHLSTP on tour- http://richardherring.com/rhlstp See Rich's stand-up tour Can I Have My Ball Back - https://richardherring.com/ballback/ SUPPORT THE SHOW! Watch our TWITCH CHANNEL See extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RETRO RHLSTP #73 - The Marx Brothers - Rich is back at Hull City Hall for his last RHLSTP recording of 2019 and he has had an accidental slip off the wagon. But does it count? His guest is Hull’s finest comedian and wonderful oddball, Lucy Beaumont.  They discuss appearing on Crimewatch, being used as a crow stepping-stone, waking you to find biscuits on your head, becoming a cleaner at the place you went to University, getting drunk at the Hootenanny, collecting lost body parts in Harrods, the real size of Arnold Schwarzenegger, past life regressions, what Hullenzians put on their chips and why Hull is the best city in the world. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Check out our website http://rhlstp.co.uk See details of the RHLSTP tour dates http://richardherring.com/gigs Buy DVDs and Books at http://gofasterstripe.com Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club #85 - Emperor of Rome - Richard has been a dad for nine years and is trying to work out if he will have any life after the kids have left home (no he won’t). His guest is comedian, actor and children’s author Rosie Jones who talks about why she wanted to write a book with a disabled person at its centre, why she wishes Tiny Tim had died, the beautiful story line where Edie finds herself and begins to understand her sexuality, plus her new book about bullying Moving On Up. They also talk about trolls, Alison Hammond, the Royal Variety Performance, her new panel show Out of Order, being King Harold’s mother, the challenges of Trip Hazard and how the Hell she manages to fit so much stuff into her life. Buy Rosie’s books here https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=rosie+jones Come and see RHLSTP on tour http://richardherring.com/rhlstp Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.