The Joy of Sets

In this pilot episode of 'Cold Calling' the comedian Carl Carzana calls one of his dearest and most available friends, Alecks Mayson. The twist? Alecks doesn't know he's being interviewed. Take a glimpse behind the magician's curtain and enjoy a front-row seat as you learn what comedians are really like when their guard is down. Only here on... Cold Calling, brought to you by 'The Joy Of Sets'.

In this episode I speak to the lovely Mr Alex Mason. Alex and I have been friends for many years, we started performing stand up at a similar time and have gigged together many times since. Alex is a formidable writer and performer and has recently finished a hugely successful run of his show 'Delicate Flower' at the Brighton fringe. In this episode we discuss Alex's writing process and how he approaches stand up. Plus we participated in a one off second feature specifically for Alex. Enjoy.

In this episode I speak with the fantastic Eryn Tett. Eryn is an award winning comedian and has one of the most unique and distinctive styles and comedy voices of anyone on the circuit. She is also a writer and actor and creates brilliantly engaging online content. In this episode we speak about her approach to comedy and writing and also get into how she moves on stage and uncover her deep lack of celebrity knowledge.

In this episode I'm joined by the fantastic Chris Norton Walker. Chris is an accomplished gag writer and circuit regular. He's performed all over the world and has performed as far a field as LA at the legendary Comedy Store. We spoke about Chris's process for writing jokes and also how he memorises his sets. We also discussed originality in comedy, a comedy book that features Chris's writing and a flannel. Enjoy.

In this episode I'm joined by the fantastic Chris Sav. Chris is an artist, musician and comedian. He's performed at some of the best comedy clubs in the country including Brighton Komedia. He is one of the most creative and intriguing comics working on the circuit. Bringing his illustrations to life on stage and incorporating vegetables in comedy. In this episode we discuss Chris's unique style, how his art has influenced his comedy and his approach to comedy songs.

In this episode I'm joined by the brilliant Christian Jegard. Christian is an award winning comedian, writer and actor. He's been a finalist in some of the most prestigious comedy competitions. His sketches have gained him industry acclaim and have been performed on BBC radio 4 extra and at the Austin Film Festival. In this episode we discuss Christian's inspirations along with his distinctive look, style and approach to comedy. We talk about going viral and we take a look at his transition into musical comedy. 

In this episode I speak with the fabulous Amy Webber. Amy is a phenomenally talented act who is quickly gaining the interest of the comedy industry she won the ‘Audience Favourite’ Award at the 2020 national Musical Comedy Awards and was also shortlisted for the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2021, in 2022, she also came runner up in ‘Beat the Frog World Series’. We spoke about her journey into comedy and how she started performing as a singer and musician. We also discussed the versatility of comedy and how that has allowed her to utilise her skills as a trained operatic singer, composer and producer. We also switch things up with the infamous second feature whereby Amy and I played each other some prepared audio gold. Enjoy.

In this episode I speak with the brilliant Jade Gebbie. Jade and I have been friends for years and worked together many times on various writing projects and at live gigs, so it was great to get her on the podcast. Jade is not only a fantastic comedian but also a professional comedy writer, she is currently working for BBC studios as one of their staff writers.  As well as discussing Jade's stand up and her process for putting a set together and writing material we also spoke about  comedy writing. Jade had lots of advice about how to get into this area of the industry and some fascinating insights for any aspiring comics and comedy writers as well. 

In this episode I speak with the inimitable and fantastic Nate Kitch. Nate is a comic I have gigged with a lot and we often find ourselves discussing the comedy and the industry in general  so it was a natural conclusion for us to chat on the podcast. I'm thrilled we did as we got into some very specific areas of comedy and there is a huge amount to learn from this episode. Nate is also one the nicest and funniest comics I've worked with. He was a finalist in the prestigious 'So You Think You're Funny' competition in 2021 and is one of the most interesting and creative performers working today. 

In this episode Elaine and I discuss what it was like coming to stand up from an acting background, how she orders a set for new material gigs and we take a look at some material that has been removed from her set and find out why. Elaine even turns the tables and starts interviewing me, in a spur of the moment discussion that I was embracingly well prepared for. We also recorded an ill fated rap to introduce the final section which has been removed from the podcast, or has it? You'll have to listen till the end to find out. Enjoy.