Stuart Goldsmith has his own wildly successful podcast, alongside his thriving comedy career, and joined us to discuss all things comedy, climate and corporate.

They talk about:

• Money or vibes - which of these is more important to your shows?
• Discovering through an ADHD coach the importance of financial resilience
• The outdated career blueprint for comedians
• Redefining success as you level up in comedy, and Elf Lyons, queen of Edinburgh
• Evolving the comedy business model and building new landscapes for production

Harry Jun is a critically acclaimed Sydney-based comedian, who has sold out his whole run of shows this year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

They talk about:

• Navigating identity as an Asian-Australian comic performing internationally
• The difference between Edinburgh Fringe versus the Australian Fringe festivals
• Farming your shows for content
• Social media strategies for comedians - converting one-off viral viewers to longterm fans

Multi-award winning comedian Adele Cliff has brought a WIP to the Fringe this year. She joins host Ollie Horn to discuss.

They talk about:

• Ever-decreasing Fringe attendance, including the huge amount of shows this year that have been heavily impacted by low attendance
• The importance of brand consistency as a comedian, and building a recognisable identity
• Growing and changing over 12 years of the Fringe - from student sketches to international solo shows
• How to build a joke that'll win you a 'Best Joke of the Fringe' award

John Robertson is the face and brain behind the hugely successful show, 'The Dark Room.' He is currently performing both this, and a straight stand-up show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

They talk about:

• The challenge of bringing the same show every year, competing with new concepts
• The perils of putting your face on your merch
• The Evolution of The Dark Room, and how it has transformed over 15 years
• TV deals, development hell, and failures we don't mention

David Correos is a New Zealand comedian currently performing his show 'Noise Zealand' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

They talk about:

• Show evolution and the importance of flexibility in your concepts
• Whether drinking alcohol helps or hinders your comedy performance
• The balance between absurd alternative bits and traditional observational stand-up, and how one might feed the other
• The psychology of the audience and how to 'trap' them
• How to get a crowd to 'buy in' to your show

They recommend:

• Dan Rath
• Ray O'Leary
• Hoani Hotene
• Booth the Clown
• Jack Ansett

Bennett Aaron is a stand-up comedian presenting his show I Regret This Already at this year's festival.

They talk about:

• How the comedy circuit was in the olden days
• Becoming the UK's first major victim of identity theft and how that show skyrocketed his career
• Writing and teaching sitcom structure
• How to process personal grief on stage
• How comedians make money these days

They recommend:

• Ignacio Lopez
• Milton Jones
• Mark Simmons

Abbie Carter Simpson is a stand-up comedian, singer, and actor presenting her Edinburgh Fringe show Stand-up Couple alongside her partner Joe McTernan.

They talk about:

• Performing a joint double-act show as a romantic couple, delegating show management duties, and navigating trust on stage.
• Writing comedy together, adapting jokes to fit individual performance voices, and the ethics of "punching down."
• Transitioning from musical theatre and drama school into stand-up comedy, commercial castings, and how the audition process works.
• Abbie's experience performing on Britain's Got Talent, writing family-friendly comedy songs, and live television production logistics.
• The importance of supporting arts and music education in schools.

They recommend:

• NewsRevue
• James Beatty's Comedy Brunch
• Aidan Jones
• Becky Umbers
• Milo Edwards
• Massioke

Ollie Horn Horn is joined by Kate Hammer, a stand-up comedian, writer, and director presenting her debut Edinburgh Fringe show Kate Hammer: Government Approved Comedian.

They talk about:

• The definition and industry pressure of an official Edinburgh Fringe "debut" hour compared to work-in-progress runs.
• Her background writing and developing for television (EastEnders, River City, Bridge of Lies) and the funding challenges facing independent Scottish comedy productions.
• Collaborating with comedian and director Stuart Laws to sharpen her show's narrative structure, pacing, and callbacks.
• Gender dynamics in comedy, confronting reviewer biases, and using stage presence and costuming to connect with audiences.

They recommend:

• Stuart Laws
• Rosco McClelland
• Jack Ansett
• Tom Ballard
• Tom Cashman
• Grace Mulvey