In this episode of The Comedian’s Paradise, host Marvin McCarthy sits down with the brilliant Jack McMinn, a standout musical comedian and a true "man of interesting facts". Jack pulls back the curtain on his creative DNA, tracing his early inspirations from the deadpan genius of Flight of the Conchords and the lyrical mastery of Tim Minchin. They dive into the evolution of comedy through the noughties and tens, discussing the unique "weirdness" of being a musical act in a stand-up world and why musical comedy remains such a powerful tool for connection.

The conversation takes a deep dive into Jack’s role as an archivist of the craft, exploring his "Whovian" obsession with Doctor Who and the profound influence of The Beatles on his songwriting. To wrap things up, Jack shares one of the most legendary stories in comedy lore: the incredible true tale of how Billy Connolly got discovered. From the wild characters of the circuit to the science of a perfect parody, this episode is a masterclass in the intersection of music, history, and humour.

Episode Chapters

[[00:00]] My inspiration from Flight of the concords and Tim Minchin [[04:16]]

[[04:16]] The noughties and tens, what matters in comedy, do I get any weirdness being a musical comedian, why musical comedy helps [[13:07]]

[[13:07]] Lots of wild people do comedy and restarting comedy multiple times [[19:47]]

[[34:39]] The story of the Beatles and my love for doctor who [[45:31]]

[[52:00]] How Billy Connolly got found [[59:00]]

If you would like to know more on Jack, follow him on Tiktok and Instagram at jackmcminnpiano. You can follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise. #musicalcomedy #jackmcminn #thecomediansparadise #musicalcomedian

In this episode of The Comedian’s Paradise, Marvin McCarthy and Jack Wheeler sit down with the "Supremo of Ventriloquism", Steve Hewlett. With a career spanning 40 years, Steve discusses his journey from the "bread and butter" of the holiday park circuit to becoming a Britain's Got Talent finalist.

Steve opens up about the reality of touring with The Osmonds in America, why he wouldn’t step onto the BGT stage in the current climate, and a fascinating story about his fan, the late John Hurt. We also explore the technical challenges of the craft and whether Simon Cowell is truly qualified to judge variety acts.

Timestamps:

[[02:41]] Going on Britain’s Got Talent, my bread and butter, touring with The Osmonds, and why I wouldn’t do it now [[11:42]]

[[05:40]] Why I wouldn’t do Britain’s Got Talent [[06:12]]

[[06:30]] My advice for talent shows [[09:16]]

[[11:42]] Why I love small rooms and why I became a ventriloquist [[19:14]]

[[19:14]] The struggles of a ventriloquist and the reward of the craft [[20:30]]

[[19:14]] The struggles of being a ventriloquist [[19:50]]

[[20:30]] Can Simon Cowell judge ventriloquists? [[42:23]]

[[51:43]] The great things about live comedy [[01:03:59]]

[[01:04:00]] If you don’t like something, don’t watch it [[01:07:12]]

[[01:04:30]] John Hurt was a big fan of mine [[01:05:24]]

[[01:07:12]] Performing a show for my mum [[01:09:50]]

[[01:10:00]] My influences and advice [[01:26:00]]

To find out more about Steve Hewlett, you can go on his website at https://stevehewlettventriloquist.com/. You can follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise.

#stevehewlett #thecomediansparadise #ventriloquism #bgt #britainsgottalent #varietycomedy #johnhurt #comedyinterview #ukcomedy #theosmonds

Join host Marvin McCarthy as he speaks with Jay Saunders, a former Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy turned comedian. Discover how Jay is using Project Comedy to help UK veterans recover from PTSD and transition to civilian life through the power of military humour. Here is an overview of what we discussed:

[[00:00]] Why British Military Personnel are World-Class [[04:31]]

[[05:36]] From Lieutenant Commander to Comedian: Jay’s Journey [[07:00]]

[[07:00]] Camaraderie vs. Bullying: The Reality of Military ‘Banter’ [[09:36]]

[[09:36]] Joining the Armed Services: Jay’s Military Career Beginnings [[12:45]]

[[12:45]] Battling PTSD & Smashing the Edinburgh Fringe with Project Comedy [[17:19]]

[[17:19]] The Culture Gap: Why UK Veterans Struggle with Compliments [[22:00]]

[[27:44]] Civilian Etiquette: What NOT to say to Armed Servicemen [[29:00]]

[[32:34]] Performing for the Military: The Do’s and Don’ts of Service Audiences [[36:00]]

[[36:45]] Stolen Valour & Walter Mittys: The Truth About the SAS [[40:22]]

[[42:56]] The Cultural Divide: British vs. American Armed Forces [[48:10]]

[[48:10]] The Perfect Match: Why Military Life and Comedy Work Together [[51:26]]

If you would like to find about project comedy you can go on their website at https://projectcomedy.co.uk/, to find out more on Jay, you can go on his tiktok at comicjsaunders. In addition, if you would like to know about the parent charity of project comedy, Project trecce, go on https://www.projectrecce.org/.

You can follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise. #standupcomedypodcast #comedypodcast #interviewingcomedians #projectcomedy #royalnavy #veterans #ptsd #britishmilitary #militaryhumour #thecomediansparadise #jaysaunders #veteranmentalhealth #edinburghfringe #armedforces #edinburghfestival