21 short stories by top comedians

Comic Fringes

A cracking collection of comic monologues, written and read by leading comedians 
 
Recorded in front of a live audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this fantastic anthology features a host of diverse short stories, composed and performed by a veritable Who's Who of stand-up comedians. By turns hilarious and irreverent, poignant and bittersweet, together they make up a superb selection box of tasty treats. 
 
Among the all-star line-up, Romesh Ranganathan tells a comic tale of unrequited love among the orangutans; Susan Calman takes a wry look at office politics; Jon Richardson explores the perils of internet dating; and Sarah Millican takes us into the worlds of a compassionate undertaker's assistant and an elderly woman who fears she's becoming invisible. 
 
Russell Kane recalls his tempestuous ex; Aisling Bea recounts the dark, funny tale of a pensioner with murder in mind; Robert Florence reveals the shady doings of the Scottish branch of the Illuminati; and satirist John O'Farrell asks, 'what if Judas had written the Gospels'? 
 
Also sharing their fantastic fiction are a wealth of other literary comics, including Sanjeev Kohli, Joe Lycett, Bridget Christie, James Acaster, Jenny Eclair, Shazia Mirza and Mark Watson. Short story fans, rejoice: here are five hours of some of the most charming, absurd, dark, thoughtful and funny tales you'll ever find in one place. 
 
Contents: 
1. May Contain Nuts by Janey Godley 
2. The Hair of the Dead by Sarah Millican 
3. Gone Phishing by Jon Richardson 
4. The Woman Who Sniffed by Susan Calman 
5. Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Be in the Green by Patrick Monahan 
6. On the Dot by Shazia Mirza 
7. Stairlift Us Up Where We Belong by Sarah Millican 
8. Spooky and the Van by Joe Lycett 
9. A Difference of Opinion by Bridget Christie 
10. The Three Times I Dumped Eleanor, and the Manner of Her Death by Russell Kane 
11. Sorry For Your Loss by James Acaster 
12. Club Sandwich by Mark Watson 
13. The Understudy by Jenny Eclair 
14. Kill Dilly by Aisling Bea 
15. I Bought a Monkey To Stand Out in the New York Art Scene by Sanjeev Kohli 
16. Love and Orangutans by Romesh Ranganathan 
17. Bad Fairytale by Grainne Maguire 
18. The Gospel According to Judas by John O'Farrell 
19. Pick Me Up by Angela Barnes 
20. Apocalypse Soon by Dane Baptiste 
21. Cats Who Walk Like Gentlemen by Robert Florence 
 
Production credits: 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 August 2009-6 September 2015 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sarah Millican (Author) Sarah Millican has had 2 BAFTA nominations, 6 nominations for British Comedy Awards and won The People’s Choice: Queen of Comedy in 2011. Her debut DVD, Chatterbox Live, was the biggest selling stand-up DVD by a female comedian of all time. She has appeared on numerous comedy shows including QI, Mock the Week, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and presented three series of her own show, The Sarah Millican Television Programme. Joe Lycett (Author) Joe Lycett is a British comedian who has appeared on numerous TV shows including Live At The Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Celebrity Juice and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. His radio credits include hosting the BBC Radio 4 panel show It's Not What You Know. Susan Calman (Author) Susan Calman is an award-winning stand-up comedian, actress and writer. She won a Scottish BAFTA as one of the cast of the Channel 4 sketch show Blowout, and went on to appear in numerous TV and radio comedy shows including Fresh Meat, Dead Boss, Don't Drop the Baton, The News Quiz and The Now Show. She has also presented BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Pick of the Week. In 2013, her solo radio show Susan Calman is Convicted won 'Best Radio Comedy' at the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards. Jon Richardson (Author) Jon Richardson is a stand-up comedian best known for his appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. His radio appearances include curating the third series of The Museum of Curiosity, appearing on 6Music's The Russell Howard Show and co-hosting (with Matt Forde) the TalkSPORT show The Warm Up. Russell Kane (Author) Multi-award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter RUSSELL KANE is best known for the BBC Sounds podcast, Evil Genius which has become a flagship show and was the best performing original podcast on the platform. Russell’s other podcast, Boys Don’t Cry, also features regularly on the iTunes podcast chart. 
 
Recent TV appearances include The Apprentice You’re Fired, Antiques Roadtrip, Stupid Man, Smart Phone and the host of three series of Live At The Electric. Other TV appearances include Live at The Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Love Island Aftersun, Comedians Giving Lectures, 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Crystal Maze and Celebrity Juice. 
 
Winner of Best Show in 2010 at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Russell went on to make history as the first comedian to win both the Edinburgh Award and Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award in one year. 
 
Russell is currently touring his sell-out show The Fast and The Curious throughout UK, Ireland and Scandanavia as well as continuing his ever-popular topical online rants ‘Kaneings’. Mark Watson (Author) Mark Watson is one of Britain's most popular stand-up comedians. His comedy shows have won, among others, the Daily Telegraph Award, Time Out Best Stand-Up Award, Edinburgh Festival Panel Prize, and best shows at the Adelaide and Sydney Festivals. He has performed at every major international comedy festival and in more than twenty countries. He made comedy history at the Edinburgh Festival by performing for 24 hours, solo and without a break. He is a regular on many British TV shows and has had two highly successful BBC Radio 4 series, Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better and Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation. He is the author of the novels Bullet Points and A Light-Hearted Look at Murder, and the non-fiction title Crap at the Environment. Mark Watson lives in London. Romesh Ranganathan (Author) Romesh Ranganathan is a comedian, actor and writer. A former maths teacher, he is now known for his award-winning series The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, his weekly topical show The Ranganation, his sitcom The Reluctant Landlord and the BAFTA nominated Asian Provocateur, which features Romesh's mum. 
 
 Amongst all of this, he still manages to squeeze in time to record his award-winning podcast 'Hip Hop Saved My Life', to write his regular Midlife Crisis column for the Guardian, and to pen his bestselling autobiography, Straight Outta Crawley. DJ Muffin drops the Mic is his first children's book and gave him an excuse to write about two of his favourite things - hip hop and cake.

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Where Women Share Their Secrets

Little Lifetimes: Series 1-6

Series 1-6 of Little Lifetimes - short stories by Jenny Eclair in which different women share their secrets

A sparkling collection of comic monologues by Jenny Eclair, about women facing pivotal moments in their lives 
 
‘Exquisitely crafted’ Radio Times 
 
In these funny, poignant short stories, voiced by some of Britain’s finest actresses, we are introduced to 29 very different women as they open their hearts and share their secrets. 
 
Here are tales of love, grief, revenge and adventure, told by a wealth of fascinating characters. There’s Bea, a top cook who’s about to prepare a very special birthday cake for her husband; Christine, who takes up watercolours and discovers inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places; Patsy, a rock star’s wife with a past and Penny, who takes looking after her boss a bit too far. 
 
From a grandmother visiting a posh supermarket to buy her grandchildren a meal they won't forget, to a cleaner who discovers some secrets behind the Farrow and Ball doors of the middle-class homes she visits, every one of the women we meet has a memorable, moving and surprising tale to tell... 
 
Among the star narrators are Lesley Sharp, Anita Dobson, Imelda Staunton, Josie Lawrence, Frances Barber, Samantha Bond, Doon Mackichan and Anne Reid. 
 
Produced by Sally Avens 
 
Series 1 
Fifteen Minutes to Landing 
Woman – Lesley Manville 
Captain James Barrington – Clive Hayward 
Air Hostess – Jane Slavin 
 
Carol Goes Swimming 
Carol – Lorraine Ashbourne 
Manager – Jane Slavin 
 
A Trolley for a Change 
Pat – Ruth Sheen 
Checkout woman – Elaine Claxton 
Security guard – Clive Hayward 
Lauren – Jane Slavin 
 
George’s Cake 
Bea – Susie Blake 
 
The Viewing 
Reader – Annette Badland 
 
Doing the Best for Daniel 
Reader – Jenny Eclair 
 
Series 2 
Lorna’s Holiday 
Lorna – Lesley Sharp 
 
Christine Paints 
Christine – Rosie Cavaliero 
 
Beverley in Shoes 
Beverley – Samantha Spiro 
 
Points 
Gail – Sarah Hadland 
 
A Slight Alteration 
Reader – Tessa Peake-Jones 
 
Waiting for Billy 
Patsy – Anita Dobson 
 
Series 3 
Leo’s Passport 
Penny – Imelda Staunton 
Caroline – Karen Bartke 
 
Hannah’s Gone 
Hannah’s Mum – Josie Lawrence 
 
Mothers and Daughters 
Coral – Frances Barber 
Girl – Karen Bartke 
Boy – Luke MacGregor 
 
Anthea’s Round Robin 
Anthea – Samantha Bond 
 
Series 4 
The Last Day 
Miss Cavendish – Vicki Pepperdine 
 
The Visit 
Reader – Doon Mackichan 
 
The Nannas 
Dawn – Tilly Vosburgh 
 
A Nice Time with All the Family 
Julie – Beverley Callard 
 
Series 5 
A Long Weekend 
Cathy – Anne Reid 
 
The Kitchen Table 
Reader – Monica Dolan 
 
The Book Club 
Belle – Lucy Robinson 
 
Greta Doesn’t Want to Wait for Godot 
Greta – Amelia Bullmore

Jenny Eclair

Julie Balloo

Al Murray

Ronni Ancona

Kathy Burke

Frances Barber

Nicholas Parsons

Linda Robson

Kevin Eldon

Graham Fellows

Claire Skinner

Paul Merton

Full cast

On Baby Street, TwilightBaby.com and more

A collection of comedies and dramas about modern women’s lives and loves, starring Jenny Eclair 
 
Jenny Eclair is one of Britain’s most-loved stand-up comedians, and the first woman to win the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has written several acclaimed books, including the Sunday Times bestseller Older and Wider: A Survivor's Guide to the Menopause, and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows including Grumpy Old Women and Just a Minute. Collected here are some of her finest radio comedies and dramas, centred around women who are at a turning point in their lives. 
 
On Baby Street introduces us to three neighbours discovering the delights of parenthood. Series 1 sees them preparing for their new arrivals; in Series 2, the babies are born and the fun begins; and in Series 3, the children are toddlers, and their parents’ lives are changing. TwilightBaby.com takes a similar comic look at motherhood, as Cass, a 46-year-old with grown-up kids, finds to her shock that she is pregnant again. Over two series, we follow her as she blogs about being an ‘older’ mum, whilst endeavouring to keep the rest of her family in work and out of trouble. Just Juliette sees talk show host Juliette Johnson trying to balance marriage, motherhood and the media. As the two series unfold, she is on the verge of losing her job, her husband and her mind… And in the four-part comedy Dear Jenny, Dear Julie, two long-time pen pals – a Blackpudlian and an Australian – meet for the first time in London, and paint the town red. 
 
The pitfalls of fame are explored in two standalone dramas: Jason’s Mum, about a single mother with a chart-topping son, and The Andy Warhol Syndrome, in which housewife Carol becomes a reality TV celebrity, but has to deal with the aftermath when the cameras stop rolling. And in two dramatic monologues, In Convenience and He’s Leaving His Wife, Jenny Eclair takes us into the worlds of an unhappy wife preparing to host a dinner party on the worst of all possible days, and a mistress waiting on tenterhooks for her lover to tell his wife that their marriage is over. 
 
Written by Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo, these witty, intimate comedy dramas boast stellar casts, including All Murray, Frances Barber, Kathy Burke, Kevin Eldon, Claire Skinner, Linda Robson, Emerald O’Hanrahan, Peter Sallis, Helen Lederer, Paul Merton, Nicholas Parsons and Ronni Ancona. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo 
 
On Baby Street 
With Jenny Eclair, Tilly Vosburgh, Keith Allen,Lee Cornes, Caroline Hook, Claire Skinner, Matilda Ziegler, Graham Fellows, Hugh Ross, Frances Barber, Kathy Burke/Linda Robson, Kevin Eldon, Sue Elliot-Nicholls, Eva Stuart, James Sutton, Julie Balloo, Ronni Ancona and Al Murray 
Produced by Jane Berthoud and Helen Williams 
 
TwilightBaby.com 
With Jenny Eclair, Kevin Eldon, Joseph Cohen-Cole, Emerald O'Hanrahan, Felicity Montagu, Philip Fox, Stephen Hogan, Kate Layden, Sean Baker, Christine Kavanagh, Sally Orrock 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
Just Juliette 
With Jenny Eclair, Jeff Rawle, James Fleet, Annabel Giles, Jan Goodman, Peter Sallis, Sylvia Syms, Robert Duncan, Jane Whittenshaw, Simon Upson, Jon Culshaw, Julie Balloo, Anthony Best, Martin Hyder and Deborah Stevenson 
Produced by Helen Williams and Claire Jones 
 
Dear Jenny, Dear Julie 
With Jenny Eclair, Julie Balloo, Helen Lederer, Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton 
Produced by Sioned Wiliam 
 
Jason’s Mum 
Starring Linda Robson and Jenny Eclair 
Produced by Jane Berthoud 
 
In Convenience 
Performed by Jenny Eclair 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
The Andy Warhol Syndrome 
With Jenny Eclair, Ewan Bailey, Jan Goodman, Gerard McDermott, Harry Myers and Ronni Ancona 
Produced by Liz Webb 
 
He’s Leaving His Wife 
Performed by Jenny Eclair 
Directed by Mary Peate 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jenny Eclair

Books by Jenny Eclair

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