Beyond The Title Josh Barry

An intimate interview with the writer, comedian and broadcaster Mark Dolan on his incredible journey through entertainment which has taken him from comedy clubs to one of the biggest current affairs outlets in the UK.

A graduate of the Arts Ed School of Acting, writer, actor and comedian Brendan Murphy burst onto the scene in 2008 when he was nominated for the Spotlight Prize for his debut show. As part of the Olivier Award nominated 'Potted Potter', he has toured extensively across the US and Canada before writing the critically acclaimed stage show Friend: The One With Gunther starring Joseph Maudsley. This was followed by his 2022 Edinburgh show Buffy Revamped. As a voice over artist, Brendan has voiced many popular TV adverts including Sky, Curry’s PC World and Christian Aid. I caught up with one of the brightest and most versatile performers on the circuit to talk heroes, acting and his hopes for the future. Ladies and gentlemen Mr Brendan Murphy.

Join me and a host of famous friends including actor and comedian Jeff Stevenson, comedy writer Colin Edmonds, musical director Mike Dixon and many more as we pay tribute to the much missed writer and broadcaster John Hannam who passed away in 2021.

Legendary actress, singer, songwriter and entertainer Su Pollard first tasted nationwide acclaim when she was cast as chalet maid Peggy Ollerenshaw in sitcom legends Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s third sitcom triumph Hi-de-Hi!: a role which she honoured until the programme's end in 1988, by which time she had already secured yet another role in Perry and Croft’s 1920’s farce You Rang M’Lord alongside Paul Shane and Jeffrey Holland. This led to a reunion with Jeffrey Holland and the late Paul Shane for the third and last installment of David Croft’s farcical trilogy in Oh Doctor Beeching where she played the part of downtrodden booking clerk Ethal Schuman. More recently, Su has become the doyen of the British panto appearing in everything from Dick Whittington to Cinderella and has even enjoyed a successful stint touring the country with the long running play The Vagina Monologues. I caught up with the sitcom legend to talk about laughter, chalet maids, singing and her recollections on an unparalleled career in British comedy. Ladies and gentlemen Ms Su Pollard.

Media studies degrees have forever divided opinion amongst the broadcasting community when it comes to attaining a career in one of Britain’s biggest media establishments. For years, students were put off from enrolling in courses which contained the dreaded “M” word through fear of missing out on a career in their desired field. Yet for writer Danny Wallace, graduating with a degree in media studies from the University of Westminster, set himself on the path to success. Joining the BBC as a junior producer at the somewhat tender age of 22, Danny was in the perfect place to oversee the creation and development of BBC Three which sparked a revolution in comedy. This was the era which saw an unprecedented explosion of comedy talent and BBC Three provided the perfect platform to harness such a smorgasbord of talent.

Iconic singer/songwriter turned podcaster Louise Wener shot to fame in 1995 as lead singer and guitarist of the soft rock band Sleeper alongside Jon Stewart, Andy Maclure and Kieron Pepper. Finding herself at the epicentre of Britpop, Louise became something of a female trailblazer in what was a heavily male dominated scene. With melancholic anthems including Sale Of The Century, Inbetweener and Statuesque, Sleeper perfectly encapsulated the naive positivity of Cool Britannia against the hopeful backdrop of Tony Blair’s New Labour. By the late nineties, music had changed and following Sleeper’s split in 1998 Wener turned her hand to literature, penning a repertoire of novels inspired by her love of music including Goodnight Steve McQueen and has even found the time to create her own podcast The Crisis Right where she chats with significant cultural figures about how they’re approaching midlife. I caught up with the Britpop icon to talk eras, heroes and her recollections on one of the most defining careers in British music. Ladies and gentlemen Louise Wener.