Tickets Still Available

Ruairi McElhone

Tickets Still Available is a comedy interview podcast hosted by Ruairí. Each episode features relaxed conversations with comedians about their work, tours, and current shows. It’s a space to talk stand-up, the creative process, and life on the road, while helping promote upcoming gigs. Recordings are remote-friendly, so no professional setup is needed. If you’re a comedian with a show to promote, get in touch at ticketsstillavailable@gmail.com. New episodes coming soon.

Episodes

  1. Sep 3

    I Went to the Edinburgh Fringe — Here’s What Happened

    Tickets Still Available: Edinburgh Fringe 2026 After spending the year talking to comedians about their upcoming gigs, Ruairi finally makes it to the Edinburgh Fringe. For three days, he attempts to see as many shows as possible, track down comedians he has previously interviewed, and figure out how on earth the Edinburgh Fringe actually works. Along the way, he discovers just how enormous the Fringe really is — from children's clown shows and Free Fringe to tiny rooms hidden inside pubs, temporary venues, packed queues, endless flyers and the seemingly impossible task of getting anywhere on time. Ruairi also gets to meet some of the comedians who have appeared on Tickets Still Available, including Jennifer Jane, Dan Stevens, Jeremiah Dettow, Alberto Soto, Robin Perkins and Guy Barnum, while discovering a few new favourites along the way. There are missed shows, mixed-up times, terrible internet, accidental networking, questionable seating, a lot of walking, and one particularly awkward attempt to hug a comedian while he's wearing elaborate headgear. It's a slightly chaotic look at the Edinburgh Fringe from the perspective of someone experiencing it for the first time — and an attempt to answer the question: is the Fringe really as good as everyone says it is? Spoiler: Ruairi absolutely loved it. Thanks for listening to Tickets Still Available. 🎙️ My Links 📷 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎶 TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EMail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    I Went to the Edinburgh Fringe — Here’s What Happened
  2. Aug 27

    Dan Stephens - One Man One Mullet

    I’m joined by comedian Dan Stephens to talk about the realities of taking a solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe. Dan talks about his first experience running his own show, the brutal competition for audiences, spending hours flyering, cancelling shows when nobody turns up, and learning how to stay resilient when things don't quite go to plan. We also get into the strange relationship between going viral online and actually getting people through the door — including the story behind Dan’s now hugely popular “Mega Pint” video. We chat about his approach to comedy, why he prefers self-deprecating and personal storytelling over chasing topical jokes, how he’s developed his comedy over the last few years, and his thoughts on building an audience through social media. Dan also talks about his own podcast, The Dan Stephens Show, how it has evolved over time, and why sometimes the best thing you can do with a creative project is change direction rather than let it go stagnant. And, of course, there’s plenty of Edinburgh Fringe chat, including flyering disasters, awkward networking, custard, pigeons, viral videos, and the wonderfully bizarre world of Fringe shows. Dan is performing One Man, One Mullet: The Dan Stephens Show at the Edinburgh Fringe — a chance to see the comedian behind the mullet live, doing the storytelling, observations and personal comedy that we discuss throughout the episode. If you're at the Fringe, go and see Dan's show. And if you're not, this episode is a good introduction to the man behind the mullet. One Man, One Mullet: The Dan Stephens Show – Edinburgh Fringe Dan's Links Edinburgh fringe tickets One Man One Mullet: The Dan Stephens ShowInstagramThe Dan Stephens Show podcast My Links 📷 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎶 TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EMail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ hello bottom of the description gang

    Dan Stephens - One Man One Mullet
  3. Aug 20

    Jennifer Jane - Happy Tea (Edinburgh Fringe Special)

    I’m joined by English comedian, writer and filmmaker Jennifer Jane, who has spent the last 16 years living and working in America. Jennifer is Edinburgh for the first with Happy Tea, a wildly honest and surprisingly uplifting storytelling show about relationships, caregiving, recovery and the extraordinary circumstances behind the multi-award-winning documentary Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story. We talk about how Jennifer ended up working on a billionaire’s yacht, meeting celebrity chef Eduardo Garcia, and becoming his caregiver after a freak electrical accident left him with life-changing injuries. We also get into the fact that she discovered he had been cheating on her, somehow ended up signing off on the removal of one of his testicles, and turned a collection of 1980s Playboy magazines into a floor to help save their house from financial disaster. We also chat about moving between America and the UK, the differences between British and American audiences, surviving the Edinburgh Fringe, tea, and why Jennifer decided that an incredibly dark chapter of her life could actually make for a very funny show. Happy Tea is on at 7:15pm at The Mash House throughout the Fringe. If you like extraordinary true stories, dark comedy, ridiculous anecdotes and stories that somehow manage to be both heartbreaking and hilarious, give this episode a listen — and go see Jennifer's show while you're in Edinburgh. Jennifer's Links Edinburgh Show Website instagram My Links 📷 ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠🎶 TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📧⁠⁠⁠⁠EMail⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Jennifer Jane - Happy Tea (Edinburgh Fringe Special)
  4. Aug 13

    Jilberto Soto - ¡Ay! Papi (Edinburgh Fringe Special)

    Jilberto Soto is heading to Edinburgh with his show ¡Ay! Papi — an hour of stand-up about fathers, family, identity and the complicated relationship he has with his dad. In this episode of Tickets Still Available, Jilberto talks about growing up Mexican-American, working as a farm worker as a teenager, living in London, and eventually finding his way into the New York comedy scene. We chat about the differences between American and British comedy, why New York might be the best place in the world to become a better comedian, his podcasts I Hope This Ages Well and Together We’re Straight, and why he thinks Edinburgh can be both incredibly exciting and surprisingly lonely for performers. Jilberto also explains how his dad not showing up to his wedding became the starting point for ¡Ay! Papi, why he built the show around photographs, and how he’s trying to balance some genuinely emotional material with the fact that, ultimately, he is there to make people laugh. We also discuss dyslexia, TikTok, Target, Brexit, apple picking, and why Jilberto has been given some very important homework before arriving in Scotland. ¡Ay! Papi: Jilberto Soto runs at the Edinburgh Fringe from 20 August. Tickets Still Available is a podcast about comedians, their shows and the stories behind the people performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. Jilberto Soto's Links ¡Ay! Papi Instagram Purple Park Comedy My Links 📷 ⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠🎶 TikTok⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠ 📧⁠⁠⁠EMail⁠⁠⁠

    Jilberto Soto - ¡Ay! Papi (Edinburgh Fringe Special)
  5. Jul 30

    Robyn Perkins and Elaine Fellows - Battle of the Reefs & Quest for the Coolest F*cking Animal (A Kids Show for Adults) (Edinburgh Festival Special)

    In this episode of Tickets Still Available, I’m joined by comedians Robyn Perkins and Elaine Fellows, the duo behind Curious Creatures Comedy, to chat about their Edinburgh Fringe shows Battle of the Reefs and Quest for the Coolest F*cking Animal (A Kids Show for Adults). We talk about how a family-friendly science comedy show evolved into an adults-only version, the weird and wonderful world of the animal kingdom, writing interactive comedy, audience participation, comedy competitions, and what it's really like performing multiple shows a day at the Edinburgh Fringe. Robyn also shares stories from her career as a former marine biologist, explains why science and comedy make the perfect combination, and discusses her live psychology show Shrinkwrapped. Along the way we cover Australian vs Edinburgh Fringe festivals, true crime, conspiracy theories, Zoom comedy during lockdown, and plenty of bizarre animal facts. If you're looking for Edinburgh Fringe recommendations or want to discover two of the festival's most inventive comedy performers, this is the episode for you. 🎟️ Battle of the Reefs – an interactive comedy adventure for families. 🎟️ Quest for the Coolest F*cking Animal (A Kids Show for Adults) – the grown-up, gloriously silly spin-off packed with outrageous animal facts, songs and games. My Links 📷 ⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠🎶 TikTok⁠⁠ ▶️ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠ 📧⁠⁠EMail⁠⁠

    Robyn Perkins and Elaine Fellows - Battle of the Reefs & Quest for the Coolest F*cking Animal (A Kids Show for Adults) (Edinburgh Festival Special)
  6. Jul 23

    Jeromaia Detto - Giuseppe's Love Quest (Edinburgh Festival Special)

    When a last-minute gap opened up in the schedule, I threw an emergency post onto Reddit asking if any Edinburgh Fringe comedians were free. Thankfully, Australian comedian and clown Jeromaia Detto answered the call. Jeromaia is bringing his new show Giuseppe's Love Quest to the Edinburgh Fringe, following the wonderfully wholesome Giuseppe Alfresco as he embarks on a hilariously heartfelt search for love. We chat about creating characters, modern clowning, audience interaction, and why he's determined to make people play rather than pick on them. Along the way we also get into growing up with Italian heritage in Australia, studying under legendary clown teacher Philippe Gaulier in Paris, why Edinburgh audiences are unlike anywhere else in the world, the brutal economics of taking a show to the Fringe, Australian comedy, housing, heatwaves, and whether the Edinburgh Fringe is essentially university for comedians. Jeromaia also explains why he keeps returning to Edinburgh, why failure is at the heart of great comedy, and how a character searching for love ended up becoming one of his most personal creations. If you're looking for a joyful, inventive comedy show this Fringe, this is one you'll want on your radar. Tickets Still Available is the podcast that shines a spotlight on brilliant Edinburgh Fringe shows that deserve bigger audiences. Enjoy the episode! Jeromaia's Links Giuseppe's Love QuestMerchInstagram My Links 📷 ⁠instagram⁠ ⁠🎶 TikTok⁠ ▶️ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠☕ Buy Me A Coffee⁠ 📧⁠EMail⁠

    Jeromaia Detto - Giuseppe's Love Quest (Edinburgh Festival Special)
  7. Jul 4

    Guy Branum - Be Fruitful (Edinburgh Fringe Special)

    Emmy-winning comedian, writer and actor Guy Branum joins me on On the Grapevine ahead of his Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Be Fruitful, at Gilded Balloon Teviot. Best known for his work on Hacks, Chelsea Lately and The Mindy Project, Guy is one of comedy's sharpest cultural commentators. In this episode we chat about his journey to the Fringe, why Edinburgh has such a legendary reputation among comedians, how shows like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer have changed the way America looks at the festival, and why writing a truly great hour of stand-up still means so much. From there, the conversation happily wanders into politics, California, colonialism, television, Northern Ireland, Derry Girls, language, identity, history, and plenty of unexpected tangents along the way. A small confession from me: I was genuinely excited to be speaking with Guy and, listening back, I realise I interrupt him more than I should and occasionally send us off on completely different trains of thought. Thankfully, Guy is an incredibly generous guest who indulged my curiosity throughout. I'll take it as a lesson learned and promise to be a little better behaved in future episodes! If you're heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, be sure to check out Guy Branum: Be Fruitful at Gilded Balloon Teviot. Thanks for listening to Tickets Still Available. If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the podcast for more conversations with the comedians, writers and performers appearing at this year's Fringe, and feel free to leave a rating or share the episode with someone who loves great comedy. Guys Links: Edinburgh fringe show! Instagram Patreon New York Times article G4 My Links Instagram

    Guy Branum - Be Fruitful (Edinburgh Fringe Special)

About

Tickets Still Available is a comedy interview podcast hosted by Ruairí. Each episode features relaxed conversations with comedians about their work, tours, and current shows. It’s a space to talk stand-up, the creative process, and life on the road, while helping promote upcoming gigs. Recordings are remote-friendly, so no professional setup is needed. If you’re a comedian with a show to promote, get in touch at ticketsstillavailable@gmail.com. New episodes coming soon.