Author:Sarah Millican,Joe Lycett,Bridget Christie,Susan Calman,Jon Richardson,Russell Kane,James Acaster,Mark Watson,Jenny Eclair,Aisling Bea,Romesh Ranganathan,Dane Baptiste,Shazia Mirza,Sanjeev Kholi,Angela Barnes,Various
A cracking collection of comicmonologues, 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
One of the greatest novelists presently at work in our language
—— Scott TurowThis is a book that cannot be taken for granted and no reader should pass it by
—— Anthony Clare , Sunday TimesA natural storyteller
—— Times Literary SupplementRendell’s eerier capacity to comprehend disturbed criminal minds continues to astonish
—— The TimesThere are quite a few Ruth Rendells: the doyenne of the traditional English detective novel; the queen of the psychological thriller; the celebrated author of the literary thriller
—— Mail on SundayThe best woman crime writer since Sayers, Christie, Allingham and Marsh
—— Edmund Crispin, Sunday TimesI loved it! With a sinister plot and a creepy serial killer it's gripping and terrifying. And Laura and Niamh are characters I want to read about again and again!
—— Patricia GibneyThere’s a lot to unpick in this very layered novel but it is excellent. I advise you to read it and [If I Tell] immediately
—— Belfast TelegraphI love this crime fighting duo! Original and real, Laura and Niamh are such fresh voices. Taut, compelling and utterly creepy, with a dramatic conclusion that will have you frantically turning the pages, read it with the light on!
—— Sam BlakeWith well-drawn characters and an intense, urban plot, When They See Me feels gritty and above all authentic'
—— Sinéad CrowleyPage turning, twisty and gripping . Characters that you really care about and that are raw and real. A great read!
—— Sinéad MoriartyUtterly gripping!
—— Claudia CarrollEveryone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena is WILD. A very satisfying thriller.
—— Roxane GayMagnificent, a perfect demonstration of [Shari Lapena's] exceptional skill as a storyteller... Utterly compelling
—— Daily MailEveryone Here Is Lying opens with a corker of a premise that had me racing through the book... a clever twist... a thrilling ride
—— The ObserverA fast-paced read with jaw-dropping twists
—— The iShari Lapena is an expert in both pace and the placing of clues and misdirections
—— Literary ReviewShari Lapena has been described as the queen of the 'just one more chapter' thriller, and having devoured this compelling novel in double-quick time it's easy to see why . . . Plot twists are planted like hand grenades throughout the narrative, set to go off when you least expect them, and the denouement is as surprising as it is shocking.
—— ChoiceLapena has great fun pulling secrets from her conjuror's hat . . . when it comes to construction she's a master, her stream of twists and surprises perfectly timed
—— Daily ExpressI read this in three days and loved every addictive page
—— Simon Mayo