Sunday Night Stand-Up

A sparkling selection of one-off comedy shows from Radio 4's Sunday night Stand Up Specials seasonSince 2018, BBC Radio 4 has been making the nation laugh with its Stand Up Specials strand, featuring fantastic half-hour sets from a host of celebrated comedians. This wide-ranging collection brings together eleven of the very best acts, from established stars to new and emerging talent, as they 'zoom through angst from all angles' (The Guardian).Among the hot comic takes, Tom Allen's Not Very Nice explores what happens when the hilarious host of The Apprentice: You're Fired turns from sweet to naughty; Pippa Evans Grows Up finds the Now Show star asking what it means to be a grown-up; Postcards to Portsmouth sees Suzi Ruffell returning to her home town (well, just down the road) to share tales of her family; and Kiri Pritchard-McLean spotlights the life choices of millennials in Egg-sistential Crisis, asking 'why have they stopped having babies?'From Asda to Diva introduces us to Jayde Adams, who combines wit and show-stopping music to demonstrate how she went from working in a supermarket to fully-fledged prima donna; Emergency Broadcast sees Gemma Arrowsmith trapped in Broadcasting House and presenting a lockdown sketch show with Tom Crowley, Adam Courting, Hugh Dennis and Susan Harrison; Talking Shop outlines BBC New Comedy Award winner Stephen Buchanan's chequered work history and friendship with a Vietnamese refugee; and in Centrist Dad?, Alun Cochrane defends the much-maligned middle ground as he tries to find his place on the shifting political spectrum.Also included is Black Country Gentlemon, in which George Fouracres tells his story of growing up in Wolverhampton; Magnifying Class, Athena Kugblenu's examination of class identity and what it means to be upwardly mobile; and One of Many, where Stephen Bailey contemplates his numerous namesakes - all of whom are more newsworthy than him - and wonders whether you can change your life just by changing your name.Production creditsTom Allen Is Actually Not Very NiceWritten and performed by Tom Allen and featuring Gabby BestProduced by Richard MorrisFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 April 2018Pippa Evans Grows UpWritten and performed by Pippa EvansProduced by Alison Vernon-SmithFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 May 2018Suzi Ruffell: Postcards to PortsmouthWritten and performed by Suzi Ruffell, with additions from Ann RuffellProduced by Suzy GrantFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 May 2019Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Egg-sistential CrisisWritten and performed by Kiri Prichard-McLeanProduced by Suzy GrantFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 January 2021Jayde Adams: From ASDA to DivaWritten and performed by Jayde Adams, with music by Richard ThomasProduced by Hayley SterlingProduction co-ordinator: Caroline BarlowFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 January 2021Gemma Arrowsmith: Emergency BroadcastWritten by and starring Gemma Arrowsmith, with Tom Crowley, Adam Courting, Hugh Dennis and Susan HarrisonProduced by Victoria LloydFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 February 2021Stephen Buchanan: Talking ShopWritten and performed by Stephen BuchananProduced by Adnan AhmedFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 March 2021Alun Cochrane: Centrist Dad?Written and performed by Alun CochraneProduced by Richard MorrisProduction co-ordinator: Mabel WrightSound engineer: Michael SmithFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July 2021George Fouracres: Black Country GentlemonWritten and performed by George FouracresProduced by Richard MorrisProduction co-ordinator: Beverly TaggFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 March 2022Athena Kugblenu: Magnifying ClassWritten and performed by Athena KugblenuProduced by Leila NavabiProduction Coordinator: Caroline BarlowFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 April 2022Stephen Bailey: One of ManyWritten and performed by Stephen BaileyProduced by Georgia Keating and Hayley SterlingProduction Coordinator: Katie BaumFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 May 2022(c) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.