This week we tried unsuccessfully to put a bucket hat on a moose (three people were killed) all in order to create a Canadian/Manc symbol powerful enough to lure in Commonwealth comic queen, Allyson June Smith.

Hailing from the land of Mounties and saying ‘eh?’, Allyson now resides in Manchester, a base from which she has built one of the busiest and most eclectic careers in comedy.

As well as serving up scoopfuls of her nervelessly candid humour through her own stand-up shows, she’s also toured the country as a warm up act (laugh lubricant?) for some of the biggest names in the funny business.

She’s also all over the media landscape like bear on hiker, appearing regularly on tv, radio and her two own excellent podcasts - Women Talking Bollocks (funny) and Horror Motel (terrifying).

In a chat where Giles struggles to conceal the fact that the only Canadian he truly trusts is Celine Dion, we skate through everything from the pressures of comedy content creation to the subtleties of winning over different kinds of audience - all before she disappears back on the road for Allyson Wonderland, her current UK tour.

Follow Allyson on Instagram

This episode is proudly dedicated to Joan Rivers.

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Timestamps

03:35 - From Acting Dreams to Stand-Up Comedy
06:42 - Glasses On or Off?
14:02 - The Secret Society of Stand-Up
20:58 - Cultural Influences: Growing Up Canadian
24:24 - North vs South: Finding Your Comedy Audience
26:20 - What Actually Makes Something Funny?
31:01 - The Power of Humour in Dark Times
36:06 - Two Very Different Podcasts
41:07 - Horror Films and Comedy: More in Common Than You Think

Allyson’s book recommendations are:

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

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