A cracking collection of comic monologues, 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