Richard Herring could claim to be the busiest comedian in the UK right now. In 2017 alone he’s embarked on something of a greatest hits tour, debuted new show ‘Oh Frig, I’m 50!’ in Edinburgh, written and starred in Radio 4 comedy Relativity, recorded series 11 of his popular Leicester Square Theatre podcast, and successfully crowdfunded a return of his ‘As It Occurs To Me’ sketch show. Oh, and he’s writing a sitcom for Channel 4. The latter project, titled ‘Everything Happens (For No Reason)’, already has a pilot, and he’s currently working on additional material for Channel 4. “They like it and want to see where it will go,” he explains. Co-starring Mighty Boosh star turned Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding, the premise seems as surreal as you might expect. “It’s an alternate universe sitcom,” he says. “Noel Fielding is a kind of genie who can take people to other realities to see how things could be different.” Noel Fielding appears in Richard Herring’s comedy pilot for Channel 4 (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) It’s a concept that has origins in the previous decade, when Herring attempted a rather outlandish concept about a scriptwriter unable to work through his obsession with 90s time-travelling sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. “He got angry at the inconsistencies, discovered a passage back to the set of Goodnight Sweetheart and ended up writing it by copying it off a DVD.” The comedian admits that confusing approach may have been “a bit too meta”. ‘Noel’s this ethereal, higher being’ While he’s taking a different angle on his new project, with Fielding on board things were bound to get zany. Herring worked hard on his costume and make-up (which “turned out like a cross between Frank Zappa and an Eastern European shepherd”). “Noel’s the perfect casting because he’s this ethereal, higher being,” says the comedian. “He has this alien quality to him, and there’s a lot of mystery to the character; where’s he from and how has he got this power? Is he good or is he evil? I think Noel encompasses all of that.” Everything Happens (For No Reason) is just the latest in a long line of projects that have kept Herring on his toes. His previous three decades in comedy suggest that his schedule never stays empty for long. “The beauty of a podcast is that you can do whatever you want, and I’ve always preferred autonomy over anything else.” In particular, his love of podcasting has helped him branch out from the usual stand-up work in recent years. The Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (RHLSTP to the “cool kids”) has built up a loyal audience for Herring’s often hilariously vulgar conversations with the great and good of British (and American) comedy. “Starting to do podcasts saved me, and gave me a career,” he says. “Without the podcasts I don’t think I’d be performing any more. They gave me a new audience.” “The beauty of a podcast is that you can do whatever you want, and I’ve always preferred autonomy over anything else. “There’s freedom. You’re not being broadcast into people’s homes – people choose to download you – so you can be a bit more risqué. There’s nobody to complain to. “There’s no way of getting sacked!” he continues, comparing that to the world of TV where “a new executive takes over and your show gets cancelled and you’ve got to start again”. Creative control via crowdfunding Herring, who got an early TV breakthrough as a double-act with Stewart Lee in the 1990s, has witnessed wholesale changes in comedy over the years. The most obvious has been the influence of the internet, something he’s explored not just through his podcasts, but also with new ways of approaching comedy. When he wanted to reboot sketch show As It Occurs To Me as a series, he didn’t seek the approval of television execs. Instead, he turned to his fans and set up a crowdfunding project. Richard Herring (right) with Stewart Lee in 1998 Richard Herring (right) with Stewart Lee in 1998 (Photo: TSPL) “What’s interesting is the possibilities of the internet,” he says. “With just a few people willing to spend £40, you’re able to raise £100,000 and make a series. “The ability to retain that control over your work and not have anyone tell you ‘you can’t do’ that because it’s not commercial is very interesting.” Herring says there are so many things to negotiate when trying to get things to TV, that in an ideal world he’d raise enough money to make everything he wanted to on his own. “I don’t think that’s an impossible dream.” For more information on Richard’s latest shows, visit
www.richardherring.com.
