Keeping Athena Company

33. Keeping Athena Company - Steve Whiteley

In this episode writer, director, producer, performer and all round great dude Steve Whiteley joins me for a chat and we properly go round the houses. From surfing to consumerism to breastfeeding to tap water to pissing in public to the correct way to say 'tumeric'. It's safe to say we right all the wrongs of the world in this episode. Enjoy! 

Follow Steve on Twitter: @OffKeySteve

Find out more about his work: www.offkeyworld.com

More about Steve:

Steve is a writer, director, producer and performer. His comedy sketches and parody music videos have earned his YouTube channel a nomination for ‘Best Internet Programme’ at the British Comedy Awards. Steve’s award-winning debut short film ‘Swiped’ won the 2019 Silver and Peoples Lovie Award. It was also nominated for the 2019 Edinburgh TV Festival New Voices Award for best pilot and is an official selection at numerous Oscar & BAFTA qualifying festivals. Steve has been selected for the BFI Network x Bafta Crew 2021 and is currently developing his sitcom project ‘Woke Heroes’ for Channel 4.

32. Keeping Athena Company - Chris Betts

Chris Betts is a stand up comedian and podcaster and a friggin delight. He kept my virtual company explaining why his six year old self wanted to be a comedian really, really badly, how he ended up in a Thai monastery and why he once spent his last 14 euros on a CD by a band he had never heard of. Actually, he never explains why he did that. And now it's keeping me up at night!

More about Chris:

UK based Canadian comedian Chris Betts performs all over the world with his unflinching, poetic and raucous comedy. His laconic style, confident presence and keen mind make for a one of a kind comedy experience. Before covid he opened on tour for Phil Wang, Rob Schneider and Tom Green. Now Chris divides his times hosting the Chris Betts Versus Podcast bringing his award winning live comedy/debate show Chris Betts Vs the Audience show online and the Big Shiny Podcast talking about the seminal Canadian 90s alt-rock compilation Big Shiny Tunes.

Find him on Twitter: @mrchrisbetts

Listen to Chris Betts vs: www.thechrisbetts.com/versus

and Buy Tickets to Library Laughs to hear comedy, improv and a live stream of a new mini episode of Keeping Athena Company! 

31. Keeping Athena Company - Becky Singh

Becky Singh kept my virtual company this time round and we had a good chat about my Amazon boycott, open top tourist buses and getting familiar with take away delivery guys. Also at the end I share the definitive difference between good people and bad people. Enjoy!

More about Becky:

Becky is a  comedy producer, director and writer for US, UK, Irish and Australian stage and TV.  Recent work includes Kevin Hart’s Emmy nominated Netflix seriesDon’t F**k This Up” and currently has work featured in the British Library’s exhibition “Unfinished Business: The Fight For Women’s Rights”.  Check out her website

 

30. Keeping Athena Company - Pope Lonergan

Pope Lonergan is a comedian, podcaster and soon to be published writer. A voracious reader, he makes my bookshelf look like a children's library.  I came very close to muting him at one stage as his habit of sharing his current reads was contributing to my book habit. We had a chat about the lockdown, free speech, politics, working in care and how he spoke a book deal into existence through his frank and personal comedy. Enjoy!

More about Pope:

Pope Lonergan is a comedian, writer, Quaker, (recovering) drug addict and creator of ‘The Care Home Tour’ (“The comedians taking slapstick into new territory” ~ The Guardian) and ‘Pope’s Addiction Clinic’

He gigs up and down the UK and has had sold out shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Brighton Fringe, Vault Festival, Leicester Comedy Festival and Hastings Fringe. 

He’s signed a book deal with Penguin (Ebury) for a memoir due out in 2022.

Follow him on Twitter: @PopeLonergan

29. Keeping Athena Company - Paul Eccentric

Paul Eccentric is one half of poetry and musical act, the Anti-Poet as well as a musician and writer in his own right. He's just published a book, The Giant Step. We have a good chat about it in his beautiful home in the countryside - this was recorded in between lockdowns. We get into the steampunk genre, character, plot and the creative process. Enjoy!

The Giant Step is available from Caffeine Nights publishing

You can find Paul on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AntipoetThe

Twitter:  @pauleccentric

 

28. Keeping Athena Company - Njambi McGrath

Njambi Mcgrath is a comedian and writer who published her debut book last year, Through The Leopard's Gaze (available now in all good bookshops!). She is Kenyan and is determined to document the history of Kenya and the African continent as a whole before, during and post colonisation. You can see already why we get on quite well. We have a chat about how African history exists but has to be searched for, white saviour complex held by both Europeans and Africans and the denial of the gruesomeness of British imperialism impacts us all. And other things too. Enjoy!

 

You can follow Njambi on Instagram (@thehotafrican) and Twitter (@NjambiMcgrath)

27. Keeping Athena Company - Sanjit Chudha

This week I am joined by a fabulous creative comrade, Sanjit Chudha. We have a lovely virtual catch up that includes ponderings on staycations, how the media patronises the "white working class" and why getting out of the city is good for the soul.

More about the wonderful Sanjit:

Food fuels Sanjit's love for communication; apparently, it's a family motto 'good food is everything'. When not battling to control his waistline, Sanjit is a Marketing and Comms supremo with a variety of clients across Theatre, Publishing and the Arts - notably Talawa Theatre Company.

Follow Sanjit on twitter: @sanjitchudha

Go visit his website where he writes about food, culture and society: https://sanjitchudha.com/

26. Louise Power - Keeping Athena Company

Louise Power is an entrepreneur and CEO of company iOrbit. We chat about starting a business, getting to know your kids and redefine the word 'minority'.

Find Louise on instagram: @the.powerhour or search for her on LinkedIn (how professional is that??)

25. Keeping Athena Company - Dr. Pamela Nkyi

Pamela Nkyi is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and an Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society (AFBPsS). Specialising in public health, she's an expert in wellbeing, mental health, training and policy. She's a very useful person to know during these strange times. We talk about her baking addiction, including her 'Bake and Chat' sessions that she runs for her community, lockdown and anti-black racism. 

 

Find out more about Pamela here: https://about.me/drpamelankyi

Publish now  

24. Keeping Athena Company - Vicki Amedume

This was recorded before people had to be reminded that Black Lives Matter but so much of this conversation is pertinent. It's not al conversations about travelling whilst black and white privilege in the arts, I find out what wine goes with my omelette and chips. 

More about the wonderful Vicki:

Vicki Amedume initially trained as a research scientist, entering the circus world in 1997. She performed and created aerial and circus based work in the UK and worldwide and has worked across all spheres of circus from traditional touring tented circuses to large-scale outdoor spaces and intimate touring indoor theatre. She founded Upswing to bringing new artists and experiences to the stage and beyond that reflect a dynamic, diverse and modern world