25 December 2023
May The Force Be With You
It's a very special and moving Christmas episode as Richard talks to Ukranian comedian Vasyl Baidak about performing comedy in a war zone, how comedy has differed before, after and during the conflict, performing in shelters and trenches, how comedy helps process the horror and how absurd comedy seems redundant in the more absurd state of war, converting Stewart Lee tickets into a car, being championed by Stephen Fry, the influence of Andy Kaufman, building the country back one house at a time and keeping the Ukraine in people's minds and raising funds for the military. How do you tour and celebrate Christmas in a war? It's an incredible story from a very eloquent man speaking in a second language (where school lessons did not prepare him for talking about war). Please listen and share this one. And tonight don't thank God it's them instead of you. Ask God why anyone has to be in this situation.
See the Guardian documentary here https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2023/feb/23/the-year-that-never-ended-how-a-ukrainian-comedian-rebuilt-a-strangers-house-documentary
Watch Vasyl's special here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C34z0ozw_9E
