“ Everyone wants to get involved and it's generating huge amount of work for actors and crew all around the world, which is very hard to find in other parts of the media. So Hollywood is now involved as well, and every major Hollywood studio you can think of is looking or experimenting with this format and sort of seeing how they can bring the Hollywood touch to it.” Latest guest is Jen Cooper, founder of Vertical Drama Love.

Jen is an expert in the rapidly growing area of vertical dramas, we talk about what vertical dramas are and the rapid rise in popularity of vertical dramas in the west and the change in the format from its beginnings in China.

We talk about what moving from niche to mainstream in the west may mean for the format, how large players like Disney starting to offer vertical content may change things and also the impact for Jen as someone who has been involved in the sector initially as a fan and now as a consultant.

Website: https://www.verticaldramalove.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verticaldramalove/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@verticaldramalove

Guardian Vertical Drama Article: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/18/vertical-drama-phone-films-to-watch

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“He said ‘[I hate] loud Northern women who swear’ and he’s obviously talking about me” Latest guest is Martha Pailing whose show ‘Chat Sh*t, Get Hit’ is on at Soho Theatre on Feb 5th and 6th.

We talk about developing the show over a number of years and the importance of Arts Council Funding, her Fringe experience, working with a team behind the scenes on her solo show as well as the differences between Spoken Word and Stand Up.

Website: https://www.marthapailing.com/

Soho Theatre Tickets: https://sohotheatre.com/events/chat-sht-get-hit

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marthapailing/

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“The mission is to educate and promote mental health through the arts, mostly through Comedy and for people to talk about mental health and difficult subjects through comedy”

Latest guest is Charlotte Laidet who is Festivals and Programme Director for Leicester Comedy Festival which is running from the 4th to the 22nd February.

We talk about what it takes to put the festival together, why Leicester has an important place in the festival calendar and the other work that Big Difference Company who run the festival do around promoting health and well being using Comedy and promoting Comedy as an art form.

Website: https://www.comedy-festival.co.uk/

Big Difference Company: https://bigdifferencecompany.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leicscomedyfest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leicscomedyfest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeicsComedyFest

Kids Festival and other links: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/leicscomedyfest

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“ I'm very keenly aware of the whole, reliving my life thing in different forms and having that replace my real memories sometimes, and that can be a kind of a scary thing because it is this thing that happened to me that I didn't talk about for so many years and like in public, like never, you know? And now I've spoken about it in so many forms and you know how memory works, you tell it and you keep remembering it and the memory can change ” - Latest guest Comedian and Author Krystal Evans

We talk about her experience as one of the writers and performers on Channel 4’s 'Mitchell and Webb are Not Helping', her experiences as a stand up and her Fringe show ‘Hottest Girl at Burn Camp’ and the book and the audiobook of the same name which detail some her childhood experiences and how comedy can come from tragic experiences.

We also talk about the Scottish comedy scene, her Sex and Relationships podcast ‘Chris and Krystal are in Heat’ with fellow Comedian Chris Weir and being part of a crowdfunder for upcoming short film “How we’re really actually doing”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalevanscomedy/

Hottest Girl in Burn Camp Book: https://linktr.ee/thehottestgirlatburncamp

Audiobook on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1kldAghwmjrj3wxDF0PMZL

Mitchell and Webb are not helping: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/mitchell-and-webb-are-not-helping

Website: https://www.comedykrystal.com/

Chris and Krystal are in heat Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/chris-and-krystal-are-in-heat

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/krystalevans

“How we’re really actually doing” film: https://www.instagram.com/hwrad.film/

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjbarnett/

Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“  I am a jack of all trades in the comedy industry and also don't make much money, so that's why I do it all, my main sort of thing is that I'm a writer of funny stuff that most of the time I perform. I'm getting really used to calling myself a stand-up now which is terrifying.”

Latest guest is Comedian Hannah Morton, we talk about her experience at last year’s Fringe with her show Cha Cha Real Smooth and how the show about her experiences as a Children’s entertainer came about, promotion at the Fringe and the blurring between her and the character in the show.

We also talk about her work with digital marketing as part of the team looking after the Glasgow International Comedy Festival which is back next March and her experiences going viral online.

Hannah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmorton_94/

Crushed! And Cha Cha Real Smooth at Glasgow International Comedy Festival: https://www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com/events/?search=Hannah+morton

Sad Girls Club Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thesadgirlsclub2024/

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“ I would like to destroy the biggest myth right from the off, which is that working in production isn't creative. It absolutely is…what I do on a day-to-day basis is I actually make huge decisions for any production that I work on that directly influence the content that is on screen.”

On this episode I spoke with Fliss Williams who has experience working on a range of film and television productions as well as live events for the BBC and is organising the upcoming British Comedy Guide conference that’s being held in London on 5th and 6th of December

We talk about what a Line Producer does, how that work was a good fit for event management and her work as a mentor on the Wonder Women project.

British Comedy Guide - Big Comedy Conference 5th-6th Dec https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bcg-pros-big-comedy-conference-2025-tickets-1504841333939

Wonder Women Mentoring: https://www.wonderwomentv.com/mentoringprogramme

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“It’s written, performed, directed and produced entirely by women and there’s something ridiculously refreshing about that” - Claire Rafferty

On this episode I spoke with some of the writers and performers of Gobby Girls: The Afterparty which is on at the Soho Theatre from 20th-22nd November

We talk about their sold out Edinburgh Fringe run and how it went from idea to performance in just a matter of weeks and taking a new show to Soho Theatre.

We also talk about the importance of community and the support they get from group as well as discussing how the show came about, online promotion and value of improvisation.

Soho Theatre Tickets: https://sohotheatre.com/events/gobby-girls-the-after-party/

Gobby Girls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobbygirlproductions/

Female Pilot Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femalepilotclub/

Other Links: https://linktr.ee/gobbygirlproductions

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/

“I’ve basically walked backwards into having a day job” - Latest guest Stand-Up Comedian, writer and podcaster Milo Edwards. Milo has been a stand-up for over 10 years and has regularly performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and has released a number of specials on YouTube.

We talk about his tour show “How Revolting! Sorry to Offend” that’s working its way around the country in 2025 and 2026, writing a show a year for the Fringe, the Trash Future podcast which has over 15k monthly paying subscribers as well as other podcasts he’s part of including Glue Factory podcast with Olga Koch, Pierre Novellie and Riley Quinn.

Website: https://www.miloedwards.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/milo_edwards

YouTube Specials: https://www.youtube.com/@milo_edwards

Podcast and other links via: https://linktr.ee/milo_edwards

Cover Image: https://www.instagram.com/joshuaperotiphoto/

Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’

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Making Creativity Pay Newsletter: https://makingcreativitypay.substack.com/