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In this episode of The Bardo Podcast, I’m joined by Mark Simmons, award-winning one-liner comedian, for a focused conversation about stand-up comedy, confidence, failure, and the philosophy of laughter. We explore what really happens when a joke lands or fails, how audiences perceive confidence on stage, and what “dying on stage” actually means. The conversation covers joke writing, wordplay, timing, audience trust, taboo, and why the same material can succeed in one room and fail in another. Rather than offering formulas for being funny, this episode looks at comedy as a practice shaped by surprise, tension, perspective shifts, and shared meaning, and what humour can teach us about confidence, creativity, and relating to others with more lightness. In this episode we explore: Dying on stage and losing the fear of failureConfidence, belief, and audience perceptionFun as a skill in stand-up comedyJoke writing, wordplay, timing, and structureAudience trust, taboo, and tensionThe philosophy of laughterGuest Mark Simmons is an award-winning one-liner comedian known for his sharp jokes and meticulous approach to joke writing. He has toured internationally, appeared on television and radio, and hosts the podcast Jokes with Mark Simmons. Mark’s is on tour now here's his website: https://marksimmons.co.uk/ Mark’s stand-up special on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRn6iEuZvPU Reading List Emily Herring - Herald of a Restless World: How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People Sigmund Freud - Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious Zoe Brownstone's new Stand-Up Special (Go check this out now!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJkF4QSNPmE Support the show If you’re enjoying The Bardo Podcast, subscribing, rating, or sharing the show genuinely helps. You can also support the show financially on Patreon: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBardoPodcast The Bardo Podcast explores Buddhism, philosophy, comedy, and alternative ways of thinking through fun philosophy conversations with comedians, philosophers, and Buddhist thinkers. The show brings together exploring Buddhism with playful, thoughtful discussions about creativity, meaning, inner and outer change, and what happens in the space between. Hosted by comedian Marc Salmon, the show features conversations not about certainty or expertise, but about questioning assumptions and sitting with ambiguity together. Find updates and more information at: https://www.marcsalmoncomedy.com/ Music by Marc Salmon and Robert Fuller Artwork by Zoe Brownstone 

What happens when the stories we’ve relied on no longer work, and certainty itself starts to feel like part of the problem? In this episode of The Bardo Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Steve Todd and Cesare Saguato for a wide-ranging conversation about the so-called meta-crisis, the overlapping crises of meaning, ecology, politics, and mental health shaping modern life. Drawing on Tibetan Buddhism, physics, psychotherapy, and Western esotericism, we explore how rigid worldviews can collapse into despair, and how uncertainty, plurality, and play might open up new ways of relating to ourselves and the world. Rather than searching for final answers, this conversation stays with mystery, groundlessness, and re-enchantment. In this episode we explore: The meta-crisis and why modern solutions no longer seem to workMeta-modernism and the idea of ironic sincerityBuddhism, groundlessness, and living without fixed narrativesScience, magic, and the limits of a mechanistic worldviewRhizomes, decentralised action, and collective change without blueprintsActivism as transformation rather than oppositionRe-enchantment, play, and finding agency in uncertain timesGuests Dr Steve Todd is a theoretical physicist with a PhD in high-energy particle theory and a long-time Buddhist practitioner within the Drukpa Kagyu tradition. He explores the intersections of science, Buddhism, and Western esotericism. Steve’s Meta-Modern Rosicrucian Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/464647772026730/ Cesare Saguato is a Buddhist practitioner, psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, and clinical supervisor. He works in private practice, education, and organisational settings, and is Chair of Bodhicharya UK. Cesare’s work: https://www.cesaremindfultherapy.com/ https://bodhicharya-kent.org/ Support the show If you’re enjoying The Bardo Podcast, subscribing, rating, or sharing the show genuinely helps. You can also support the show financially on Patreon: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBardoPodcast The Bardo Podcast explores alternative ways of thinking, inner and outer change, and what happens in the space between. Hosted by comedian Marc Salmon, the show features thoughtful conversations with comedians, philosophers, Buddhist thinkers, and other curious minds - not about certainty or expertise, but about questioning assumptions and sitting with ambiguity together. New episodes explore comedy, philosophy, Buddhism, creativity, and alternative ways of living. Find updates and more information at: https://www.marcsalmoncomedy.com/ Music by Marc Salmon and Robert Fuller Artwork by Zoe Brownstone

What happens when we stop trying to get everything right and allow ourselves to be seen as we are? In the first episode of The Bardo Podcast, I’m joined by award-winning comedian and actor Lara Ricote for a thoughtful conversation about uncertainty, play, and living without pre-approval in art, politics, and everyday life. We explore clowning as a philosophy of life, the fear that shapes creativity and politics, and why joy and silliness are so often dismissed as naïve. Along the way, we talk about abundance, work, education, and what becomes possible when we stop trying to crush the mystery and learn to stay with it instead. In this episode we explore: Play as a way of living, not just performingClowning and the practice of “try, check, change”Fear, anger, and why joy rarely shows up in politicsAbundance vs scarcity (and what hunter-gatherer societies can teach us)Work, automation, and imagining life beyond constant optimisationWhy being seen, and failing, might be essential to freedomGuest Lara Ricote is an award-winning Mexican-American comedian and actor. She has performed internationally and works across stand-up, sketch, and screen, with a growing interest in play, presence, and risk as creative practices. 🔗 Follow what Lara's up to here. Reading mentioned in this episode Marshall Sahlins -The Original Affluent SocietyPeter Gray - Play as a Foundation for Hunter-Gatherer Social ExistenceBob Black -The Abolition of WorkDavid Graeber - B******t Jobs: A TheorySupport the show If you’re enjoying The Bardo Podcast, subscribing or sharing genuinely helps. You can also support the show financially on Patreon: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBardoPodcast The Bardo Podcast explores alternative ways of thinking, inner and outer change, and what happens in the space between. Hosted by comedian Marc Salmon, the show features thoughtful conversations with comedians, philosophers, Buddhist thinkers, and other curious minds - not about certainty or expertise, but about questioning assumptions and sitting with ambiguity together. New episodes explore comedy, philosophy, Buddhism, creativity, and alternative ways of living. Find updates and more information at: https://www.marcsalmoncomedy.com/ Music by Marc Salmon and Robert Fuller Artwork by Zoe Brownstone

The Bardo Podcast is a podcast about alternative ways of thinking, inner and outer change, and what happens in the space between. Hosted by comedian Marc Salmon, the show features thoughtful conversations with comedians, philosophers, Buddhist thinkers, and other curious minds. Episodes cover philosophy, Buddhism, counter-cultural ideas, and the messy, often funny business of being human. This is not about expertise or certainty, but about questioning assumptions, sitting with ambiguity, and thinking differently together. New episodes launch in January. If you are interested in philosophy, Buddhism, or conversations that explore ideas with curiosity, subscribe now so you do not miss the first episodes. Find updates and more information at: https://www.marcsalmoncomedy.com/