3/9 - Mr Panto

Hollywood stars, regional theatres and slapstick comedy - how to make the perfect Panto

Eric Potts and John Thomson in Aladdin at the Manchester Opera House — Eric Potts and John Thomson in *Aladdin* at the Manchester Opera House

Pantomime: the most peculiarly British of festive entertainments.

Each year, we Brits gather the family together to watch the same old stories. To cheer at the hero, hiss at the baddies, and watch a bloke in drag doing the same call-and-response routines that have enraptured crowds since the days of music hall. Why?

Eric Potts is a maestro of the genre. As head writer for First Family Entertainments, he churns out ten panto scripts per year, and even finds time to play the Dame in one of them (this year, Aladdin in Manchester)

In this insightful interview with Olly, he explains why super-producers have duopolized the industry, how they persuade Hollywood stars to come over and tread the boards (it’s not just the money...), and why the key to panto success is not tradition or nostalgia - but ADVENTURE.

(Oh Yes It Is!)

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Also this week: Ollie Peart uses his Instagram account as an experiment in automation, and, after an extended Super Mario Run session, offers up one-handed gaming to The Zeitgeist. Plus, why the pen-and-paper notebook just might be a thing of the past.

And - jingle your balls! - Alix Fox finishes us off with a festive Foxhole for all the Modern Mann family. You’ll learn about ‘the Smith’s Salt N Shake of condoms’, why you should ‘get lusty with leftovers’, and how ‘sex Bisto’ might change your bedroom in a very special XXXmas edition of Alix’s favourite party game, ‘Tip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!’. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - use the discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get 15% OFF at Checkout.

Finally, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a good sing-a-long, so do wrap your ears around our song of the week, ‘Honest’, by Martha Gunn.

And remember, in this time of goodwill to all Mann, that we are always thrilled to receive your monies in exchange for this humble podcast offering. If you’d like to donate, we’d be ever so grateful, guv. Just click Beer Money.

Merry Christmas one and all - we’ll see you straight after the holidays, for our season finale!

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Three and tagged eugene santa christmas.

3/8 - The Queen's Stunt Double

“In my job, fear is a great state of mind”

Gary Connery is a Hollywood stunt-man. He's played them all: Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones. But it's for his role as Queen Elizabeth II, parachuting out of a helicopter in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, that he will truly go down in history.

In this interview with Olly, he recounts how it felt to be standing on the edge of that helicopter, knowing that more than 40 million people worldwide were about to watch his stunt - live. And he reveals some tricks of the trade he's picked up in his career: how to fall through glass, where to buy your cardboard boxes, and whether or not Tom Cruise really does do his own stunts...

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Also in this week's show, Ollie Peart considers whether we're about to enter a world without dick-holes, a world of fix-it supremacy, or a world of Ugly Food in this week's Zeitgeist.

Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox has news of a Canadian gadget to help circumcised men who fancy regrowing their foreskin, and, as this week's listener question, advises a chap who has been knocked for six by an astonishing encounter with an Italian vixen. Remember if you have a question of sex for Alix, just fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by MyCondom.Com - just use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout to nab yourself a stonking 15% OFF.

Finally, music this week comes courtesy of Syd Arthur and his track 'Apricity', out now on Communion Records:

We will return next week for our annual Christmas Spectacular - until then, please do leave us a review on iTunes, send us your feedback and your kind donations...

This week's show is kindly sponsored by our friends at Beer52.Com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners an amazing case of eight delicious bottles of hand-picked craft beer for just £12. Just visit beer52.com/modern52 and for everyone one of you who takes up the offer, Beer52 will send us some beer money too.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Three and tagged gazelle up.

3/7 - Let's Go Brown-Signing

Pinball, Otters and Owls: Adventures on the Road Less Travelled

Amanda Hone has a 'hobby that got out of hand': traversing the UK, visiting the myriad miscellaneous landmarks designated by brown signs.

In this interview, she explains to Olly how an initial visit to an otter and owl sanctuary made her put down her phone, take the road less travelled and discover the quirky attractions around her - and emplore others to do the same.

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In the spirit of 'brown-signing', Olly then takes a trip of his own: to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, where curator Tim Arnold tells him why, 'when you grow up and become a man, you play a real man's game - you play pinball'.

Tim's pinball museum is well worth a visit, if ever you find yourself in Nevada, not only because all the machines are playable, but because all profits go to the Salvation Army.

Here is just a glimpse inside:

Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart pores over the latest trends in The Zeitgeist, including crawling to keep fit, the Hollywood pocketwatch revival, and the death of the masked musician. If you have a trend you'd like to suggest for a future episode, do tweet us @themodernmann.

And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals the super-powers of 'magic wand massagers' such as the Lovehoney's tokidoki, the UK-made Doxey Wand, and Hitachi's blockbuster big-seller. Plus, she has some advice for a listener who says he's attracted to oral sex with 'she-males' - but is otherwise straight...

If you've got a question of sex for Alix, just submit it via our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners an incredible 15% OFF when you use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout.

Finally, as ever, we have a cracking choon to end the show. This week, it's 'Radio', by Sylvan Esso, out now on Partisan Records:

Big thanks to everyone who has bought us a beer this week - it really is thanks to your support that we're able to keep funding the show. But don't just buy us a beer - why not buy one for yourself... or EIGHT? Get eight bottles of delicious craft beer for just £12 thanks to our friends at beer52.com. Just visit beer52.com/modern52 for your 50% discount.

Until next week, do tell your friends about the show on social media, and leave us a review on iTunes - we really appreciate it.

See You Next Tuesday!

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Three and tagged football.

3/6 - I Was An Islamic Extremist

Terror, Radicalism and 'Celebrating' 9/11

What's it like to be radicalised? How do young British men set out to murder their fellow citizens in the name of 'jihad'? And, once committed to that course, can there ever be a route back?

Former extremist Adam Deen spent much of his youth as a member of Al-Muhajiroun, the notorious terrorist organisation lead by Omar Bakri Muhammad. For years he believed in the foundation of a UK Islamic state, and was prepared to participate in whatever course of action his leader said was necessary to achieve that goal.

In this extraordinary interview with Olly, he recalls his journey into Islamic extremism, considers the cost for his loved ones, and warns against future generations following his lead.

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Adam is nowadays the Managing Director of The Quilliam Foundation, a think tank aiming to challenge extremist narratives while advocating pluralistic, democratic alternatives. Find out more about their work here.

Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart considers 'anti-tech tech' start-ups Pause and Distractagone in this week's Zeitgeist, predicts a Winter trend for men's ballet-wear, and the death of 'inspirational' wall-quotes. Say it's not so? Keep Calm and Carry On, folks...

And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox considers the terminology of 'queer' porn, has some useful advice about where (not) to store your rubbers, and advises a listener who's the same height as his partner which sexual positions provide the best 'angle of dangle'. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - remember to use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout for a frankly astonishing 15% Off.

Last but not least, our record of the week is A 1000 Times from the album I Had A Dream That You Were Mine, by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam. It’s out now on Glassnote Records:

Remember, we can only make this show with your support. If you value independent podcasting and want to keep us on the road, buy us a beer here. Thanks! You can also leave us a review on iTunes, follow us on Twitter and send us feedback about whatever you like!

See You Next Tuesday.

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Olly Mann and filed under Season Three and tagged Manny fur.

3/5 - The World's Most Productive Man

Health, Happiness, and How To Better Use Your Time.

‘Productivity’ is a term that gets tossed around a lot: you should be more productive at work; the nation needs to be more productive in general... But what does it actually mean? There are only so many hours in the day - are there really lifehacks that can help us make better use of the limited time we have to boost our output iAND lead happier lives?

One man who knows is Chris Bailey - in a series of experiments, he spent a year trying out productivity techniques such as goal-setting, meditation and early rising, and measured actual outcomes. In this interview with Olly, he reveals his top productivity tips, dismisses the industry of ‘productivity porn’, and speaks up for the positive role of caffeine...

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Elsewhere, Ollie Peart fills The Zeitgeist with news of the new Metrosexual: the Spornasexual; predicts the welcome demise of shared plates; and celebrates the trend for non-confrontational reality TV - while it lasts...

Meanwhile, in The Foxhole, Alix Fox has bad news for frequenters of notorious London sex-sauna Rio’s, and some tips for a listener whose wife wants to watch porn with him. The Foxhole is sponsored by mycondom.com - enter the code FOXHOLE at checkout for an outrageous 15% off.

Music this week comes courtesy of Foreign Fields and their new single Dry, out now on Caroline Records:

If you have any feedback about the show, you’d like to buy us a beer, or you have a question of sex for Alix, you're in the right place. If you'd like to tell other people about how amazing our show is, head on down to iTunes.com/Mann and leave us a review - we really appreciate it!