A Life in Rhythm and Comedy with Rowland Rivron

In this episode Danny is joined by the legendary Rowland Rivron, comedy actor, writer, TV/radio presenter and drummer who is best known for his work with French and Saunders, The Comic Strip Presents and for being a showbiz maverick.

Rowland shares stories from his varied career. He covers his unique upbringing, the quirks of his name, and the making of his autobiography. Listeners get a candid, funny, and insightful look at British comedy, music and the unpredictable moments that shaped Rowland’s life.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rowland had a penalty shoot-out with Diana Ross in a bedroom at The Ritz.
• Living with Rik Mayall was a bit crazy.
• Rowland once interviewed Patrick Swayze while he was taking a shower.
• Interviewing Spike Milligan was hard work.
• Show business looks glamorous, but in reality it is a mix of excitement, routine, and unpredictability.
• Even successful performers experience both the thrill of live performance and the tedium of repetitive gigs.
• Showbiz is full of last-minute changes and the need to adapt quickly—e.g. learning an entire musical’s drum parts with no rehearsal.
• Success in showbiz is shaped as much by chance encounters, personal quirks, and resilience as by talent or planning.

BEST MOMENTS

“How does a penalty shoot-out in Diana Ross’ bedroom occur?”

“I did a massive faux pas with Mel Brooks.”

“I walked into a gig and had walked into an armed siege.”

“All of the tables were shaped like coffins.”

“ I'd actually fallen out of the gig and I had to queue up to get back in and back on stage to carry on playing.”

“I'm left-handed, dyslexic, and word blind, so I can't learn lines to save my life.”

“The first night I did it … the show finished half an hour early because I was speeding up and panicking.”

“By about the fourth or fifth day, I was completely bored… and stopped drumming.”

“We did a bastardised version of Desert Island Discs.”

“I didn’t go on holiday for about 20 years. I was just completely enjoying myself. I didn’t want to do anything else.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Did-Last-Night-accidental-ebook/dp/B004LROP04

https://x.com/rowlandrivron

HOST BIO

Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only