The Comedian's Comedian Podcast Lindsey Santoro
Feb 19, 2026
Lindsey Santoro, a stand-up comedian and writer who won Next Up’s top award at Edinburgh and created a BBC Radio 4 series. She talks about balancing NHS work with gig anxiety. She recalls attic shows at the Pleasance, battling imposter syndrome, finding her comic voice, keeping a life outside comedy, and whether she feels content with her success.
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First Set Scribbled On A Water Bottle
- Lindsey describes her first ever five-minute set written on a water bottle and performing through panic.
- She remembers curtsying to check her bottle and feeling sick but loved the rush of being onstage.
Slow-Gigging Through Anxiety
- Lindsey gigged infrequently early on because anxiety made her ill before shows and she booked days off to recover.
- A supportive local promoter, Maureen, pulled her into regular gigs and helped her start building confidence.
Work Sets, Not Fresh Jokes Every Time
- Stop treating every gig like it must be new material; rehearse and build on a set over time.
- Use keywords and signposts on stage rather than memorising every word to manage memory under pressure.