Go Faster Stripe is an independent film production and distribution company that operates out of the Chapter Arts Centre, in Cardiff, Wales. The company specialises in the recording of live shows by stand-up comedians who, while in the public eye, may not normally be able to get a DVD released through a major label, who could require the artist to make changes to their show. For example, in Richard Herring's ménage à un, he talks explicitly about being masturbated via the hole in the hand of Jesus Christ, which would most likely have been edited for a mainstream DVD release. In an interview with Australian comedy listings guide The Groggy Squirrel, Richard Herring said of Go Faster Stripe:
Go Faster don't tell us what we can or can't say and are happy to give faithful representations of the material[1]
While DVDs are the main production medium of Go Faster Stripe, a recording of Stewart Lee's Pea Green Boat was issued on CD, and also on a limited edition 10" vinyl pressing. They have also released a book by Richard Herring entitled Bye Bye Balham, which is a collection of the first couple of hundred days of Herring's daily blog.[2]
In addition to Herring and Lee, the company has produced media for acts such as Simon Munnery, Lucy Porter and Robin Ince,[3][4] with future releases set to include work by Paul Sinha.[5]
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When comedy fan Chris Evans (not that one)[1] wished to purchase a DVD of comedian Stewart Lee's (co-writer of Jerry Springer: The Opera)[6] latest live show (90s Comedian) he learned there would not be one: the comic's previous release (Stewart Lee - Stand Up Comedian, released by 2 Entertain) had sold insufficient copies for a major label to consider a future release profitable. Furthermore, the comedy website Chortle claimed that the show's controversial content dissuaded major distribution companies because of fear of retribution from the fundamentalist Christian movement.[7] However, Evans felt that the critically acclaimed show (Time Out enthused "should win the Booker prize") should be recorded for posterity and started the company.[7][8]
The creator of Go Faster Stripe only asks comedians that he likes and believes the show needs to be recorded as historical documentation,[9] he has asked Richard Herring to revisit several of his older shows for this very reason.[10] So far around 50% of the comedians that have been approached by Go Faster Stripe have had their work recorded.