THEATRE LIST
CABARET
FRIDAY 9
I Robef‘I Halpern Pavilion Theatre. 12] Renfield Street. Glasgow. 04] 3321846. 7.30pm. £4 (2 for the price of I ). llypnotic entertainment in a show called Culture Shock.
SATURDAY 10
I The Comic Club Blackfriars. ~15 Albion Street. Merchant City. Glasgow. 552 5924. 9pm. £5 (£3). Baropen 8.30pm—midnight.
Now settling down to weekly performances. The Comic Club provides an extra helping of Glasgow stand-up. Tonight‘s compere is Gary Hagan. who will be introducing cute and cuddly Gordon Robertson. Lewis MacLeod (aka Boris Vesta) and Edinburgh musical duo the Parma Violets. who got stuck on the train last week. Moving into the new comic spot is Graham Dc Banzie.
I Cavern Comics Clyde Cavern. Clyde Place (just over Jamaica Bridge). Glasgow. 9.30pm. £2. New fortnightly comedy venue that aims to provide more than the standard stand-up fare. There will be a varied mix of new and established local acts and juggling troupe. Up For Grabs. will have a regular slot. Also
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appearing tonight is star ofHalfway To Paradise Phil McGrade. and improvisation — yes they’re all at it! — from Theatre Nepotism. Last fortnight's opening night was very popular so turn up promptly.
I Rober1 llalpern Pavilion Theatre. 12] Renfield Street. Glasgow. 04] 332 1846. 7.30pm and midnight. £4 84 £5. See Fri9.
SUNDAY 11
I Comic Relief Pavilion Theatre. 121 Renfield Street. 041 332 1846. £o(£-I.50). There's no national Comic Reliefevent this year. but Glasgow’s entertainers are doing their bit for famine relief in a night of music and comedy at the Pavilion. As well as His Latest Flame. James Grant and the McCluskey Brothers. there isa staggering line-up of performers including nearly all of the Funny Farm‘s 14 members. the cast of Take The High Road. The Alexander Sisters. David Anderson. Gerard Kelly and Jimmy Logan. A few surprises for sport fans are promised too. Well worth turning out for. See Feature. I Rilt Mayall King's Theatre. Leven Street. Edinburgh. 03] 22‘) 1201 . £7—£8. Still on the road since before Christmas. Rik Mayall and Andy de la Tour bring their character comedy and punchline wit to Edinburgh. Mayall. always an
DUCHESS OF
passion and revenge
’ Previewing 28th March All Seats £2.00
imaginative performer. slips from character to character. old favourites like Kevin Turvey and his Young Ones persona. plus new often spontaneous creations. Warm-up man Andy de Ia'l'our is mainly a playwright these days. but he‘s been on the Alternative Comedy circuit for as long as anyone and he’s been going down well with audiences previously unfamiliar with his material.
FRIDAY 16
I Comedy Shop The Shelter. 7 Renfrew Court. Renfrew Chambers. Glasgow. 041 332 6231. Doors open 8.30pm. 9.30pm start. £4.50 (£3.50). Karen Koren‘slatest comedy venture goes fortnightly with a special line-up of Glasgow comedy. Lynn Ferguson — she of Alexanders Sisters and Excess fame — is your compe re for the evening and she‘ll be introducing Stu Who? with an early preview of his new Edinburgh Fringe act. Stewart MacDonald with a selection ofhis
favourite letters. and Phil Kay with his surreal one-liners. The show moves to Edinburgh's Gilded Balloon tomorrow night.
SATURDAY 17
I The Comic Club Blat‘kfriars. 45 Albion Street. Merchant City. Glasgow. 552 592-1. 9pm. £5 (£3). Baropen 8.30pm—midnight.
Halfway to Paradise star Philip McGrade headlines this evening's run ofGIasgow comedy. I le‘s joined by the Brooclaimers — one woman. two men and some parodic pop songs — and. if all goes well. newcomers The Kylie Minogue Experience. This week's new comic is Gordon Robb. who claims to be no relation to Funny Farmer Gordon Robertson (some people will do anything to get attention!)
I Joke Box Bar Point. ~12 \Vellmeadow Street. Paisley. 041 SS") 5 IRS. H.30pm. Two days after the Funny harm‘s first concentrated TV exposure on STV.
own brand of observational humour to Paisley. lle's joined. in the Joke Box‘s traditional blend of comedy and music. by guitarist Rick Martin.
I Gilded Balloon 233 Cowgate. Edinburgh. 03] 3320002. Doorsopen 8.30pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Yesterday's line-up at the Comedy Shop. Glasgow. moves through to Edinburgh.
THURSDAY 22
I The Kitkat Club Blackl‘riars. 45 Albion Street. Merchant City. (ilasgow. 0-1] 552 592-1. Cabaret pre-war Berlin-style; strong on atmosphere with a good split between comedy and mtrsic. Pigtoot is the main act and others of a non-stand-up variety are promised. See Review.
[EIGH— KITKAT CLUB
KitKat Club. Seen Thurs 22 Feb. Every Fortnight.
The Funny Farm’s initiative to set up a regular comedy club in the downstairs room at Blackfriars was a good one, and its continued existence suggests it has been successful. But one thing it lacked on my last visit was
atmosphere. Rows of seats in a
cramped, overlit space just don’t make fora cabaret ambience.
The KitKat Club, newly established in the same venue by the cabaret act Plgfoot, has taken steps to overcome this problem, modelling the club on 1930s Berlin, as immortalised by Christopher Isherwood, and later in the stage and film versions of Cabaret. On arrival, the audience is greeted by waitresses in fishnets and Sally Bowlers, who provide directions to the
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bar and the seats, which cluster around dimly Iittables. The evening begins with bingo (in Glaswegian, ratherthan German or English), and breadsticks are issued during the interval, so that 90 minutes of comedy are spread comfortably over three hours or more.
Pigfoot itself is a two-man act (though forthe first set one member wears a rather fetching white dress, and both appear as nuns at one point), with a flair for parody and a nice ear for lilting melodies. It's intelligent, character-based comedy leaning about as far toward theatre as cabaret can go, but in these surroundings it works well.
Future KitKat Club shows are planned fortnightly on Thursdays, and are intended to include other acts besides Plgfoot. Given the difficulties faced by new acts in search of an interested audience, it may well become an oasis of atmospheric calm on a fairly rowdy circuit. (Andrew Burnet)
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54'l‘he List 9 — 22 March 1990