COMEDY
listings
Comedy is listed by date, then by city. Shows will be listed, providing that details reach our offices at least ten da 5 in advance of publication. Come y listings compiled by Claire Prentice.
FRIDAY 24
Glasgow
Lots, Lots More Of Dorothy Paul Pavilion Theatre. 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. 7.30pm. £9.50 (£7.50). Couthy Scots comic Dorothy Paul returns. having discovered even more best bits from her ever-popular one-woman shows.
Edinburgh
Sean Hughes in Alibis For Life Brunton Theatre. Musselburgh. 665 2240. 9.45pm. £9 (£5.50). Forget straight stand- up as Hughes returns with his winning free-form formula. The structure is inspired by a CD. giving rise to fifteen far-flung dissertations on life. See preview on this page.
The Stand The Tron Ceilidh House. Hunter Square. 220 1550. 9-11pm. Five acts for £5 (£4 UB40 only). Weekly. Providing witty observations on the daily grind. John Gillick appears alongside surreal magician Reg Anderson. John Flint and Kevin Spence. with Susan Morrison in the hot seat as hostess.
SATURDAY 25
Glasgow
Lots, Lots More Of Dorothy Paul Pavilion Theatre. 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. 7.30pm. £9.50 (£7.50). See Fri 24.
The Joke Box Mister P‘s Bar/Diner. 42 Wellmeadow Street. Paisley. 561 7117. lOpm—Zam. Free. A full pint freebie night of comedy every second Saturday courtesy of Belhaven Best Of Comedy. On tonight’s team. Noel James. Susan Vale and Brian Hennigan.
Edinburgh
Viv And Jill's Comedy Capers Gilded Balloo. 233 Cowgate. 226 6550. 8.30pm (doors 7.30pm). £5 (£4). New weekly comedy club from the Gilded Balloon. hosted by funny gals Viv Gee and Jill Peacock.
SUNDAY 26 Glasgow
Rich Hall's Louisiana Hayride Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. 8pm. £8 (£6). CANCELLED.
The Comic Club Blackfriars Underground. Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. 9pm (doors 8.30pm). £5 (£3.50). Weekly. On tonight‘s line-up Kevin Gildea headlines. with back-up from the notorious Hugh Reed of the
CONFESSIONAL COMEDY
Sean Hughes — Alibis For Life
Glasgow: Cottier Theatre, Thu 23 Oct; Edinburgh: Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Fri 24 Oct.
Sean Hughes used to be fluffy. He was the wee comic lost with the floppy hair and Droopy eyes. His biggest problem was deciding whether to flail around to Morrissey or jump to Julian Cope. Things have changed.
His new show Alibis For Life — first aired at this year's Edinburgh Fringe — is less trad stand-up, more grimly hilarious narrative on the darker side of life, taking in sexual self- loathing, bereavement and the dilemmas of commitment.
'The dark tone has always been hinted at in my stuff, but this time I'm taking no prisoners,’ mutters Hughes. ‘But I've never lost sight of the fact that it's meant to be funny. I thought this show was a bit risky, a bit too heavy, but going by the audience reaction, l must be treading on the right ground.’
Although mercilessly probing the recesses of his psyche, Alibis For Life is the first Hughes show in which he shifts the focus away from himself.
’l‘m fascinated by the death of culture,‘ he grumbles. ‘We shouldn't
just accept that The Spice Girls are on
Sean Hughes: no more Mr Fluffy Guy
the cover of everything. We live in a snack culture where everything is in half-hour chunks, where there's no democracy, where newspapers are more interested in circulation sales than telling us the news.’
Along with widening subject matter, Hughes is exploring other media. A serious novel The Detainees is on the shelves, with a second in the pipeline. He is working with Owen O'Neill on a comedy drama for the BBC; and he
01$ for GLR on a Saturday afternoon.
But whatever the context, Hughes is determined to get his message across. Where once he seemed vague and wistful, now there is one clear attitude: ’l'm getting rid of all the fluffiness and going straight for it.’
(Peter Ross)
Alex Boardman headlines at the Velvet Rooms. Glasgow on Thu 30 Oct and The Stand. Edinburgh. Fri 31 Oct
Velvet Underpants and Jo McKenzie. with Viv Gee making everyone feel at home.
Edinburgh
Christie's Comedy Cellar Christie's. 27—31 West Port. Information 661 9134. 9.30pm (doors 8.30pm). £4. Sunday is a regular ‘new material night‘ in this new club. with the latest witty creations from Joe Heenan. Gordon Brunton and Brian Hennigan. and circuit regular Dave Williams overseeing proceedings.
WEDNESDAY 29
Paisley
Lots, Lots More Of Dorothy Paul Paisley Town Hall. Abbey Close. 887 1007. 7.30pm. £9 (£7). See Fri 24.
THURSDAY 50 Glasgow The Ken Dodd Happiness Show Pavilion Theatre. 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. 7.30pm. £10—£l2. The old timer still hasn‘t hung up his tickling stick as he fits a Scottish date into his UK tour. Velvet Rooms 520 Sauchiehall Street. 332 0755. 8.30pm (doors 8pm). £5. The popular fortnightly stand-up club returns with a tantalising first-night bill to tickle your comedy sensibilities. Heading up the entertainment is Mancunian lawyer- turned-comedian Alex Boardman. West Lothian‘s own Bathgate Billy and Newton Mearns lad Jo Mackenzie. In the driving seat as resident compere is Glaswegian circuit hopper John Gillick.
Edinburgh
Christie's Comedy Cellar Christie's. 27—31 West Port. Information 661 9134. 9.30pm (doors 8.30pm). £4. New club on the local comedy scene. which tonight boasts a special guest appearance from Greg Fleet. the boy wonder from down under. Kevin Devine and Colin Ramone. Gordon Brunton plays host.
The Stand The Tron Ceilidh House (upstairs). Hunter Square. 220 1550.
9—1 1pm. At least four acts for £4 (£3 students and UB40). Weekly. The capital‘s busy. all-year-round comedy club is tonight hosted by Thursday's resident compere Susan Morrison. with a Stand debut for Hugh Reed. stand-up and off-the-wall impressions from Matt Seber and slots from Angus Cameron and Paul Graham.
FRIDAY 31
Edinburgh
The Stand The Tron Ceilidh House. Hunter Square, 220 1550. 9—1 lpm. Five acts for £5 (£4 UB40 only). Cutting compere Jane Mackay will be sharpening her talons and looking out her broom for this Hallowe’en special. There‘s sure to be strange happenings. with slots from Allan Miller. Brian Hennigan. Matt Seber and Mancunian Alex Boardman.
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listings TIIEA'I'IIE
PAISLEY
ARTS CENTRE
3
The Importance Of Being Earnest Kaos Theatre Sat 25 October
I I!
Passages
Kokuma Dance Theatre Thu 30 October
2/; -, seXual
X-Factor Tue 4 November
Molly’s Collar & Tie
mct theatre company Tue | 1 November
All shows 7.30pm £2/£6
0141 887 1010
NEW STREET, PAISLEY
23 Oct—6 Nov 1997 THE lIST 87