COIVIEIY
preview
STAN D-UP Scott Capurro
Edinburgh: Gilded Balloon, Fri 8 & Sat
9 May. . O ’Straight men love being flirted
with,‘ claims gay comedian Scott Capurro, ’and they don’t care who does it.’ Straight men he warned. Sit in the front row when he performs at the Gilded Balloon this fortnight and you're fair game. Capurro‘s Fringe show last year was a refreshingly hilarious blend of charm, bile and outright filth. It was a blessed oasis in a desert of bland stand-ups, desperate not to offend anyone. This San Francisco boy has no such compunction. ’I'm not cuddly,’ he says. ’I don't really give a shit. If they come to see me, they come to see something strange and unique. Like any stand- up, I want the audience to like me, but the audience may be mostly middle-class, middle-aged and straight. I'm just a cocksucker, so it can be a little confrontational.’ Maybe that’s why he received such a scathing write-up in The Herald last year. In defiance of the narcissistic image of him put forward by the piece, Capurro had the article enlarged and pasted up
in outside his venue. 'Any press is good press,’ he quips.
The two shows this fortnight are your last chance to catch his stand-up act for a while. When he returns to the Fringe this year he’ll bring his more theatrical piece, Brain Souffle, which he describes as ’a comedy about murder and date-rape with glove puppets'.
Based on a so-far-unpublished book, the show sounds more than ’a little confrontational'. Capurro has worked as an actor in TV commercials and films (he appeared in Mrs Doubtfire, believe it or not), but has yet to find a
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‘Something strange and unique': that's Scott Capurro
regular stint on TV. ’I go to the gym and work out with TV producers and laugh about boys with them, but none of them will give me a job,’ he bitches.
He did find his way onto Channel 4’s recent Coming Out night , but complains, 'they cut my funniest line.’ Panellists on a quiz show were shown a clip of two boys about to kiss and were asked what happens next. ’I said they both get AIDS and end up in a hospice, passing a can of flat 7-Up to each other,’ explains Capurro. It didn’t go down well. (Rory Ford)
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MUSICALTRIO The Nualas
Glasgow: Tron Theatre, Sat 3 May, then touring.
They reckon they’ve been a major influence on the Spice Girls and have encouraged women the world over to don American tan tights. A pretty amazing feat for three young lasses who met in a Home Economics class back in the 80s. They might not be worth £40 million, but Ireland's Nualas aren't bitter. They're way too busy travelling the world, giving high-profile
62 THE UST 3O Apr—14 May 1998
Life in the fast lane: The Nualas
interviews and the champagne lifestyle.
Citing Bucks Fizz, Nana Mouskouri and Alice Cooper as influential role models, the trio do a fine and diverse line in comedy songs, It may look like dodgy territory, but these girls are going places. They stormed last year's Edinburgh Fringe and have wooed audiences across Britain With their off-
lapping up
the-Cuff banter and exqursite harmonies. There’s talk of a sitcom in the pipeline.
Currently touring Scotland on the Gilded Balloon Spring Comedy Own,
the girls wrll unveil some sparkling new numbers as they get warmed-up for an all-new show in Edinburgh this summer. ’Basically we’re dOing a medley of all our fav0urite tunes from the last 50 years of pop music,’ explains Anne Nuala. Apparently this includes a pOignant wee gem about a woman With a urinary infection.
The cult all-girl group take in a range of musical styles, and deliver some thought-provoking musings on life and love in the fast lane. ’It is fantastic to be in one of the great entertainment acts of this century,’ ponders Anne. 'But of course we've also had our fair share of pain to deal wrth.’
It hasn’t always been non-stop glamour for the sexy chanteuses. Anne used to work as an office temp, while another Nuala was a childminder and the third worked as a tractor driver. 'It has given us a really practical attitude to what we do,’ explains Anne. ’It also means we've all got something solid to fall back on if it all goes wrong. I just wonder what the other major all-girl bands wrll do if and when that happens.’ Victoria Spice stacking shelves at Asda, anyone?
(Claire Prentice)
comedy
listings
Comedy is listed by date, then by city. Shows will be listed, providing that details reach our offices at least ten da s in advance of publication. Come y listings compiled by Peter Ross.
THURSDAY 30 ‘
Glasgow
Cheshire Cat Comedy Club Waxy‘s. 20 Candleriggs. 552 87l7. 9pm. Free. Silky. Gordon Brunton and others will cheerfully split your sides for gratis. Raymond Mearns mops up the mess.
Edinburgh
Christie's Comedy Cellar WJ. Christie 8; Sort. 27—31 West Port. Tickets: 226 (>550. 9.30pm (doors open 9pm). £4 (£3). Dougie Dunlop (see Laughing Bag) makes his Christie's debut. Kevin Spence aitd Viv Gee keep the gags coming. and Suzanne Fraser is the compere.
The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272.
9-1 lpm. £4 (£3). Rising Mancunian star Lucy Porter headlines. Alan McQueen and Neil Shackleton support. Joon Broon comperes and there are two open spots.
East Kilbride
Hello! We’re The Nualas East Kilbride Arts Centre. 01355 261000. 8pm. £6 (£3). The world’s only all-girl Irish cult comedy singing trio raise the roof with songs about finding love iii a taxi queue. fast food. Donald Sutherland and God only knows what else. Get a ticket or regret it. See preview.
FRIDAY 1
Glasgow
Iron Horse Comedy Club I 15 West Nile Street. 332 2215. 9.30pm. £3. Silky. David Kilby and Gary Hagen dish out the laughter. Raymond Mearns comperes. TWIsted Cabaret Lautrec's. l-la Woodside Terrace. 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Kevin Spence. Joe Heenan and Leane Ellis crack the gags. Tequila Mockingbird provide the toons and Ross and Marcus 1)] at Sandy Nelson's club. There’s also a pop quiz. you lucky blighters.
Edinburgh
The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272.
9—] lpttt (doors open 8pm). £5 (£4). Kevin Gildea — as seen on Father Ted — headlines. with support from Lucy Porter and Jo Mackenzie. Susan Morrison
com eres and there‘s one open spot.
Vla imir McTavish Howden Park Centre. Livingston. ()l 506 433634. 8pm. £7 (£4.50). The man in the tartan suit presents his legendary show [0/ Great Mame/its In Scout's/i Sport.
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