Joking aside
Where the ughter matters
THE BUDGETS OF SOME PR companies are truly frightening. Not frightening in a ridiculously high. who authorised this way. but in a terrifying, let's scare the living daylights out of unsuspecting members of the press way. It was just an ordinary day in List towers until an alarming package appeared. It contained the most hideously scary. yet strangely ineffectual, jack-in-the-box. Why? Because Wilkinson Sword is sponsoring a new comedy comp and jack-in-the-boxes are hilarious. right? There wasn't even an informative press release in sight. Hmm. the plot thickens.
ALAS, ARTHUR CRISP’S COMEDY Packet is no more. Or, at the very least, it doesn’t register quite so highly on the work priorities of Reg Anderson, Allan Miller, Steven Dick and Jason Hall. Disappointing audience figures at Edinburgh’s Fin MacCool’s means this monthly innovative high-tech cabaret will be taking a rest for the foreseeable future. But fear not, Reg ‘voodoo’ Anderson will soon have a replacement for his surreal Wednesday night shenanigans.
THE PPOPHETIC WORDS OF DANNY Bhoy have come true: there will be a Pop Idol-style televised competition for new comics. The ITV producers have donned their thinking hats and devised this grotesque comedy venture. What Pop Idol did for karaoke bars. expect Stand Up Britain to do the same for our nation's open mic nights, the sole consotation being that it's only being broadcast south of the border. Praise be.
Comedy idol Danny Bhoy
ON A SADDER NOTE, COMEDIAN Brian Fox has been tragically killed in a car crash. The East Anglian surrealist was booked to play the opening night of ‘lndependent Comedy @ Bourbon Street’ on Thu 4 Apr to preview material from his forthcoming Fringe show ‘Catch The Fox’, and we join promoter James Campbell in wishing Fox’s family and friends our sincerest condolences.
Thursday 28
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. L'GC Building. Renfrew Street. 0870 787 ()707. 7.30pm. £6—£l2. Irish TV star lid Byrne gets back on the live circuit. ably supported by Man with the Beard. Kevin Hayes and John Fothergill.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £5 (£3). [.il'l' Flour S/tmt‘ trooper Frankie Boyle returns triumphant to his Thursday night faithful to introduce .\licky Flanagan. John McBride and Saj.
Edinburgh
Reg Anderson’s Comedy Cellar Fin MacCool‘s. l6] Lothian Road. 622 7109. 9pm. £2. Raymond Mearns and guestsjoin compete Reg Anderson.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £5 (£3). London-based Scot Dougie Dunlop heads north with support from Brendan Moohan and compete Bruce Devlin.
Snatch Club The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l0pni—3am. £3.50 (£2.50). Resident compete and DJ Harry Ainsworth hosts this weekly carry-on meets Hi-De-Hi debauched cabaret. Each week there will be a selection of guests. and competition host Dave Strong conducts the participatory fun and games.
Glasgow
Jongleura Comedy Club Jongleurs. L'GC Building. Renl'rew Street. 08707870707. 7.30pm. £l2. See Thu 28.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870600 6055. 9pm. £6 (£5). lrish laughter master Brendan Burke tops a bill that includes natural born funnyman Dougie Dunlop and Brendan Moohan. Jane Mackay comperes.
Edinburgh
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£5). (‘ockney Micky Flanagan regales with his friendly banter. Support comes from Glasgow tough nut Raymond .\learns. Saj and compere Susan .\lorrison.
Stirling
Rhona Cameron Tolbooth Theatre. Jail Wynd. 0|786 274000. 7.30pm. £l0 (£6.50). This outspoken .\rittssclhtlt‘glt lass. who struggled to find favour with her sitcom debut. goes back to the floor.
Saturday 30
Glasgow
Lee Evans Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £l9—£20. Funnyman Evans takes a break from his TV and film work to face the challenge of live stand-up. See preview.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. L'GC‘ Building. Renfrew Street. 0870787 0707. 7.30pm. £ I 2. See Thu 28.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £7 (£4). See Fri 29 but with compete Susan Morrison.
Madcap Comedy Club State Bar. 148 Holland Street. 883 2334. 9.30pm. £5 (£4). Liverpool‘s Richard Allen is this evening‘s main man. ably supported by Rick Harrington (the multi-talented singing chef) and more acts to be confirmed.
Edinburgh
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £7 (£4). See l’ri 2‘) but with compete Jane .\lackay.
MONOLOGUE
BRUCE GRIFFITHS
The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 11 Apr; The Stand, Edinburgh, Fri 12 & Sat 13 Apr
‘Sorry l'm distracted. l'm sure there's a horse gomg down the road here. What's gomg on? I've been transported to medieval Englat‘d. I've got lots of Jokes. I've lost the fliread. it's because of the time travel. Continue' Bruce Griffiths sit". v/nat yOu might caEl your average stand-up. The Australian comedian started out as a soi‘tpty‘xrtter in his itOlilC'étl‘d. he deemed to try out some of his leftover material on the live arena. a move to England .‘ollov/eo and he's now a regular on the British eircutt. Nothing remarkable there. only Griffiths act is made up entirer of one—Irners: 121) one-
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Drier than a Kalahari drouth
liners in a littlf hour set to be exact. He's drier than a Kalahari drOuth. more deadpan than scorched griddles and covers SUDJOCI matters as unvweldy as his
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Glenrothes
Gilded Balloon Comedy Night l<tttltcs llalls. Rollies Square. 01592 6| l llll. 8pm. £5 (£4). (ilatnottr puss .lill Peacock and 200l So Yott Think You're l‘unny w inner \liles .lttpp gel the punters chuckling.
Glasgow
Lee Evans Royal (‘oiicert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £l‘) £2”. SL‘L‘ pl’c‘\ lc‘\\.
Craic @ The Sac (‘iil de Sac Sotttliside/Atlic. ll7‘) l’olloksltaws Road. 64‘) ISM/64‘) 47 l 7. 8pm. £4. Actor-turned stand—tip Steph .\lact‘ool tops a bill that includes .\'cil .\icl’arlane. .latnie .\lcls'cn/ie. compete :\lan .-\nderson and a special mystery {:0ch llc‘tttlllllc‘l'. RL‘SltiL‘lil l).ls Soutbside Sottl Assassins man the (lL‘L‘iss.
The Comedy Club @ Bar Sporto Sporto. l 1 Waterloo Street. 556 5626. 0pm. i'l'c‘c‘. Ra/or sharp host .laney (iodlcy introduces local lad l)es .\lcl.ean arid .lames ('ampbell.
Bank Holiday Comedy Special - Brendan Burke The Stand. 333 \Vootllitlttls Road. ()S7() 600 6055. 0pm. £6 (£5). lrtsh obseryationalisl Brendan Burke keeps this Sabbath day iolly w ith support from Sai and compete .\licltael Redmond.
Madcap Comedy Club State Bar. I48 llolland Street. 883 2334. 0.30pm. £5 (£4). .\ Bank Holiday special willt pint—si/cd ditherct' l)es ('lat'ke attd (ilasgow patter merchant l)cs .\lcl.ean.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lptn. l’ree. l'i'eesty lc l'tttminess and hangover-banishing antics from resident duo l’attl (it'aliant aitd Stuart .\lurplty.
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‘.-.'hat I look like. I don't says Gr-ftiths. "‘He needs a
.'.e're no: booking iiivit." Actually that's a reference to tl‘. 'ik l‘m really a corporate and of act.‘
(Maureen ElltS)
Bank Holiday Comedy Special - John Gillick The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £6 (£5 ). Old school obseryationalist John (iillick. with giggle guarantor Dougie l)unlop and compere Susan .\lorrison.
Glasgow
Tam Cowan’s Offside BBC. Main Reception. Queen Margaret Drive. 7.30pm. l’ree. bttt ticketed. l‘ttlts of the beautiful game stand united in this right- royal piss—take of Scottish football hosted by Tani (‘owatt lixpect celebrity guests being mauled by .\lotberwell's trendy pie-eater and Tant's inimitable e\pert commentary on the weekend's sporting action. for tickets for these live recordings. call OH] 305 6602.
Edinburgh
Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £l. Dundee's Ben Darcy and Dtlltlc‘l'llllllic‘K Steven Dick show around eight newcomers the tricks of the stand-up trade.
Hang The V.J. The Three Sisters. 13‘) (’owgale. 622 6800. Optn—lam. l‘ree. .loin llarry :\llts\\'t)l'tlt and Dave Strong taka 200l Perrier Newcomer winners (iarth (‘ruikshank and liddie .\lc(‘abe) as they trawl the murky depths of the pop abyss in their new weekly titti/ show. li\pect their usual blend of cheeky questions and rttthless audience baiting set against a backdrop of multi- screen \ ideos and a galaxy of booze pri/es.
Edinburgh
Bruce Morton Presents The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£4 l. Stand—up old litner Bruce .\lorton hosts another night showcasing new comedy talent and special guests.
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