NATIONAL lOUR JERRY SADOWITZ

Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, Mon 21 Oct .00

An angry bag of magic tricks and malevolence

If misanthropy has a face, then my money’s on a photo-fit of Jerry Sadowitz. Exiled in London, riled by its luvviedom, the cunt in the hat is still an angry bag of magic tricks, malevolence and Semitic anti-Semitism.

Like his very own Mephisto, in trademark black and red, he urges himself on to greater bigotries, profanities and self-disgust, ranting against his increasingly smaller venues and the baying crowd before him. And if they’re restless, well, they’re certainly native. At a time when Scotland talks of dealing with racism, it’s depressing to hear so many audience whoops of encouragement. And, while I think it’s great that a comedian doesn’t need to hide behind a character to be offensive, 20 minutes of Yank-bashing notwithstanding, I honestly don’t know where you draw the line. lrony’s a lovely excuse, but to be fair to Sadowitz, it’s not one he overtly uses. And everyone’s a target, not least himself - each tirade featuring enough ‘whores’ and ‘motherfuckers’ to tactfully offend all sides of the political divide. And perversely, he’s often fucking funny.

80 whilst Al Murray, Ricky Gervais and Ali G win plaudits for tackling political incorrectness correctly, Sadowitz strips down the act and forces it to a logical conclusion - shoving racism, sexism and homophobia down your (at turns laughing or appalled) throat. And like Lenny Bruce before him, it’s done so indiscriminately (ha fucking ha) that it’s a nasty taste of something truthful. Really offensive. (Jay Richardson)

Sti'cct. 22l) (ill-ll). ‘lpin. £3. (ilasgou gag guarantor I)cs Mcl.can hcadlincs. 'I'hc al'lablc Martin Hub} and \'i\ (icc also join rcsidcnl host [)a\ id \Vilkic.

Monday 4

Glasgow

89 Minutes to Save the NHS ('otlicr 'l'hcati'c. 93 05 ll}iid|aiid Strccl. 552 4307. 3pm. £3 (UH. Scc Sun 3. Offside BB('. Main Rcccption. ()uccn Margarct l)ri\c. 3(l5 (iofl2. 7pm. lircc. but lickclcd. l.o\ c him or Ioalhc. lam (‘oxsan makcs l'or compulsixc \ icxsing. Join Mothctxscll's prcmicr piss~takc artist for |i\ c chat. gucsts aiid inimitablc hantcr in this irrmcrcnt football tan/inc.

Steve Coogan is back on our boxes as the feckless Alan Partridge as of Mon 1 1 Nov. See review, page 121.

Edinburgh

Red Raw 'l‘hc Stand. 5 York l’lacc. 553 7272. 8.30pm. £1. Local comcd) \sidc ho) Jaincs l‘crguson introduccs cighl ncxscomcrs and hcadlincr Janiic \lt‘KL‘tl/lt‘.

Reg Anderson’s Big Fun Quiz Night lllL‘ Nlt‘tldtm s littl'. 42 44 Bucclcuch Strcct. 067 (i907. llpm. l'i'cc. :\n ot'lbcat comcd) qui/ \\ ith karaokc. intcractn c audicncc gantcs and a spot of stand-up from thc man himscll'.

Tuesday 5

Glasgow

BBC Scotland’s Live Floor Show 'l'hc Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. “870 hi)” (1055. S.3flpm. l‘i'cc. BB(' Scotland‘s hit coincd} \lll)\\ gocs Inc again \\ ith tlicsc \sorkshop outings. Join l-tankic lit)_\lL‘. (‘i'aig Hill. Rcscrcnd ()hadiah. Bob Doolall} and Rupcrl Donaldson laka Milcs Jupp and lfri/uiiiiii'r's Archicl for thc laughs that pl'ohahl) \soii‘t makc

it past lhc ccnsois.

Edinburgh

Ray Peacock and Mark Wilson Thc Plcasancc ('abai'ct Bar. ()0 'l’hc l’lcasancc. (i5() 234‘). 8pm. £4 to. Ray Pcacock'. better known as Big and [)at’t's Ian Boldsworth. hcadlincs. with suppot". from 2002 Daily 'l‘clcgraph Open Mic \\'lllllCl' Mark Watson.

Hairy Watt Comedy Club llcl‘iot- Watt l'niscrsit} l'nion. Riccarton. 45! 5333. 9pm. £3. Sandy .\'clson Iampoons pop‘s prima donnas \\ ith his musical satirc. in support arc .\'igc| Buckland. John Ross and compcrc Ra} mond Mcarns. Studcnts and gucsts oat}. Bruce Morton Presents lllc Stand. 5 York l’lacc. 558 7272. ‘)pm. to (Hi. ()I‘ Brucc is back \sith his iiioiithl)‘ comic cncountcl' \lll)\\ casing a sClL‘cllott of Scotland's ltoltcsl stand-up lalclll. Reg Anderson’s Big Fun Quiz Night l'illl .\lac(‘ool's. lfil l,olltiitlt Road. 622 7|ll‘). ‘lpin. l-‘i‘cc. Scc Mon 4.

Wednesday 6

Glasgow

Bruce Morton Presents 'l‘lic Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road, (its-it) ()lll) (1055. 8.30pm. to lt'5i. Scc Inc 5.

Edinburgh

Tina C Special 'l'hc Stand. 5 York l’lacc. 558 7272. 9pm. £7 (UH. 'I'hc rhincstonc coisgirl \\ ho hlcis thc l‘ringc a\\a_\ \\ ith hcr llt'lll 'liint'i‘ S/u‘t‘iril. dcmonstratcs hcr supcrstar comic

st) lings in an mtcndcd sct. Support comcs from hcr altcrcgo lda Barr. Rabbit Warren Comedy Club Nichol l'.tl\\;tt'ds. Ntddt) Sli'cct. 079-1 “)2 923‘). 9pm. £3 (£2i. Warrcn rcgulars Slcphcn Barnaby and John Scott join hcad hunn} Sarah Wilson in this \\cckl_\ L‘tilltlL‘ CSCilPLIth.

Glasgow

(.9 Jongleurs Comedy Club Jonglcurs. l'(i(' Building. chl'rcu Strcct. ()ts’7l) 787 0707. 7.30pm. u». Milcs ('i'au lord. allahlc Irishman Johnn} ('andon. Mart) Wilson and t'ormcr ('oi'k} and thc Juicc Pigs mcmbcr. and 2002 l’ci'i‘icr nomincc. J’hil Nichol. .'\\oid tltc l'ront ro“ if )titi hax c an axcrsion to hcing gi\cn a good licking.

The Live Floor Show BBC. ()ltl Rcccption. ()uccn Margarct l)ri\ c. .33.\’ 34‘”. 8.30pm. l‘rcc. ltlll llL‘kL‘lcd. St‘c ‘l‘hu 3|.

Tina C Special ’l‘lic Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. (JSTU (illll (ifl55. ‘lpni. £7 (UH. SL‘L‘ \Vt‘d (l.

Edinburgh

The Stand 'l‘hc Stand. 5 York l’lacc. 553 7272. ‘)pm. £5 (£4). Dcdicatcd crou d plcasci' John (iillick [tips a bill uhich includcs Icith's l’aul Mc.\'ci|l. .-\llcn ('halmcrs. Marjoric and slou burning host l)a\id Ka}.

Big Word Performance Poetry 'l'hc Tron. ‘) Huntcr Squarc. High Strccl. 22o (l‘)3l. ‘lpm. £3 lt'2l. ll)pcracti\c poctr} cabai'ct u ith \cibosc rappcr Longlacc. din) lilspcth Murra}. Milton Balgonc and \'i\ (icc. .v\nita (iman and Jcm Rolls compcrc.

Snatch Club 'l'hc liquid Room. ‘)c Victoria Strccl. 225 256.1. lllpm 3am. £5.50 ([2 SUI. St‘t‘ llltl 5 l.

Stirling

Raymond Mearns 'l’olhooili ’llit-uiiv. Jail \\’}Itd. (ll7Sfi 274lltlf), Spin. [-1 (£2.50). Stirling ('omcd} ('lub pl't‘st‘llls Mcarns a rcgular contributor to l-‘rcd MacAulc} 's radio shou. \\ ith suppoil from ('hi‘is ('oopcr.

Paisley

Arnold Brown l’aislt-s :\i'ls ('cmw. .\‘c\\ Strcct. SS7 llllll, 8.3llpni. [3 this”). St‘t‘ (ilt‘L‘ltUt‘k. Sat .2. SK'L‘ pics icn.

listings Comedy

ITLIST *3

Big Word Performance Poetry Slam The Big Word contingent continue to do wonders for the profile of performance poetry with their second 'slam' in Glasgow. As their saying goes: come and have a go if you think yOu're bard enough. Nice 'n'S/eaxi. Glasgow. Sun 3 Nov.

Phil Nichol Dumped by his girlfriend and confined to a hospital bed. this Canadian comic came up with one of the festival's more inspired concept shows The Things / like. /Lick. Just imagine what he's capable of in a good mood. Jongleurs, Glasgow. Thu 7—-Sat 9 Nov.

Simon Munnery The impish anarchist is back sans sword and maybe brandishing a harmonica, It's comedy. but not as we know it The Stand. C/asgoiv, Fri 8 8 Sat 9 Nov: the Stand. Edinburgh, Sun 70 Nov.

Peter Kay How do you quantify the success of a comedian? A sparkly award? /\ sitcom? Or a 125 date sell out tour that Just won't stop growing. Beg. borrow or steal a ticket if yet. can. or visit his website twww.peterkaycouk) to invest in the ultimate Christmas present a ‘t'internet' t-shirt. Pavilion Theatre. Glasgow. Tue 72 Nov.

Julia Morris Quite simply the funniest female comedian there is. On a good day she's a scream. but in front of a gay crowd. this ALiSSie motormouth will be unstoppable. And unmissable. The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 72 Nov; the Stand, Glasgow, Wed l3 Nov.

Danny Bhoy Stand-ups iesident pin—up (pictured) embarks on a national tour. Judge for yourseif if he's as funny as he is pretty. MaeRolm/‘t. Stirling, Thu M Nov; Brunton Theatre, Edinbuigh. Sat 10‘ Nov

Friday 8 -

Glasgow

Watson’s Wind-up (ilasgtm l-ilm ll hcalrc. l2 Rnsc Slt't‘cl. 332 NUS.

l Idsplll. l‘ilit‘t'. SL‘L‘ hit I.

Craic @ the Sac ('ul tlL‘ Sac

Southsidc/:\ttic. l W” l’ollokshans Road.

(ill) INN/04‘) 47l7. 7.30pm. to. (ilasgtm gull'a“ guarantor |)cs Mcl.can. plus (iman lad l'rank Quinn and rising star Biatcli} join host .-\|an .v\ndcrson.

\. i-k\J

..‘ THE LIST 75