‘I DO TOPICAL BITS BUT THAT'S JUST TO GET FRANK SPENCER JOKES IN'
Hairapparen
ALUN COCHRANE is back with a new look and a raft of jokes about seafarers. Brian Donaldson wonders whether there is no end to the ex-Redcoat’s talent.
ll'\l tliiiigs l‘ii'sl. :\lun (‘oclii'aiic docsn‘t actually look much likc lic docs in his currciit puhlicity sliot. 'l‘hc chccky smilc may hc thc samc but his llL‘\\ look is somcyyliat morc stark. Slioi'ii ol' hair. but \\llll a gril/lcd l'ii// around his chops. Iic has. in his own words. gonc l'rom hcing ‘llic chccky cliappy ol‘ lidinhurgli 2004 to a morc runiiiiati\ c. castcrn liiiropcaii comic'. llc‘s alyyays hccii a polislicd comcdian. htit this is taking things loo hit: 'I can‘t scc tlic l’olisli look staying loi'c\cr. I actually iiscd to look quitc .lapancsc. Sonic pcoplc thought I lookcd \cry oricnlal \yhcn I had longci‘ hair so I might just \lllll my imagc around llic \yorld. coy'cring somc ol‘ thc lcss l‘ashionahlc i‘cgions. 'l‘hc look l‘yc got mm is quitc piirc. \cry loyy maintcnaiicc.‘ liortunatcly. (‘ochranc hasn‘t gonc through a Saiiison/l)clilali niusc-losing cl’l‘cct. llis dchut solo slioyy at last y‘cai"s l'ii‘ingc in tlic s\\cllcrho\ ol' tlic (iildcd Balloon 'l‘cyiot \\ as onc of. thc most rcl‘i‘csliing hours you'll liay‘c sccn in August and it dcsci'ycdly “on him a spot on tlic l’crricr Bcst .\'c\\comcr list (cycntually scoopcd hy \Vill llodgsoni. By \yay of sonic consolation (\yc likc to think). hc \ion thc inaugural and highly prcstigioiis \Vritcr’s (iuild/l'lic [.ixi award for comcdy writing. ‘l was thinking this thc othcr day. that thc only thing that has rcally changcd sincc gctting a Pcrricr Bcst .\'c\\comcr nomination is that lots of journalists and othcr comcdians hay c askcd mc what has cliangcd sincc gcttiiig a Pcrricr Best .\'c\\comcr nomination.‘ \Vc mcct up al'tcr his short. sharp sct at l.cc Hurst‘s
Backyard ('luh in Bctlinal (irccii in lllltl-l‘t‘ltl'llill'}. For a man who insists hc‘s not a topical comcdian i’l do topical hits hiil that‘s partly .lllsl a \yay ot' gctting lirank' Spcnccr jokcs iii‘i. on this day lic’s ril'l'iiig around tlic ncyys. \yhcthci‘ it hc tlic lls'l-LA riot in north London. lillcn .\l;lC:\l‘llllll‘ and hci‘ BKQ hoal ((‘ochranc is hig on liai‘dyyarci and thc ('liarlcs and (‘amilla announccmcnt.
(‘ochi‘anc‘s oyy ii liol ncyys is that hc‘s just luriicd 30. This has hotlicrcd him lcss than it may hay c. "l'lic hits ol' mc that pcoplc don‘t likc l‘m hccoming mac and morc lond oi: occasionally hcing a hit homhastic or outspokcn or shalloyy. I think it‘s linc to hayc a chip on your shouldcr oiicc in a while ln your lalc lccns that can all hc a big prohlcm. hut as you gct toyyards your 30s. \ycll. it‘s just mc and that‘s llic cloth l'm cut l‘rom. 'l‘inics that by ahoiit 7(). you‘rc just a crotchcly old man.‘
Minus that hy 7t) and you could hayc thc imagc ol
(‘ochranc at school thc lcl't Scotland for Yorkshirc \yhcn lic was ninci kccping cycryonc chuckling with his imprcssions ol' l‘rank Spcnccr and l)a\'id Bcllamy \yhilc his Jimmy (‘rickct routinc “on him a talcnt compctition agcd ll. Tlicn thcrc \yci‘c thc Rcdcoat ycars in :\_\'l‘sllll‘c‘§ “Wonder West World: Wondcr \\'cst. Wonder West. this is thc holiday we loyc hcst; lots ol' l'un l'or cycryoiic hcrc at Wondcr \\'cst World." The fact I can rcmcmhcr that surely proycs that l \\ as onc. in casc anyhody douhtcd it. And thc fact that l kiioyy all tlic moy cs to YMCA:
Jongleurs, Glasgow, Thu 17-Sat 19 Mar.
Alun Cochrane "l he finest bellringer in town gives you three chances to catch his hilarious schtick. See the funniest Glasgow Yorkshireman in the business before he JllSl gets too darned famous. Sec prOView. Jongleurs. Glasgow, Thu I7~Sat 79 Mar.
The Comedy Coach Tour Take a trip with this WlllSllO stop tour round the haunts of Glasgow's comedic heritage. Places where Billy Connolly threw up. that kind of thing. Or maybe not. George Square. Glasgow. Sun 20 Mar. Fri 25 Mar.
Harry Hill Mr Burp trots into our hearts wrth Hooves, a series of utterly surreal non- sequilers and mad set—pieces. King 's Theatre, Glasgow. Sun 20 Mar.
Jack Dee TV's Mr Grumpy tries to forget he ever won Celebrity Big Brother With a pair of shows proving he's one of the most consummate performers on the circuit. See Answer Machine. Royal Concert Ha/l, G/asgow, Wed 23 Mar,- Playhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 24 Mar.
Karen Dunbar Coming right out from under the shadow of her fat-chewin' buddies, Ms Dunbar (pictured) strikes out wrth a strong solo act. King ‘3 Theatre. Glasgow, Fri 25 Mar.
Richard Herring The Twelve Tasks of Hercu/es Terrace sees Stewart Lee's former laugh- buddy on tip-top form. Tron Theatre, G/asgow, Fri 25 Mar.
Omld Djallll A very tine way indeed to end the festival with Our favourite Iranian-British comic giving us some Stand-Up and Storytel/i'ng. See caption. The Garage, Glasgow. Sat 26 Mar.
‘ 7—3,‘ “.‘a' 27:", THE LIST 43