Barry Castagnola The quirky wee fella isn't gracing us with some August fun this year so catch him while you can. On these dates, for example. See picture caption, page 42. The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 21 —Sat 23 Jul.

Andrew Maxwell The lad pictured above may be the King of Comedy now (c/o Channel 4) but soon he’ll be on top of the world. And it’s all down to him being really, really funny. Jongleurs, Glasgow, Fri 22 Jul.

Cosy Comedy Cafe The aptly named lmpro-babble (sounds a bit like improbable. eh?) support the ever laconic Bratchpiece comedy clan. State Bar, Glasgow, Sat 30 Jul.

The Fringe Hard to believe it‘s here again so soon but, yes indeed. the Fringe is upon us. Who will be this year‘s Jackson’s Way? Who will be the year before's Comedy Terrorist? Will anyone be able to touch Tommy Tiernan? Who can lummy well know? See page 43. for the cream of the preview shows. Various venues. Edinburgh from Sun 31 Jul.

Ross Noble More motorrrouth mayhem from Cramlington's comic cult as he takes to the streets of just about every place in Scotland aside from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Banchory, here we come. See preview, right. Various venues around Scotland from Tue 2 Aug.

‘ln thellast issue, you may have .notioeda small piece on the regular Cockburn Comedy

night alongside a picture which we (claimed was headliner Jo Jlo Sutherland. It wasn’t. It was Bruce Morton. An easy mistake to make, we’d like to think. But on reflection, it wasn’t. We apologise unreservedly to Ms Sutherland, Mr Morton, Cockbuttn Comedy and anyone else who was thoroughly imitatedldisgusted/amused by our dafterror. Sorry.

l

Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to comedyGlist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Rachael Street.

Glasgow

The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road, ()870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). Rapid-fire host Raymond Mearns introduces edgy Canadian Jason Rouse. (iary Little. ginger oddity Andrew Lawrence and crazy comic Jo Dakin. See profile for Gary Little. page 42.

Edinburgh

Cockburn Comedy The Arcade Bar. 48 Cockbum Street. 220 1297. 8pm. £3 (£2). More music and laughs from the CC crew.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£3—£5). Killer stand-up by Aussie Steve Hughes. aided and abetted by smart observationalist Barry Castagnola. Tim Ashwell and chatterbox host Vladimir McTavish. See caption. page 42. for Barry Castagnola.

Three Tuna Comedy Night The Three Tuns Wine Vaults. 7—1 1 Hanover Street. 07909 5523-15. 9pm. Free. Neil MacFarlane joins comedy forces with Andy Sir and Andy Barr for this regular free comedy offering.

The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l().30pm--3am. £4 (£3.50). Harry Ainsworth and Tony Carter mix it up once again. Check www.snatchsocial.com for more info.

Thursday 21

y m I

Glasgow

Watson’s Windrup Glasgow Film

Theatre. l2 Rose Street. 332 8128. 1pm. Free but ticketed. Topical comedy fun at the recording of BBC Scotland's popular sketch show starring Jonathan Watson. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. lI(}(‘ Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £12. Make sure you catch lrish mirth-maker Andrew Maxwell tonight. as he‘ll be entertaining in his unique comedy style for one night only before taking on allcomers during August. Additional comedy offerings come from ex-welder Sean Percival, Paul Nathan and banter-incister Paul Tonkinson. The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road, 0870600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Quirky Canadian Jason Rouse joins big man Gary Little (see Profile, page 42), musical gag-meister Andrew Lawrence. Jo Dakin and host Susan Morrison.

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, ()mni Centre. (ireenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pm. £l2. Northern Irish

'ester Martin Bi v )ig 'oins the self- J H c J

proclaimed love child of Loyd (irossman. lnder Manocha, plus Roger I) and liastlinder turned posit boy Micky Flanagan.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7). Aussie metal head Steve Hughes joins nostalgic funny man Barry Castagnola (see caption, page

. 42). Teddy. Tim Ashwell and feisty host

Jane Mackay.

Greenock

GAG! The Ultimate Comedy Club Greenock Arts Guild. Campbell Street. ()l475 723038. 8.30pm. £6. David lleffron introduces the laughter-inducing talents of Neil McFarlane. Austin Low. strapping Atissie lad Rowan Campbell and magical headliner Steven Dick.

Glasgow Ha Ha Comedy Blackl‘riars. 36 Bell Street. 552 592-1. 8pm. £6 (£5). Bathgate

STAND-UP ROSS NOBLE

See www.rossnoble.co.uk for full tour dates

whatever yButiiink aria—65s" first"... and his'suneatis’tiaa‘i;asides...

ways, it would be hard to criticise him for doing things the easy way. This time last year, with the entertainment world anticipating the madness of the Fringe, what did he do? Well, he got on his wobbly bike and headed off to play a Highlands and Islands tour, jaunting back down central belt way

to briefly acknowledge our existence.

Surely he wouldn’t be so dismissive of the Fringe and its centre-of-the- universe ways again this year? Yep, that’s exactly what he’s doing as he kicks off his 2005 season on Tuesday 2 August in, of all places, the Woodend Barn in Banchory before hitting the laughing likes of Kingussie, Tain, Skye, Strontian, Peebles and Findhorn. You could hardly imagine Joan Rivers ever having heard of the Lochinver Wllage Hall, never mind supping Bellinis in its green room. And the fact that his whole rambling rollercoaster winds up in December with one night at the Edinburgh Playhouse and three dates at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane only makes it odder.

For anyone who has seen him giving us Sonic Wafer as the - Noodlemeister in Unrealtime, you’ll understand that he doesn’t exactly give us a theme with each tour, but throws out a sense of freewheeling nonsense somehow held together with audience exchanges which often veer towards meaninglessness but will now and again throw up comedy gold. Appropriately, for this set of shows, he is Randomist. The extremes of sentiment he brings out in comedy fans is rather more direct.

(Brian Donaldson)

boy Bill Dewar regales with more ? comedy tales. supported by Bratchy.

Susan Calman and guest MC Janey

Godley.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street, 08707

870707. 8pm. £l3. See Fri 22.

Scotland 4 Australia 1: Unplugged The State Bar, 148 Holland Street. 332 2159. 9pm. £5. Special Fringe preview of this sketch show, which sees the wit of Australian Kieran Butler pitted against a quartet of Scotland's rising comedy stars, natnely Paul Pirie. Keir McAllister. Peter Aitchison and Austin Low.

. The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £10 (£8).

See Fri 22. although Jane Mackay takes over as compere.

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs,

Omni Centre. Greenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £13. See Fri 22.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £l0 (£8). See Fri 22. but with host Susan Morrison.

Glasgow

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand. 333 Woodlands

- Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 , (£l—£3). Sunday night comedy maestro Michael Redmond introduces the biting

wit of John Gillick and dark hurnourist Teddy.

Sunday ComedyGLinen 1906 Linen 1906. l l 10 Pollokshaws Road, 6-19

2 0007. 9pm. £5. Monkey boy Sandy

Nelson joins Skank, Chris Henry and special guest compere Gordon Brunton for more Sunday night comedy.

21 Jul—4 Aug 2005 THE LIST 41