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Fun boys three
I CONSIDERED FASHIONING A PROTEST BANNER AND BEATING MYSELF WITH IT
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GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL closes its doors on the good, the bad and the daft. Brian Donaldson hears of Bully, bigotry and Barbies.
wenty t'our hottrs het'ore sortie ot Ronnie ('orhett's audience was demanding its money hack after his musical warm-up started a sixth
numher. the crowd for Jim Bowen ((32. liri l() Mar
000 ) was literally chucking cash at the game show statesman. Not content with shelling otrt a ticket price l'or his sliowhi/ memories. the raucous crowd (‘iiiiiiiiiin one' was hurled at the arniahle host eight times) queued for signed hooks and various Bully merchandise during the interval. Alter a toe—curlineg predictahle attack on the l’(‘ hrigade. Bowen happily relaxed into ainusing tales of the wonderfully woet'ul show which made his name.
You couldn’t imagine WiI Hodgson (Brel. Wed 22 Mar 0000 ) ever having heen in contention for the revamped Bullsvyr' gig —- Bowen helpt‘ully revealed to us that ‘a very funny man called Dave Spikey" would he stepping up to the Challenge TV' oclie in the spring (it it ever arrives) — though mayhe a new all—in wrestling game show called Grapple/Mgrrs could have drawn him to the box. Reprising much ol‘ the content which has helped him hecorne a true rising star in a stupendoust short period of time is perfectly understandahle as his tales of Big Daddy. hig women and Barhie dolls are comic gold dust. merely heightened by his thousand yard stare and folded arms delivery. The main t'ear with Hodgson is that he may wind tip a one trick (My Little) pony. hut it‘s a trick which is sharper and more dazzling than anything his peers have in their artnoury.
(iiven his Socialist Worker past. Hodgson must have been on a march or two in his time. and the festival
40 THE LIST 30 Ma'—t.< Apr .‘L‘L‘ti
was no stranger to placard-wavers in the shape (it a hardy crowd huddled together on Bath Street. Bttt it was ./('I‘I'_\' .S'pringt'r. not Karen Dunbar (King‘s Theatre. Sttn 12 Mar 00 this peacel’ul posse. llaving trudged through the
Sauehiehall Street sltish hel'ore drowning in a sea ot l)unhar‘s latne '(ilasgow hanter' and ropey character
creations. l hegan to seriously consider lashioning a protest hanner and heating myself over the head with it. Mark Steel (the (iarage. l‘ri l7 Mar 0000 ) and his material could never he considered lame. His new show takes the history of the lirench revolution and finds humour among its myriad individuals. groups. symhols and incidents while also using them as
jumping olT points to tackle contemporary mores and
attitudes. This was not a set knocked up on the train north in hetween a sandwich and a kip and we should he gratel‘ul that there are comics out there who hotli care and prepare.
Reginald 0 Hunter (the Stand. Thu 23 Mar 0000 ) is also a man who thinks a lot. Sometimes. perhaps. a little too tnuch. He even appears to do much ol‘ his thinking on stage. ril'ling with ideas and throwing material otit there to see it an audience will
hite. His main concerns for now are the power ol‘
language. a little hit ol‘ racial politics and inlantilisation. expounded in stories that are at hest hilarious. at worst prohahly hilarious when they're finished. If this is Reg at the hall-haked ideas stage. heaven help the competition come AugUst.
glasgowcomedyfestival.com
) who was the target tor
Tony Law llie l ontlon I)(lSt)(l (lanatlran wistuit‘te With a surreal stop, or live to tell returns for a Weekend of utter dattness. The Stand, Glasgow. Hit) (it) Mar Sat 7 Apr,
Ava Vidal lhe tall lady With the towering; talent gets all rnouthv for a series ol slit)th ll)()ltl(illl(] a pair ot appearances under the SrStars umbrella. See picture caption. The Stand, [id/nhu/gh, Thu (it) Mar Tue ‘1 Apr; the Stand. (i/asgottc ill/ed :3 Apr.
Bruce Morton llte godfather of Scottish stand up (bet he hates being called that) Will no doubt be performing more odes of rage and paeans to anxrety quite simply to confirm his status as; our leading r:rrr:urt talent. The Stand, (Vi/aagow. Thu (5 Apr.
Janice Phayre l laying collaborated wrth Phil Nltjl)()l. Ben Mom and Susan, Ms l) (pictured) goes It alone i()lll(.}ili with excrtable patter you can't fail to love. The Stand. Edinburgh, r-n /' Apr 8 Sat 8 Apr.
Carey Marx lhe man who pleaded wrth the ladies to Marry Me last year does more of his likeable Silile. See 5) Reasons. The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 73 Apr.
Big Word Fifth Birthday Jem Rolls and Jenny Lindsay proudly present some candle- blowrng prose and l)€TiOTIIl8TIC(3 wrth the celebrations helped along by the likes of Rob Gee. Brendan McCloud. Lucy English, Gary Robertson and Tickle. The Tron, Edinburgh, Thu 73 Apr.
Cuban Brothers Those loud-shined. foul—mouthed Cubans have been away far too long (in Cuba perhaps?) and this heady return should catapult them back into the nation's tormented psyches. The LlQU/d Room. Edinburgh, Thu 73 Apr.
Sat 8