(ED THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW
universal acclaim is bamboozling. I could easily imagine listening to hour after hour of Gervais and Stephen Merchant riffing on whatever topic rises up in
The massive success of Ricky Gervais has occasionally been a bemusing thing. For every single episode of sheer genius that was The Office, there remains the dank memory of his ‘stand-up’ ‘career’. As excellent as the majority of Extras has been, you can’t help but shiver at the thought of his pitiful ‘chat show’ ‘career’. And when you are ready to bury him for appearing on a pal’s talk show just to muck about and be handed a pet cat, he writes and appears in a superb episode of The Simpsons and all is well again.
So where does this three-CD set, released to capitalise on the record-breaking podcast affair of The Ricky Gervais Show based on his semi-legendary Xfm radio programme fit into the pantheon? Frankly, the
their silly heads but when the ‘village idiot’ influence of Karl Pilkington infiltrates proceedings, it all goes horribly, tediously wrong. While Gervais may insist that his pal is ‘the funniest man on earth’, can there be anything more annoying than one man’s oddball (and unfunny) observations about the animal kingdom, the disabled and his really mad family being greeted with barely masked hilarity? Worse still are the frequent moments when Gervais feigns complete astonishment at the drivel rolling from Pilkington’s tongue. The whole fragile project collapses under its own fakeness. Merchant will be better out of it when he makes his proposed return to stand-up. (Brian Donaldson)
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Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Sian Bevan.
Thursday 30
Edinburgh
Heresy The .lek) ll tk thde. ll: llanot er Street. :35 Still. 3.5(ittlll. L5. .\itil‘t‘ depra\ ed eomed} trom the basement ol lek}l| tk thde. \xith .\l(’ Riek .\lolland. He\ got a mind like a rat intexted \e\\ er. \o not one tor the taint-hearted.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York i’laee. 55S .5272. 9pm. Lt) i£5 £5 memherxi. linio} )(llll' ’I‘hurxda} \xith Dougie Dunlop. Karl Spain. Keir .\iL'xUIlSlL‘l' lllld Seott .'\“._'|lL‘\\. .illxl think. )ou ean open }out‘ adxent ealendar tomorrow 'l‘hat'x delinilel} north eelehrating.
The Snatch social the liquid Rolittl. 9e Victoria Street. 325 2504. llpm 3am, £5. (‘ometh eaperx lrom llarr} .'\l|l\\\lil'lil and ion} ('arter at this eheek} eaharet' eum-dixeo. Bahex and trend} \Yend) lmonthl} residenti supply hip hop and Milk} tunes.
4OTHE LIST.-‘,.'\.,. . '
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletlrx. l‘(i(' Building. Renl'retx Street. “SW” fifth, ".l5pm. Sold Out. ('hrixlmax eheer ix spreading as tar as (ilaxgou .longleurx. \xith \peeial deeoraled tahlex to make )ou feel all \\;Il‘lll inside. ‘l‘iekling _\our limit} honex are .\like \Yilkinxon. Stelano l’aolini. :\|e\ Boardman and Tom Silltik'.
The Stand The Stand. 333 \Yoodlantk Road. ()S't) (illt) (iti55. Sillpiit. {S it'7 [5L |,oudmoulh Ra) mond .\learm illi\l\ the \teekend’x tun; he‘ll make )oti laugh and _\Dll \ton't e\en knou \\il). Irish poet ()uen ()‘Neill doex hix thing. along \\ith Dougie Dunlop. .\larlha .\leiirier and |o\e|_\ Bill} Kit'knood.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jotigletll'x. ()mni (‘entre. (ireenxide l’laee. 037)" .\‘7ll7ll7. 3.15pm. Uh. Yoti ean open _\our ad\elit ealendar .\Nl) go and we some eonied}. ('elehrale lite \iith .\lieke} llutlon. (’are} .\lar\. Dom (‘arroll and Dax e .itiilIIS. 'l'he priee ineludex a wank} three eourxe meal and alter \hou eluh.
The Stand the Stand. 5 York i’laee. 55S
73‘3. ‘lpm. LRS it” ‘5 lllL‘llliX‘l‘xl. l’unn} lad} Susan .\lorrixon i\ the \teekend‘x hoxtexx. presenting the shin} talents ol' Will Smith. Karl Spain. 'l'err} Saunderx aitd Seolt .\gnext. See 5 thing lot Will Smith.
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club .longleurx. l'(i(‘ Building. Rettl'reu Street. tiSTt)" STU-Ft)? 7.]5pm. Uh. See Hi I.
Comedy Womb the State Bar. l-lx Holland Street. 332 3|5‘). 0pm. L“). The inimitable l-‘ran Heal} «not that one: this oile\ il itld} i iltl\l\ the \llL’t‘L‘SSltll (‘omed_\ \Yomh at The State Bar. featuring a line up ol top comedians exer} \\ eek.
The Stand 'lihk‘ Slllllti. .555 \Ytitidillllth Road. os‘o (too (toss, 0pm. till. See l‘ri I.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club .iltllg'it‘tll'x. ()mni (‘entre. (ireenxide Place. “3707 S7070? S.|5pm. Uh. See l‘ri |. Laughing Horse at Lindsay’s Laughing Horer i.illd\;t_\ \. l5 Brunmiek Street. 550 SW4. .S'..itlpiii. i'ree. l‘ree eomed). \\ ith one ol' the l‘K'x leading .~\\ian eomiex. .la_\ Sodagar. and support lt‘om l.e\\i\ Hun. Donald .\laek. Rodd}
Howard Read Not sure whether he will be trotting up here with his pal Little t-loward. but if you ask him nicely he might even draw something. The Stand. Edinburgh. Thu 7- Sat 9 Dec.
Bumper Value Comedy The festive spirit is in full swing here with Janey Godley and Bill Dewar in low as Alan Anderson competes proceedings. B/(IC/(f/‘lt’lfs. G/asgow. Sat 9 Dec.
Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III It's coming up to Christmas so it must be time for us to be touched by god. Or one of his represeiitatives on this unholy earth anyv-xay. The Stand. Edinburgh, Thu 14 Dec.
.\lelnuex and (‘arl_\ Baker. The di\ ine .loJo Sutherland eoiiiperex. ax out} she ixllttus ho“.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York i’laee. 55S
"373. 0pm. L‘Ill. See Hi I.
Glasgow
Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service ‘HlL‘ Sltllld. .555 \Ytitididlldx Rtiatl. (LS—fl) (ilill (i055. 3.5(il‘lll. H tL‘.i L'l memherxi. :\\ Slllldtt} til‘.‘l\\\ [ti ll Citl\L‘. .\ilt‘htlt‘i Redmond brings together the masses tor a eereinon} ol~ humour. This week. his eomed) ehoir inelude Dougie Dtmlop. .\nd} .\lel’artland. .\llan Miller and \iall Bron ne.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? the Stand. 5 York Place. 558 .53"). lpm. l‘ree. Banish that morning-alter l'eeling \\ ith a dose ol' laughter l'rom impro‘. stars l’aul (iraham and Stuart .\lurph).
Big Word: Hammer and Tongue 'l‘he Bongo (‘lulx .\lora) House. 3" Hohrood Road. 55S Toot Spin. {hit-1.50:, tour eontinentx and a \\ hole lot ol' talent eome together lor \ome elaxxie e\ample\ ot the e\ er popular poetr} slam. \Yorld ehampionx pertorm under the guidanee ot' hosts Jenn} Lindxa} and Ste\e l.arkin.
The Sunday Night Laugh-In 'l'he Staitd. 5 York i’laee. 55S "3‘2. .S'..i(lpiii. H NJ [I memherxi, 'l'omorroxx is .\londa} \xhen all \\ ill be \ad and eold. so eheer _\our\e|l up \\ ith miero-hoxt Susan ‘('a|nianatoi" ('alman. She\ joined it) Karl Spain. 'lei‘i‘} Saunders. (ireg .\lel ltigh and Jason ()‘Neill.
Monday 4
Glasgow Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance the Stand. 55.5 \YtitiditllldS Road. D37” N)”