CD I THINK THE NURSES ARE STEALING MY CLOTHES: THE VERY BEST OF LINDA SMITH
Once voted the wittiest living person by Radio 4 listeners, Linda Smith’s death in February of ovarian cancer robbed the UK of one of its highest regarded satirical voices. Best known for appearances on The News Quiz, Just a Minute and Have I Got News for You, this compilation brings together recordings of Smith’s live stand-up from 1986 to 2003. Edited by her long-time partner Warren Lakin and introduced by Hattie Hayridge, these routines (from Edinburgh Festival performances and elsewhere) were recorded for the comedian’s own use, with the sound quality and audience intelligence occasionally dipping below optimum levels.
Nevertheless, this is a fine distillation of the world-weary East Londoner’s humour. Most striking is how, through a Thatcher government to a Blair one, her passionate socialism shifts from an intelligent twentysomething’s ranting to a more carefully measured, middle-aged tirade at the abuses and incompetence of the powerful. Reserving most of her scorn for the monarchy and politicians, Smith memorably dubbed David Blunkett
‘Satan’s bearded folk singer’.
Described by her friend and fellow comic Mark Steel as ‘a very English radical’, much of the affection Smith continues to inspire derives from her exceedingly English lament for crap towns and sporting failure, particularly in cricket. The Edinburgh extracts reveal her to be every bit as suspicious of Leith’s trendification as she was Morningside’s amateur dramatics, yet she is always keen to offer the absurd the benefit of the doubt, asking ‘how do you punish a sadomasochist?’ (Jay Richardson)
I Out now on Hodder Audio
Wednesday 27
Glasgow
Hootfest! The Stand. 333 \Yoodlttnds Road. 0870 000 0055. 0pm. £10 (£8). So eiidctli 2000. Say goodhy e to the year that any Britney divorcing. Madonna adopting and Bruce l'tit'sy‘tli managing not to die. Helping you yyay'e farewell are four of the circuit\ most known laces: litisl Raymond .\learn\. (iay'in Webster. Vladimir .\lc'l‘a\'i.\h and SllSilll Murray.
Edinburgh Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni (‘entre. (ireenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pm. £20. See The l‘). Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. ()pm. £l0 (£8 mcmhcrxi. It 2000 was a miserahle non-starter cheer yourself tip with the help ol‘ \(tlllL‘ comedy. some drink and some damn se\y lood. ll. 2000 Win great then go along and end your year in the perfect way. you smug git. Laughs come from StlSitll Morrison. 'l’oni Stade. Stephen ('arlin and Steven Dick.
Thursday 28
Glasgow
Hootfest! The Statid. 333 \Yoodlands Road. 0870000 0055. 9pm. £l0 (£8). See \Yed 27.
60 THE LIST 14 Dec 2000-4 .Jan 2001'
Edinburgh Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletirx. ()mni ('eiitre. (irccnxidc Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pllt. £20. See 'Iillk‘ l‘). Heresy ‘l'lic Jeky II S llydc. ll2 llanoyet‘ Street. 225 2022. 8.30pm. £3. See llltl l4. Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £10 (£8 lllL‘tlllk‘l‘Sl. Sec Wed 27. The Snatch Social llle liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 250-1. 1 lpm 3am. £5. See Thu 14.
Glasgow
Bumper Value Comedy Blackt‘riaix. 30 Bell Street. 552 592-1. 8pm. £0. Scurry doyy n to the Blacklriai'x haxeincnt tor a coxy night of comedy in llllx popular. regular cycnt. :\laii ‘lla lia' Anderxon and the delightful Scott :\gne\y are joined by my Slt‘l'} gtlt‘SlS tor a \oirce oljoy and low. Well. joy at least.
Hootfest! The Stand. 333 \Voodlandx Road. 0870 000 0055. 0pm. £l0 l £8l. See “ed 27.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club .ltlllg‘lL‘tll'S.
()mni ('entre. (il'L‘t‘llSItlL‘ Place. 08707
870707. 8.l5pm. £20. See ‘l’ue l‘). Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558
7272. 9pm. £ l0 (£8 lllL‘lllliL‘l‘xl. See Wed
27.
Saturday 30
Glasgow
Bumper Value Comedy Blackt'riars. 30 Bell Sll't‘t‘l. .552 5924. 8pm. £0. See l'il’l 2‘). Comedy Womb The State Bar. 148 llollaiid Street. 332 2l5‘). 9pm. £9. See Sat l0.
Hootfest! The Stand. 333 \Yotidltlndx Road. 0870 000 0055. 0pm. £l0 (£8l. See “ed 27.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? the
Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lpm. Free.
See Stiii l7.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletirx.
()mni (‘entrc. (ircensidc Place. 08707
870707. 8.l5pin. £20. See Tue 1‘). Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558
7272. 0pm. £l0 (£8 menihersl. See Wed
27.
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletll'x. l'(i(' Building. Renl'rcyy Street. 08707 870707. 7.l5pin. £40. Join lltllltlx and cclehrate lloginanay in the L‘tilllltin ol’ Jonglcurx. with food. dancing and ltlttgllx from Martin Bigpig. Keyin Bridges. (ieoll Boy/ and Steyc Harris.
Bumper Value Comedy Bldc‘kll‘lttl‘S. 30 Bell Street. 552 502-1. 8pm. £12. SL‘L‘ Ht 2‘).
Hootfest! The Stand. 333 \Yoodlands Road. 0870 000 0055. 0pm. £l7.50 (£l5 £12.50 lllL‘llllk‘l'Sl. See Wed 27.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? the Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lpm. l‘ree. Sec Sun l7.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletit'x. ()mni ('entre. (il'L'L‘llSltlL‘ Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £20. See The l‘). Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletlt'x. ()mni ('eiitrc. (ireenxidc Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £30.
Laughing Horse Hogmanay Special! laughing Horst-(n l.llltl.\;t_\ \. l5 Bruiixyyick Street. 550 8974. 8.30pm. £25. See in 2007 \y itli \tllllt‘ ol the hext ol' Scottixli cotnedy talent: .\l(' JoJo Sutherland. Bill Bruce. Bruce l-tnnmey and Rick .\lolland. l’rice lllL‘ltltlL‘\ the comedy. hullet hcl‘ore the \lioyy. llltlSlL‘ and a late har until 2am.
Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £l7.50 (£l5 £12.50i. Same line-tip ax the paxt l‘eyy dayx htit it’x the hig eyening \o it'll he jollier than ey er. You'll he git en a paxx to nip out and \yatch the lll'L‘\\(il'l\\. then come hack in to party into the \yee lltltll‘S. All together no“: lext atiltl acquaintance . . .
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? the
Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lpm. liree.
See Siin l7.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurx.
()mni ('entre. (ireenxide Place. 08707
870707. 8.15pm. £20. Sec 'l'tic l‘). Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558
7272. 0pm. £l0 (£8 iiiciiihcrsi. Bruce
l)c\ lin. 'l‘oni Slade. Stephen (‘arlin and
Steyeii Dick plough on into the next year.
They ‘ll prohahly he feeling a wee hit tired
hy no“. \o go and giye them your loyc.
Glasgow
Hootfest! llillt‘ Sittlltl. 333 \Ytititlltlllth Road. 0870 000 0055. ()pm. £l0 (£8 lllL‘llllk‘l'S). ’l'lic (il;t\gti\\ Stand \lanx ax it lllt‘dllS to go on yy ith 00% Raymond .\lcarn\ \earing. conl'tixiiig and ainuxing the audience. Vladimir \lc’l‘ay lSll continues lll\ l‘cxtiye run. \\ itli Joe llecnan and Andy Sir.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni ('entre. (ireenxide Place. 08707 870707. 835an £20. SL‘L‘ lth l‘).
THINGS YOU MIGHT
NOT KNOW ABOUT . . .
1 He was the first ever Scottish compere at the Comedy Store. Which is a famoos club in London apparently. 2 In 1998. The List interviewed him deep within the bowels of lbrox Stadium for a feature on the BBC ‘variety show' MCCo/st and MacAu/ay. This despite him hobbling in on crutches after a freak accident during a spot of tennis. McCoist took the piss out of him for the entire hour. 3 Despite being a native of Perth. he held the post of Rector at Dundee University. This is akin to Boy George jOIning Girls Aloud or Norman Tebbit reading the weather on Al-Jazeera. 4 His first serious job was in the early 80s as an Assetant Accountant for the Cairngrom Chairlift Company. It was round about this time that he decided to get into comedy. 5 Buy him a birthday card. He is a mere 50 years of age on 29 December. (Brian Donaldson)
The Stand, G/asgow. Thu 4 Jan.
Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£8 lllL‘llllTCl’Sl. See .\lon l.
Wednesday 3
Glasgow
Hootfest! lllL‘ Slitlltl. 333 \Ytititlltllltlx Road. 0870 000 0055. 9pm. £ l0 (£8 lllL‘llll‘lL‘l'Sl. See Tue 2.
Edinburgh Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurx. ()mni (’entre. (ireenxidc Place, 08707 870707. 8.l5plll. £20. SL‘L‘ ltle l‘). Comedy Arena Gong Show llolyrood 'l'ayern. ‘) llolyrood Road. 557 4972. 8.30pm. £2. See \Yed 20.
Hootfest! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £l0 (£8 memherxi. See Mon 1.
Thursday 4
Glasgow
The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 \Yoodlandy Road. 0870 000 0055. 8.30pm. £7 (£0 £3 memherxl. Radio Scotland\ l5red .\lae.-\tilay ix the L‘Slt‘t‘lllt‘tl .\l(' for the \yeekend. Performing \\llll liirii are lan ('ognito. ’l‘ony (liner. .\'cil .\lcl"arlaiic and Rick 'llL‘t't‘Sy ‘ \lolland. Sec 5 'l‘lllngs ltil‘ our l‘red.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni ('entre. (ircenxide Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pni. £20. See The l‘). Heresy The leky ll & llyde. l l2 lltintiy er Street. 225 2022. 8.30pm. £3. See 'l'hu l4. The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £7 (£0 £3 lllL‘llllk‘l'Sl. 'I‘lie lirst 'l‘liursday slit)“ of the year gets off to a cracking start \y ith host Joe lleenan \yitli Junior Simpson. John Scott. Killian Morison and Sian Bevan. .\'e\y year\ resolution to have more tun. hy' till} cliance‘.’