MAGIC SHOW DERREN BROWN
There’s something about the world of magicians that turns people right off. In the old days it was easy to be repelled by the over-the-top theatrics and dodgy bouffant hairdos as skimpin-clad women went around apparently helping their master cut up petrified, and usually female, victims. Nowadays, magicians appear to have a different kind of creepiness about them which compelled people to throw eggs at David Blaine while he crouched for 44 days in a Perspex box. Maybe folk just don't like the sense that the contemporary illusionist believes themselves to be inherently superior to them and they are doing us a massive favour by allowing us to witness their mystical powers. Big show-offs, the lot of them.
‘If you do magic, it’s because you love it yourself and you love the experience of being fooled by something,’ insists Brown. ‘And that experience of having your belief system being slapped around and shaken up a bit is a really good one to have.’ It actually seems fairly perverse not to be at least a tiny bit blown away by the things which Derren Brown gets up to. Yes, you can taunt him for not having real bullets in the gun he fired at his head or mock him for the ropey caricatures he displays on his website. You could even be dismissive of his goatee beard. But all respect is surely due to a man who, in his recent TV series Trick or Treat, forced an IT guy to believe that he had become a ventriloquist’s dummy and managed to convince a psychologist that she was witnessing her own death in a car crash.
For his new sell-out tour, Mind Reader: The Evening of Wonders, he will be guessing personal details about random members of the audience before getting all Victorian and making tables float. Yes, Derren Brown is a big show-off. But a genius nonetheless. (Brian Donaldson)
I Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thu 37 May; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Jun.
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to comedleist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Sian Bevan.
Glasgow
The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £7 (£6—£3 members). Hosted by Susan ‘Calmanator' Calman. the Thursday Show offers an early start to the weekend. despite the uncreative title. Neil Hickey and Ian Moore will be more imaginative than naming a gig after the day it's on.
34 THE LIST 24 May—7 Jun 2007
Brick Wit House The Brick. 207 Batli Street. 248 2123. 9pm. £4 (£2). Raymond Mearns headlines tonight in his inimitable fashion. with Mark Nelson. Jay l.affeity. Austen Beattie and James Heaney. The lovely Viv (iee comperes.
Edinburgh
Out to Lunch - Live! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. l.05~l.55pm. £2.50. A splash of comedy. designed to fit into your lunch hour. Just £2.50 to get in. then scrumptious edibles start from the same price.
Heresy The Jekyll & lly'dc. I I2 Hanover Street. 225 2022. 8.30pm. £3. (let down early for a seat at the most depraved comedy tiight in Scotland. Leave your
conscience behind. and let the laughter ease your gtiilt.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £7 (£6 £3 members). Deliciously tangy Bruce l)evlin hosts the evening. with l-‘raitkie Boyle. Andy White and Derek Johnston all there for you to laugh and point at.
Snatch Social presents Daddy Knows Best The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l lpm 3am. £5. Born from the loiiis of illegitiiiiacy the fatltcr ((‘alveitm and son (llarry Ainsworth) comedy combo unite for the best in cabaret meets club night.
Glasgow
Watson's Wind-up (ilasgow l’iliii 'l‘heatre. l2 Rose Street. 332 8128. Ipiii. l‘rce. Weekly topical comedy ftiii at the recording of BB(' Scotland's popular sketch show. starring Jonathan Watson. lmprobabble The Brunswick llotel. too 108 Brunswick Street. 552 I552. 8pm. £4 (£3). lmpi'obabble present another of their mad l-‘riday night shows. jammed full of sls'lls illltl sketches.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongletii‘s. l'(i(‘ Building. Reiifrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £l0. The brilliantly feisty 'l'any'alee Davis llies iii from [as Vegas to entertain the l'K. Well. she” probably do some shopping as well. She‘s on with Danny Buckler. (iavin Webster attd Brian lliggiiis.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 (i00 (i055. 8.30pm. £9 (£8 £5 members). The beautiful li/lhoittb Sitsan Morrison hosts. with lat) Moore. Neil llickey'. Mark Nelson and topical gagmeister Teddy.
Edinburgh
Out to Lunch - Live! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. I05 l.55pm. £2.50. See Thu 24.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Joiigleurs. ()mni (’eiiti'e. (ircciiside Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pm. £l0. Super nice Allie Joey appears this weekend alongside (iary Delaney. Steve llarris aiid Dave l‘ultoii
w ho. I'm sure. are all jolly friendly too. The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £9 (£8 £5 members). From now on. doors will open at 7. so you've got more time to get your laughter glands lubricated before the show. .\'ot that you'll need to be plastered. with the very gallant line-up of l’arrol. Andy White. Derek Johnston and M(' Bruce Dey liii.
Saturday 26
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. l'(i(' Building. Reiifrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £l3. See Hi 25.
Comedy @ The State The State Bar. I48 llolland Street. 332 2l5‘). 0pm. £5. The adorably energetic Mr Billy Kirkwood introduces (irceiiock lass Jay l.afferty. David Barr and comedy magic from Steven Dick. That’s comedy. magic and comedy magic. Yott know. like card tricks and that.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 (i()() (i055. 0pm. £12. Sec Hi
25.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni ('eiitre. (ireciiside Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5piii. £l2. See Hi 25. Saturday Circus Red. 73 ('ow gale. 225 I757. 9pm 3am. liree. (Earth ('i'uiksliatik (Snatch) w ill be ringinaster at this comic take on Saturday clubbing.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 0pm. £l2. Same line-up as yesterday btit with the mighty Frankie Boyle (dttde with the glasses atid stiit. off telly"s .llm‘lt I/lt’ lli't'lt) replacing Parrot.
Glasgow John Shuttleworth: With My Condiments Tron 'l'licatrc. (i3 'l‘rongate.
552 4267. 7.30pm. £l4 (£l0). Sliefl'ield's most versatile singer-organist follows in the footsteps of Jamie ()ll\ er in his new show. See 5 'liltlllgs. page 35.
Bank Holiday Special The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 (i055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7 ). Same line-up as the weekend btit a special extra day of ftiii cos of the batik holiday.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lpm. l‘rec. ('ure your hangover blues with some ever popular improv front the Stand (‘oiiicdy' l’lay el's. ll‘s free and lliet'c".s food available so just ptit your coat over your pyjamas and head down there.
Bank Holiday Special The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Saturday night‘s line-up bttt as it's a Bank Holiday they ‘re doing an e\tra day.
Monday 28
Glasgow
Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand. 333 \Vootllantls Road. 0870 (ile (i055. 8.30pm. £4. Stalwarts of the Stand. Team Monkey comprises Sandy Nelson. Allen ('lialiiiei's. l’aul l’irie and Raymond Mearns. Sketches. songs and stand-up abound.
Edinburgh
Out to Lunch - Live! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. I05 l.55pm. £2.50. See Thu 24.
Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Scotland's foremost slimy ease for new talent is guided This week by ls'eir McAllister and Neil llickcy. ('atch them w liile they're clieap.
Tuesday 29
Glasgow
Red Raw The Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road. 0870 (i0() (i055. 8.30pm. £2 (£l tiieinbers). New meat on the comedy market. ready for you to gnaw on. Spit it ottt. or tenderly roast then); its tip to you. John Ross and .\'eil llickey are on ltaiid lo tend the wares.
Edinburgh
Out to Lunch - Live! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 1.05 1.55pm. £2.50. See Thu 24.
Vladimir McTavish: A Brief History of Scotland The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £8 i£7 titetiibers ). Vladimir takes a typically Scottish. wry look at the nation's ‘glorious' past and how it's made Scotland the way it is today. for better or worse.
Black Bo’s Comedy Night Black Bo’s. 57 ()1 Blackfriars Street. 9pm. Free. A night of free comedy. every Tuesday at lilttc‘k Ho‘s. Some til. the lil‘esllesl talent. in well as established acts dipping their toe in the new material pool.
Wednesday 30
Glasgow
Best of Irish The Slaiitl. 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 (ile (i055 .S__3(lplll. £7 (£0). Another foray into the Staiid's monthly celebration of all things funny and Irish. l’ly ing the flag for the liiiicrald Isle are .\'eil Doiigait. .\'cil llickey and host Michael Redtiiond.
Edinburgh
Out to Lunch - Live! The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 "272. 1.05 l.55pm. £2.50. See Thu 24.
Lemoncustard Comedy Henry ‘s ('cllar Bar. 8 16a Morrison Street. 228 0303. 8pm. £5 (£4). More childish japes from the Lemoncustard crew. li\pect gatiies. larks and laughter from Dec ('tistance. Mat Reed. Viv (ice. ('hris l-‘orbes atid Stan Bevan. (iiggle away. my prettics.
Best of Scottish The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £0 The brilliantly deadpan David Kay introduces some of the finest geldings of Scottish comedy: Raymond Mearns. Teddy and John Ross. Stamp your hooves w ith appreciation.