www.list.co.uk/comedy
which provides support to young people for everything from bullying to helping their community. Line-up includes acts such as Ron Vaudry, with more TBA. Thursday 17
Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Compere Susan Morrison guides you through the weekend, pointing out star attractions such as Dave Fulton, Billy Kirkwood and the mono-named Saj and Woody.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm. SOLD OUT. The Big Yin of Scottish stand-up takes a break from all that globe-trotting and acting for a Scottish tour. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Start your weekend early in the company of Scott Agnew, who’s in charge of ushering this fine selection of comedy beasts onto the stage: Ron Vaudry, Mark Bratchpiece, Chris Forbes and Jay Lafferty.
Friday 18
Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 7pm. From £12. Four more top comedians show you lot how it’s done in a beautifully varied line-up with Sean Percival, Paul Kerensa, Daliso Chaponda and Brian Higgins. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). Same line-up as Thursday but with Mike Wozniak replacing Billy Kirkwood.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm. SOLD OUT.
See Thu 17. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £11. A rather jolly line- up of comedy this weekend, with Martin Davis, Joe Heenan, Sarah Millican and Jeff Innocent. Hot food is available early in the night, with dancing to round the whole thing off. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). Bruce Devlin steps in as host, with Ron Vaudry, Mark Bratchpiece, Chris Forbes and David Quirk. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. Your favourite night of depraved comedy is now free, but with the same great line-ups lorded over by MC Rick Molland. Chuck a few quid in the bucket if you have fun.
Saturday 19
Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 7pm. From £12. See Fri 18. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £13. See Fri 18.
Edinburgh Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 6.30pm & 10pm. From £11. See Fri 18.
✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm. SOLD OUT.
See Thu 17. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Fri 18. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £13. See Fri 18.
Sunday 20 Glasgow FREE Ha Ha Raw Comedy Ivory Hotel, Langside Avenue, Shawlands,
8.30pm. See Sun 13. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Michael Redmond entertains his loyal subjects once more, with the help of charming comedians Dave Fulton, Viv Gee and Stephen Callaghan. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1pm. See Sun 13.
5 REASONS TO GO SEE
THE MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL Kevin Bridges It’s difficult to know how his first full run at the Edinburgh Fringe could possibly have gone better. What with his shows in a pokey room at the Pleasance Dome being so sold out that he had to add more dates in yet larger Pleasance arenas. And at the end of it all, he got himself on the Best Newcomer Award shortlist. Here he plays his biggest hometown gig to date. The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Thu 24 Sep. Scott Agnew The current holder of the Scottish Comedian of the Year crown had a pretty fine Fringe too, with his tales of sexual awakening amid Glasgow gangsters and tramps. Only two more days till he hands over his SCotY trophy which might be why Emancipation is this show’s title. Blackfriars, Glasgow, Fri 25 Sep.
Mark Nelson The inaugural Scottish Comedian of the Year delivers another stream of jokes to test the nation’s moral compass. Not all of them are sick to the core, but rest assured that most of them will just be blinkin’ funny. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 25 Sep. Raymond Mearns Ken Loach’s pal gets down to his stand-up roots with more sharp observations and shaggy dog stories. His screen work isn’t slowing up, mind, as he will be appearing in the Beeb’s One Night in Emergency later this year alongside Kevin McKidd, Michelle Ryan and Ewen Bremner. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 27 Sep.
Scottish Comedian of the Year Nine Scottish or Scotland- based stand-ups battle it out in the nicest possible way as we discover who will follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned messrs Agnew and Nelson. The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Sun 27 Sep. (Brian Donaldson)
✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
SOLD OUT. See Thu 17. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). End your weekend with a laugh as Mike Wozniak, Elaine Malcolmson, Rab Brown and Gordon Alexander do their best to entertain y’all. With host Siân Bevan.
Monday 21
Glasgow ✽✽ Dave Gorman Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £15. See preview, page 46.
✽✽ Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055.
8.30pm. £4 (£2). A celebration of all things unplanned, featuring the great minds of Stu Murphy, Garry Dobson, Chris Forbes, Billy Kirkwood and the Improv Dogs. Expect games and the unexpected.
Edinburgh Fit O’ The Giggles Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). See Mon 14. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Rick Molland and Chris Forbes are the host and headliner in a bill made up of aspiring comedians hoping to make the most of their five minutes of fame. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Fri 18.
Tuesday 22
Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). A cheery start to the week as dreams are made and crushed at this fine night of new comedy talent. With help from Gus Tawse and John Ross.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
SOLD OUT. See Thu 17. Midweek Comedy Cabaret The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). The middle of the week is brightened up with The Stand’s pick of new acts, who’ll be joined by an experienced headliner and compere.
Wednesday 23
Glasgow Midweek Comedy Cabaret The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). See Tue 22.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Billy Connolly Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
SOLD OUT. See Thu 17. The Sugaring-Off Cabin The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4. The Stand’s sketch evening promises to take you to lands filled with weirdness and filth. With Larah Bross, Robin Hellier, Keara Murphy, Ed Sheridan, Ben Verth and Mike Walsh.
Thursday 24 Glasgow Stand Up, Drink Up Comedy Pub Crawl Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, Merchant City, 548 1350. 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Ha Ha Comedy presents a comedy show on the move, as you’re gently led around the drinking dens of the Merchant City and introduced to a new comedian in each one. Part of the Merchant City Festival. Four Play Winchester Club, 49 Bell Street, 0141 552 6027. 8pm. £5 (£4). Four of the larger comedians to grace the Scottish comedy scene return with the show which saw them selling out during the Glasgow Comedy Fest. Part of the Merchant City Festival.
Comedy
✽✽ Kevin Bridges The Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, 353 8000.
8pm. Sold out. The beautifully talented Kevin Bridges who received a Best Newcomer nomination at the Fringe, takes a couple of hours to show why he’s one of the most talked about Scottish circuit acts of recent years. Part of the Merchant City Festival. Billy Kirkwood Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8.30pm. £6 (£5). Expect beautifully childish, dirty humour from Kirkwood in his latest show Comedy Fizzbomb! Part of Merchant City Festival. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). The weekend just got perkier, as host Joe Heenan springs to action. He’ll be joined by Gus Tawse, Colin Owens and Jay Lafferty and a whole heap of laughing. Scottish Comedian of the Year Gong Show Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, Merchant City, 548 1350. 10.30pm. £3 (£2). Who’ll be tough enough to beat the gong and win a place in the Scottish Comedian of the Year final? Ruthless entertainment. Part of the Merchant City Festival.
Edinburgh Comedy Night with Siân Bevan, Liz Ely and Guests Communication Workers Union Club, 15 Brunswick Street, 7pm. £4 (weekend ticket £10). Funny ladies Siân Bevan and Liz Ely dole out the gags for Ladyfest, a womanly extravaganza that doesn’t ban the boys. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Fri 18. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Craig Hill is bounding back to The Stand to add some sparkle as the host of the weekend’s comedy. He’s joined by Kevin Gildea, Alan Francis, Bruce Fummey and Kim MacAskill.
10–24 Sep 2009 THE LIST 47