www.list.co.uk/comedy
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Siân Bevan. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 29
Glasgow Slumdog Stand Up Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, 410 Sauchiehall Street, 7.30pm. £19.95 (inc meal). Lush food and then comedy while you digest.
✽✽ The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600
6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). A dose of intelligence from Paul Sinha, with fellow performers Parrot, Danny Deegan and host Billy Kirkwood.
Edinburgh Ghillie Gags Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. 8.30pm. £15 inc dinner. Calverto presents this shiny new gig in a shiny new venue. For £15 you get a two course meal and a selection of top comedians, or head along after 10pm and get in for a fiver for the DJs. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. A night from the darker edge of comedyland, with a different line-up each week. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Host Bruce Devlin introduces Lucy Oldham, John Colleary, Tony Burgess and Martin Mor.
Friday 30
Glasgow Famous for Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. Put some Spring and spring in your step with Brian Higgins, Billy Kirkwood and more, with hot food available and dancing afterwards.
✽✽ The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055.
8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 29.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Friday Fix The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060.
7.30pm. £8. This month features Gary Little, Keara Murphy, Teddy and MC Ben Verth, with music from The Vetacore and The Dukes. See preview for Teddy. Famous for Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. From £10. A rather fine choice this weekend with Gus Tawse, Jojo Sutherland, Richard Mortons and Ian Coppinger. There be dancing afterwards. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 29.
Saturday 1
Glasgow Famous for Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. See Fri 30.
✽✽ The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055.
9pm. £13. See Thu 29.
Edinburgh Famous for Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 6.30pm & 10pm. From £10. See Fri 30. Fit O’ The Giggles Upstairs Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 9pm. £5. The Beehive’s comedy train continues: this night featuring proper stand-ups. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £13. See Thu 29.
Sunday 2 Glasgow Glasgow Kids Comedy Club The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 3pm. £4. Cheer up your Sunday afternoon in the company of comedians such as Martin Mor. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult.
STAND-UP TEDDY The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Apr
Perhaps there are a few things which separate Teddy (aka Ross Craig) and his fellow Scottish circuit comics, but one thing stands out: he (sort of) has a catchphrase. Around the time of his appearance in the Scottish Comedian of the Year final in 2008, the words ‘toughen up’ seemed to be coming out of his mouth more readily than they were before, usually at the gasps of shock and awe at some of his harsher material. ‘People say “don’t you get nervous gigging in front of a big audience?”, but often it’s easier to play because it gives you an authority and so if you just puff your chest out and shout a bit more, and say “toughen up” then maybe they will.’ However, he knows that such a hard-nosed approach won’t always work
so well. ‘If you’re at, say, Rutherglen Town Hall and the majority of the audience are over 60, you can’t go in and scream “toughen up”. This time I’m going “I’m not trying offend you, this is all the material that I have; this is all I’ve got”. But sometimes people just appreciate a bit of a swagger.’ Recently, Teddy has had just cause to be a little looser in his walking
style, given that he beat TV star Limmy and SECC-playing Kevin Bridges to the Best Up and Coming Comedian gong at this year’s Scottish Variety Awards. That accolade comes after years of not winning anything at all, including two narrow defeats in the Scottish Comedian of the Year final. Not that he has been put off striving to make it through to that night each year. ‘It’s something I’ll keep doing mainly because of that gig, because we don’t get to play to that size of audience any other time in the year. For all the people that have criticism of the competition, a lot of which is fair, you are still getting a gig in front of 600 people.’ (Brian Donaldson)
✽✽ Bank Holiday Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600
6055. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). The show that is in no way Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service, is hosted by . . . Michael Redmond. Featuring: Rob Kane, Danny Deegan, Parrot and Paul Sinha. FREE Ha Ha Raw Comedy Ivory Hotel, Langside Avenue, Shawlands, 8.30pm. This free Shawlands gig offers a different line-up each week.
Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1pm. A free improvised comedy show, courtesy of Stu and Garry, with hot grub available. Bank Holiday Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). Another chance to catch the weekend’s pick: MC Bruce Devlin with Lucy Oldham, John Colleary, Tony Burgess and the exuberant Martin Mor.
Monday 3
Glasgow Joe Heenan’s Film Quiz The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2. Film geek and comedian Heenan presents this fun night. Teams of up to six folks can enter. Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Host Chris Henry ushers on another shovel-full of newer acts in this fast-paced beginners showcase.
Perth ✽✽ Paul Merton’s Impro Chums Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street,
01738 621 031. 8pm. £20. A celebration of all things improvised headed up by the terribly talented Mr Merton. See 5 Things.
Comedy
Tuesday 4
Glasgow FREE Comedy at the Halt Bar The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 352 9996. 8pm. Watch a different line-up every week of some local up-and-comers. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Bruce Fummey hosts, Ed Patrick headlines and a whole load of hopeful acts fill the gaps in-between.
Edinburgh FREE Comedy Pow Wow The Illicit Still, 2 Brougham Street, Tollcross, 8.30pm. Ben Verth, Adam Mitchell, Phil O’Shea, and Bob Graham with sketches and stand-up ahoy. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). The May edition of the Wenches features Katherine Ryan, Liz Carr, Rebecca Donohue, Julia Sutherland and regular host Ms Susan Calman.
Perth ✽✽ Katy Brand Perth Theatre, 185 High Street, 0845 612 6324. 8pm.
£18.50. Armed with her arsenal of characters, Ms Brand’s taking her Big Ass show on the road. See First Word, page 2.
Wednesday 5
Glasgow ✽✽ Katy Brand’s Big Ass Tour Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street,
332 1846. 7.30pm. £18.50. See Tue 3. Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4. Improv comedy and music from John Ross, Allen Chalmers, Raymond Mearns and guests. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). See Tue 4.
Edinburgh The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4. Sketchy shenanigans from those talented whippersnappers: Ben Verth, Larah Bross, Caroline Robertson, Mike Walsh and Estoban MacGregor. Fit O’ The Giggles Out with The Old Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). An evening dedicated to new material from experienced acts. Thursday 6
Glasgow Slumdog Stand Up Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, 410 Sauchiehall Street, 7.30pm. £19.95 (inc meal). See Thu 29. FREE Bratchy and the Wee Man’s Comedy Pub Quiz The Arches Café Bar, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1035. 8pm. Silliness and prizes at this quiz institution. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £5). Keir McAllister and the brutal comedy of Liz Carr decorate your weekend. With host (the also brutal) Bruce Devlin. Edinburgh Ghillie Gags Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. 8.30pm. £15 inc dinner. See Thu 29. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Thu 29. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Esteemed host Raymond Mearns with Martin Bearne, Katherine Ryan, Ed Patrick and the beautifully unpredictable world of Ian Coppinger.
Friday 7
Glasgow Famous for Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. With R David and Seann Walsh. Normal hot food/dancing/drinking rules apply. 29 Apr–13 May 2010 THE LIST 55