Comedy resident Michael Redmond introduces the funniest of his countrymen and women every month. Line-up includes Kevin Gildea, Simon O’Keefe and Shane Browne.
5 THINGS
YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT . . . RUSSELL KANE 1 Born in Enfield, Kane lives near his adopted hometown of Southend. Armed with an English degree, he worked in advertising before deciding that comedy might provide an exit door out of his 9–5 treadmill. This despite him not really knowing what a stand-up gig looked like and leading early onlookers to praise his fresh take on the form.
2 The downside to his outsider approach is that he has suffered terrible stage fright. At his first gig, he couldn’t hold the mic properly for shaking so much. This would have come as no surprise to any of his former advertising colleagues who might recall him suffering panic attacks whenever he was to deliver a presentation. He has described live comedy as ‘a bungee jump for the ego’.
3 Kane married his comedy girlfriend (as in ‘girlfriend who also does comedy’), Sadie Hasler, who had cropped up as an extra in his early Edinburgh shows. She performed her full Fringe debut last August with Lady Bones, clearly sprinkling him with the lucky stuff given that he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award having been twice shortlisted.
4 Although 2010 will go down as a glory year for Kane, it started off pretty badly when he was bitten on the lip by a family dog and rushed to casualty. Given that he was due for a barrel of TV work at the start of the year, he was not amused by news from a nurse that he might be scarred for life. 5 Not one to take a bad review sitting down, he has used quotes from less than glowing write-ups as the basis for two Edinburgh show titles: 2007’s Easy Cliché and Tired Stereotype and the following year’s Gaping Flaws. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Jan.
54 THE LIST 20 Jan–3 Feb 2011
Edinburgh Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). This month features the dry wit of Andy Sir, the cattiness of Bruce Devlin and the giddiness of Sandy Nelson.
Thursday 27
Glasgow Laugh ‘n’ Lounge The Griffin, 226 Bath Street, 331 5170. 8pm. £3. Ten acts, from the whole sliding scale of experience, do their best to entertain your wee pants off. With compere Anna Devitt. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). MC Sandy Nelson introduces the genial Junior Simpson, improv dudes Stu & Garry, Ed Patrick and Shane Browne. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Compere Raymond Mearns welcomes experienced duo Kevin Gildea and Silky, alongside up-and-comers Jay Lafferty and Stephen Callaghan.
Friday 28
Glasgow highlight Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. £12. Bruce Devlin and Mike Milligan are joined by Paul McCaffrey all the weekend long. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 27 for line-up. Edinburgh The Friday Fix Burns Supper The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. 6.30pm. £16 including meal. A packed comedy show, complete with traditional Burns Supper celebrate the Bard, the beer and the bloody funny. With comedy from host Viv Gee, Vladimir McTavish, Neil McFarlane, Cammy Sinclair and James Kirk. highlight Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £13. Three experienced hands show you how it’s done: Jojo Sutherland, Steve Harris and John Scott.
Gary: Tank Commander
Glasgow ✽✽ John Cooper Clarke The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7pm. £15. Legendary Mancunian punk poet, who’s a sort of spiritual godfather to the likes of Mike Skinner. See preview, page 53. highlight Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. £12. See Fri 28. Saturday @ The Dram Dram, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 9pm. £7 (£5). A night dedicated to the marvellous comedy mouth of Janey Godley. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 27 for line-up.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Russell Kane EUSA, Pleasance Theatre, 60 Pleasance, 650 4673.
8pm. £10 (£6). The Edinburgh Comedy Award winner does his gong-lifting thing for the Edinburgh Uni students and others beyond academia. See 5 Things. highlight Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £13. See Fri 28. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 27 for line-up. Upstairs @ The Beehive Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 9pm. £2 (£1). See Fri 28.
C B B © A rare stage appearance from Greg McHugh as he helps the cause of the Spartans FC Youth Team by adopting his tank-commanding persona. Currently filming a second series on Beeb Scotland, this cheeky wee set should go down a (desert) storm. ■ The Stand, Edinburgh, Wed 2 Feb.
The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 27 for line-up though with a new compere set to fill in for Mr Mearns, who is due to be somewhere else tonight. Raymond Mearns The Southsider, 3–7 West Richmond Street, 667 2003. 9pm. £5. Larger than life entertainment from the multitalented Mearnsy, who’s been a standard-bearer for the Scottish comedy scene for more years than he’d possibly care to remember. Ages 16 and up. Upstairs @ The Beehive Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 9pm. £2 (£1). Neil McFarlane comes back to the motherland, with appearances from John Purves, Chris Scouler, Gus Lymburn and MC Keara Murphy. The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 11b Bristo Place, 225 9893. 10.30pm. £4.50 (£4). See Fri 21.
Sunday 30
Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). This week Michael’s joined by Ivor Dembina and Gerry McDade. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 23. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Another chance to see improv imps Stu and Garry, with appearances from Woody, Gus Lymburn, Daniel Webster and the ever-charming Susan Radio Scotland Calman.
Saturday 29 Monday 31
Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). Let the improvised battles commence under the supervision of Billy Show Me Your Tattoo Kirkwood. With Stu Murphy, Garry Dobson and guests. Edinburgh Fit O’ The Giggles Out With the Old Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). New jokes from local comedians, testing their freshest gags on your face. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Lovely Scottish boys Scott Agnew and Neil McFarlane are joining the Red Raw-ers this week.
Tuesday 1 Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. Tonight’s rocketload of newer acts are joined by Billy Kirkwood and Neil McFarlane.
Edinburgh Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Regular compere-a-tron Susan Calman introduces a barrage of wit with performances from Susan Murray, Tiffany Stevenson, Rebecca Donohue and Jill Peacock.
Wednesday 2
Glasgow Wicked Wenches The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). See Tue 1.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Benefit in Aid of the Spartans FC Youth Team The Stand, 5
York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10. A very special headliner joins Tom Tramadol Nights Stade, Gary Tank Commander, Mark Nelson and Gary Little in an evening to raise funds for the Spartans, which offers opportunities to young people interested in football.
Thursday 3
Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Glasgow’s weekend of comedy starts right here, with Susan Murray, Sean Grant, Rob Kane and Billy Kirkwood. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). It’s the weekend’s line-up but for the cheapest price: a bargainous way to see top headliners during the week. Tonight, the irrepressible Martin Mor hosts this evening, with help from Mr Gavin Webster, Neil McFarlane, Rebecca Donohue and Mikey Adams.