list.co.uk/comedy
Clarke. WEF. FREE Comedy Night Radio, 44–46 Ashton Lane, West End, 334 6688. 8pm. Introducing a host of fresh funny faces for free. WEF. Edinburgh Melting Pot The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). Vote for your favourite sketch. Leith Festival Comedy Session Constitution Bar, 48 Constitution Street, Leith, 538 9374. 9pm. £7 (£5). With Susan Morrison. Part of Leith Festival. We Happy Few Presents . . . The Banshee Labyrinth, 29–35 Niddry Street, 558 8209. 9pm. £3. See Wed 1.
Thursday 16
Glasgow The Best of Scottish Comedian of the Year DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 8pm. £8 (£7). Scotland’s best do their worst. WEF. Q-Fusion Improv Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. £4. The troupe comedify your suggestions. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Billy Kirkwood, Markus Birdman, David Longley, Jeff O’Boyle and Rhona McKenzie. WEF. Edinburgh Leith Festival Comedy Session Constitution Bar, 48 Constitution Street, Leith, 538 9374. 9pm. £7 (5). Sian Bevan, Susan Morrison and Bob the Gob amuse. Part of Leith Festival. Keara Murphy’s Fabulous Freaks Cruz Bar and Restaurant, 14 The Shore, 553 6699. 8.30pm. £6 (£4). Murphy hosts some freaky funnies. Part of Leith Festival. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Stewart Francis, Susan Murray, Stephen Callaghan, Jay Lafferty and Bruce Devlin.
Friday 17
Glasgow Foster’s Comedy Live @ Highlight Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. See Fri 27. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 16 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £12. Mark Olver, Sandy Nelson and Keith Farnan.
Edinburgh Leith Festival Comedy Session Constitution Bar, 48 Constitution Street, Leith, 538 9374. 8pm. £7 (£5). Jim Park and Keir McAllister. Part of Leith Festival. Leith Festival Floating Laughter Cruz Bar and Restaurant, 14 The Shore, 553 6699. 8pm. £7 (£5). Comedy folks rock the boat. Part of Leith Festival. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £4–£7. See Fri 27. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 9pm. £10–£13. See Fri 27. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). Line-up as Thu 16 except Jessica Fostekew replaces Jay Lafferty. Dundee Jimmy Carr: Laughter Therapy Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 8pm. £25. Razor sharp gags from Carr.
Saturday 18
Glasgow ✽✽ Dylan Moran: Yeah, Yeah Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £23 (£20). Morose Irish ramblings. See 5 Things, right.
Comedy
P H O T O :
I
C A M L L A A D A M S
5 THINGS
YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT . . . DYLAN MORAN 1 Irishman Moran has been living in Edinburgh for some years now, but is originally from Navan, a small, five-lettered palindromic town, like Kivik in Sweden or Catac in Peru. Tiny it may be, but it has spawned two other world-class comedians: Tommy Tiernan and Pierce Brosnan.
2 In the public’s mind, Moran became progressively funnier between the years of 2007 and 2010. The statistical analysis used to reach this conclusion is Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand-Up polls: during that period, he leapt from number 17 to 14. If he continues at that mercurial rate, he’ll be the second funniest comic who ever lived by 2022. 3 Moran got married in London on 6 September 1997, also the funeral of Diana, the Princess of Wales.
4 When Christopher Eccleston announced he was quitting as Doctor Who, an online petition was launched to have Moran installed as keeper of the Tardis. It didn’t work, of course; some Scottish guy got the job.
5 That surname, people. You pronounce it with emphasis on the ‘o’ rather than the ‘a’. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 18 & Sun 19 Jun.
Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 31 Glasgow. WEF.
Wednesday 22
Glasgow Benefit in Aid of Campsie View School The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). Paul Sinha and guests raise funds. WEF. Edinburgh Benefit in Aid of Impact Arts The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). Jo Caulfield and guests entertain.
Thursday 23
Glasgow Comedy Pub Crawl DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 7.15pm. £10 (£8). A different comic in each pub. WEF. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Anvil Springstien, John Ross, Paul F Taylor, Michael Downey and host Susan Morrison. WEF. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Paul Sinha, Ro Campbell, Daniel Webster, Ben Verth and host Scott Agnew.
26 May–23 Jun 2011 THE LIST 81
REVIEW DVD BURNISTOUN (2entertain) ●●●●●
Amid the painful nonsense that masquerades under the banner ‘comedy sketch show’, it’s a truly remarkable surprise to have a show like Burnistoun on our very doorsteps. The series is largely owned by Iain Connell and Robert Florence, two writers and performers who first met at the age of 14 and are clearly in harmonious tune with each other’s comic sensibilities. Somehow, they’ve given the notoriously erratic sketch-show format a welcome shot in the arm with their skewed take on life when it seemed that the likes of Funny Or Die Presents and Horne & Corden had read out loud its last rites. Having their occasionally sinister sketches housed in the one place
led some to dub it a Scottish League of Gentlemen, but where Royston Vasey provided the thumping heart at the dark core of Shearsmith and co’s multi-character comic-horror, Burnistoun is a mere backdrop to locate scenes set in a local newspaper room, council office or radio station. Some of the finest moments here, whether in lifts, at theatres or on deprived council estates, could be set pretty much anywhere.
Of course, not all of it works (the ice-cream boys are a rarity for being annoying and unfunny), but the unpredictability of the writing (the local politician who reaches the very heights of power or the ‘ginga’ bottle incident that eventually reaches Hollywood) and strong pay-offs make the majority of scenes an outright success. And, bless their hearts, there’s not a daft catchphrase in sight. Unless, in your world, ‘the needless installation of traffic lights at the Dekebone roundabout’ can be considered a catchphrase. (Brian Donaldson)
Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. See Fri 27. Ha Ha Comedy DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 8.30pm. £7 (£6). See Sat 4. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £12. See Fri 17. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 16 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £4–£7. See Fri 27. Foster’s Comedy Live @ Highlight Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 9pm. £10–£13. See Fri 27. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Fri 17 for line-up. Jekyll and Hyde Comedy Club The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9.30pm. £8 (£6). See Sat 28. FREE Leith Festival Comedy Late ’n’ Live The Granary, 32–34 The Shore, Leith, 554 9465. 10pm. Local comics battle it out. Part of Leith Festival.
Tour DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 12.30pm. £22.50; with lunch £30. Glasgow comics in the countryside. WEF.
✽✽ Dylan Moran: Yeah, Yeah Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £23 (£20). See Sat 18. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). David Longley, the Wee Man, Richard Gadd and Derek Miller join Reverend Mike. WEF.
Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 29. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 5.
Monday 20 Edinburgh Fit o’ the Giggles Out with the Old City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). See Mon 30. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Gus Lymburn and Antony Murray oversee the rookies. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). See Mon 30.
Sunday 19 Tuesday 21
Glasgow Magical Mystery Comedy Coach Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands