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£6 (£5; members £1). End the week with the generally very chilled Sunday offering, with a dolly mixture of comedians including the quirky, slow- paced charms of David Kay. Also, Eddie O’Dwyer, Mickey Anderson, Elaine Devlin and host Jojo Sutherland.
Monday 19
Glasgow ✽✽ Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879.
8.30pm. £4 (£2). Another battle commences between improv experts Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy and ‘Improv Warlord’ Billy ‘The Hair’ Kirkwood.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Comedy Variety Show City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125.
8–10.30pm. £3 (£2; £1 if booked in advance through lastminute.com). Weekly new material night, hosted by Keara Patricia Murphy, where anything goes (as long as it’s funny). Eight acts perform each time, a mix of fresh faces starting out and established pros road- testing new jokes. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). Ben Verth steps up to introduce the Monday night new talent and material night with the occasional old-timer dropping by to polish their act. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Scotland’s finest beginner’s showcase, featuring a rammed bill of hopeful new talent plus more experienced hands trying their latest routines.
Tuesday 20
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. A free comedy event picking out some of the Scottish comedy scene’s freshest talent. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. New acts, new material and a rammed room full of optimism and people who don’t like paying more than £2 for a cracking night of comedy. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). See Mon 19. Midweek Comedy Cabaret The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). There are only five short days til Christmas, so why not celebrate with The Stand who are offering up four comedians for four pounds. That’s a bargain you just can’t ignore.
Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). With Janey Godley, Jay Lafferty and Ray Bradshaw.
Thursday 22
Glasgow Foster’s Comedy Live: A White Christmas Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £45. See Thu 15, except Scott Agnew and Dave Johns are replaced by Billy Kirkwood and Tom Stade. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). The Stand offers up a hardcore display of talent to get your Christmas weekend off to a rollicking start. With Rev Obadiah III, Stephen Callaghan, Dan Petherbridge and host Susan Morrison. Edinburgh Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £29–£36. There’s food and a disco after the show (included in the price), as if top comedy alone isn’t enough. John Warburton, known for his one-liners but equally adept at observational musings and bursts of surreality, is joined by Patrick Rolink and Des Clarke. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Christmas comes early at The Stand, with a selection box of fine comedians including Vladimir McTavish, Eddie O’Dwyer and Joe Heenan. ’Tis the season, etc. Comedy Academy The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 9.30pm. £3 (£2). See Thu 15.
Friday 23
Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 22 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. A festive wee line-up with the winner of the first ever Jongleurs competition Susan Murray, plus fiery Janey Godley, Paul Price and Geoff Boyz. Edinburgh Friday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £9. See Fri 16. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £29–£36. See Thu 22. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 22 for line-up.
Wednesday 21 Tuesday 27
Glasgow Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). A monthly showcase of the finest comedy talent from north of the border, flying the flag of Scottish talent without looking like a hooligan. With Mikey Adams, David Kay and John Gavin. FREE Gong Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. The first half of the evening is taken up with experienced acts performing open spots, but the second half features a series of acts trying to beat the gong. The ones who last the five minutes could be in for the £100 cash prize. Watch those monkeys dance, you fiendish lot. Edinburgh Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8.30pm. £3 (students £2). Every week a host of Scotland’s comedy newbies show off their rib-tickling skills, presided over by a professional headliner. Hosted by Liam Withnail.
Glasgow ✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). The Hootfest comedy gang, namely Gavin Webster (see preview), Sandy Nelson, Dana Alexander and Billy Kirkwood, help you see in the New Year with style.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm.
£12–£22.50 (£10–£19; members £10–£15). What could be a better way of seeing in 2012 and all the doom that year shall bring (the end of the world and all that, remember?) than being entertained by wonderful comedians such as Mark Nelson, Brendan Dempsey, Ro Campbell and host Jo Caulfield?
Wednesday 28
Glasgow FREE Gong Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. See Wed 21. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 18.
Comedy
PREVIEW STAND-UP GAVIN WEBSTER The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 15–Sat 17 Dec; The Stand, Glasgow, Tue 27–Sat 31 Dec
When Newcastle comic Gavin Webster brought his show to the Fringe in August, news broke that you imagine would have had him rubbing his hands. Asterisked-up to the max, the provocatively titled All Young People Are C**ts was made heavily topical when the summer riots hit the headlines. ‘People said I bet that was brilliant for your show as I could have just gone out on stage and said I told you so. But my show was the polar opposite of that because young people don’t make their feelings known enough.’ While Webster does actually have plenty time for the younger
generation, believing that they have too much information at their fingertips thanks to Google and co, he still can’t understand one aspect of modern culture. ‘Liking William Shatner, David Hasselhoff and Alan Titchmarsh because they are rubbish? I can’t get my head round all that. We couldn’t afford to be ironic in our day. If something was hopeless when I was young, you couldn’t give it a second thought, we were too busy enjoying the things we liked.’ One thing Webster is definitely keen on is the spreading of The
Stand’s wings into his home town. While Newcastle was one of the first cities to have a comedy club outside London in the 80s, he believes its more recent lull can be kick-started by the presence of such an established venue. ‘I’m not saying this in a biased way but I think they’ve chosen right, because they had thought about going further north with a new club. Newcastle’s geographical remoteness makes it have a culture of its own; it’s 100 miles from Leeds and 100 miles from Edinburgh and as a result of that, it’s built up its own unique culture and comedy. I think The Stand can bring that out.’ (Brian Donaldson)
✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335
8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Tue 27.
Edinburgh Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8.30pm. £3 (students £2). See Wed 21.
✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm.
£12–£22.50 (£10–£19; members £10–£15). See Tue 27. Thursday 29
Glasgow ✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335
8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Tue 27.
✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12
(£10). See Tue 27. Comedy Academy @ The Shack The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 9.30pm. £3 (£2). See Thu 15.
Friday 30
Glasgow ✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335
8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Tue 27.
Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 18. Friday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £9. See Fri 16.
✽✽ Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12
(£10). See Tue 27. 15 Dec 2011–5 Jan 2012 THE LIST 79