list.co.uk/comedy
Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. Weekly beginner’s showcase. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 5. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). There’s a mix of circuit faves and newbies at the Stand’s monthly offering of the funniest girls out there. Susan Calman hosts with Danielle Ward, Elaine Malcolmson and Sarah Hendrickx.
Wednesday 7
Glasgow Frankie Boyle: Work in Progress The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 6pm. £10. See Mon 5. Banter in the Buff The Buff Club, 142 Bath Lane, 248 1777. 8.30pm. £5. A gang of the country’s funniest folk. Reserve a ticket on the website. 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 comedians trying to beat the gong. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Tue 6, but Elaine Malcolmson is replaced by Viv Gee. Edinburgh Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8.30pm. £3 (students £2). A host of Scotland’s comedy newbies, presided over by a professional headliner. With Liam Withnail. The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). The Stand’s monthly sketch show returns with new skits and character treats.
Thursday 8
Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Consummate pithiness from Roger Monkhouse and a bumper line-up including Jason Rouse, Ed Patrick and Darren Connell. Hosted by Joe Heenan.
Edinburgh Edinburgh Revue Comedy Night The Pleasance Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 556 6550. 8pm. £3. The Edinburgh University Comedy Society brings you its finest funny bits with 20 acts performing five minutes each, hoping to be crowned the night’s winner by an ‘esteemed’ panel of judges. Early booking is recommended by emailing adam.mitchell96@gmail.com.
✽✽ The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7;
members £4). Stewart Francis appears tonight, punting his razor sharp, Canadian gags (see preview, page 60). There’s also Danielle Ward, Neil McFarlane, John Robertson and host Billy Kirkwood. Comedy Academy The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 9.30pm. £3. See Thu 1.
Friday 9
Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 8 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Kai Humphries appears tonight with R David and Roger D. Edinburgh Friday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £8. See Fri 2.
MY COMEDY HERO CRAIG HILL Òran Mór, Glasgow, Fri 23 & Sat 24 Mar
There are a few comedians who inspire me because I like their style. One of them is Ross Noble who I think is an off-the-cuff genius; the first time I saw him I thought, how is he able to do this, he’s connecting all these subjects as though he knew them all in advance. I realised that was the kind of comedian I wanted to be but I never trusted myself to do it, but I’m more off-the-cuff now. And Jason Byrne for that energy and sense of fun and wildness.
But when you’re in your teenage years in East Kilbride, you don’t
know that stand-up even exists, so through TV my comedy hero became Victoria Wood. Her programme made me laugh the most, all those sketches and lines that I was repeating to my friends. It’s all about delivery, tight writing and use of language. She always makes it look easy but it’s not, it’s all very well structured. What really appealed to me was that she spoke about real life and made it funny. And the fact that she sang as well. When dinnerladies started I wasn’t sure about it, but by the second series I got really into it. I love her character comedy and what works beautifully is Julie Walters delivering Victoria Wood’s lines; that combination is amazing. (Interview by Brian Donaldson)
The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £5–£7. See Fri 2. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. With Kane Brown, Chris Henry and Alex Boardman.
✽✽ The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9;
members £5). See Thu 8, but John Robertson is replaced by Joe Wells. The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 11b Bristo Place, 225 9893. 10.30pm. £5.50 (students £5). See Fri 2.
Saturday 10 Glasgow Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 3. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs,
The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 9. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 8, but Joe Heenan is replaced by Bruce Devlin.
Edinburgh Saturday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £10. See Fri 2. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £5–£7. See Fri 2. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 9.
✽✽ The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See
Fri 9, but minus Neil McFarlane. Jekyll and Hyde Comedy Club The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225
Comedy
2022. 9.30pm. £8 (£6). See Sat 3. Sunday 11
Glasgow FREE Fresh Meat The Butterfly and the Pig, 153 Bath Street, 221 7711. 8.30pm. See Sun 4. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Redmond returns with his brand of lo-fi comedy. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 4. Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Celebrate Sunday with Neil McFarlane, Alan Sharp and Becky Price.
Monday 12 Glasgow Frankie Boyle: Work in Progress The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 6pm. £10. See Mon 5. Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). It’s a fight to the death between improv experts Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy and Billy Kirkwood. Spamalot King's Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £14.50–£43. The Knights of the Round Table-spoofing musical, written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. See 5 Things, page 58.
Edinburgh Comedy Variety Show City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125. 8pm. £3 (£2; £1 if booked in advance through lastminute.com). See Mon 5. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 5. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 5.
Tuesday 13
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 6. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 6. Spamalot King's Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £14.50–£43. See Mon 12. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 5. Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4). A blended mix of comedy and storytelling, making for a chilled night of funny yarns and verse.
Wednesday 14 Glasgow Frankie Boyle: Work in Progress The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 6pm. £10. See Mon 5. The Fun Junkies The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). A madcap show from the How Do I Get Up There sketch boys, hosted by Des Clarke. FREE Gong Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. See Wed 7. Spamalot King's Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £14.50–£43. See Mon 12. Edinburgh Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8.30pm. £3 (students £2). See Wed 7. Melting Pot The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). Vote for the best of the new sketches and skits from local comedy writers.
1–29 Mar 2012 THE LIST 61