list.co.uk/comedy
Simon Munnery: Hats Off to the 101ers and Other Material The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 5pm. £10 (£8). Munnery’s newest show claims to be a one-man punk musical about the R101 airship disaster of 1930. Josh Widdicombe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 7.30pm. £10. JW discusses struggling through life and all its hardships. ✽✽ Sarah Millican: Thoroughly Modern Millican King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £21. See Fri 2. Matt Finlayson: Becks, Drugs and Rotten Hole The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King Street, 553 1638. 8.30pm. £4. Debating whether to commit homicide or suicide, Matt Finlayson presents weary tales from his life. FREE Pop-Up Comedy Tuesday Night The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. A pick of the best around. BBC Scotland Presents Best of Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9.30pm. £3. Catch the best of the newbies. Edinburgh Phill Jupitus: Stand Down The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 7.30pm. £15. Phill worries about being very nearly 50 and has a rant against those damn teenagers. Does a mean Eddie Izzard impression too. Spamalot Edinburgh Playhouse, 18–22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660. 7.30pm. £12.50–£44.50. See Mon 12, Glasgow. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 5.
Wednesday 21
Glasgow Comedy Festival FREE BBC Scotland: Guessing Game BBC Scotland, 40 Pacific Quay, 422 7000. Times tbc. Free (ticketed). See Tue 20. Phill Jupitus: Stand Down The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 7pm. £15. See Tue 20. ✽✽ Sarah Millican: Thoroughly Modern Millican King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £21. See Fri 2. FREE Bratchy & The Wee Man’s Comedy Pub Quiz: Festival Special The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 8pm. Anarchic comedy quiz from the brothers Bratchpiece. Being John Malkyvich The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. £5 (£3). Alan Scott Barry and Malky team up for a mysterious show about what does and doesn’t matter in life. Matt Finlayson: Becks, Drugs and Rotten Hole The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King Street, 553 1638. 8.30pm. £4. See Tue 20. Steve Hughes: Big Issues The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9.30pm. £12 (£11). Hard-hitting topical humour from the Australian stand-up.
Glasgow FREE Gong Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. See Wed 7. Edinburgh Spamalot Edinburgh Playhouse, 18–22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660. 2.30pm & 7.30pm. £12.50–£44.50. See Mon 12, Glasgow. Richard Herring: What is Love Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8pm. £15. Herring examines love to hilarious effect. Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8.30pm. £3 (students £2). See Wed 7.
Thursday 22 Glasgow Comedy Festival FREE BBC Scotland: Guessing Game BBC Scotland, 40 Pacific Quay,
PREVIEW VARIETY SHOW PAUL MERTON Perth Concert Hall, Mon 26 Mar; Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 27 Mar
It’s 14 long years since Paul Merton last embarked on a solo tour of the UK. Since then he has performed with his Impro Chums across the country and at several Edinburgh Fringes. The reason he gave up the former is the same reason he has been happy to continually do the latter. ‘Back in 1998 when I was out on tour I found myself sitting on my own at the interval drinking a cup of tea and listening to the buzz of the audience. I felt like the loneliest person in the building and I thought, “this is mad”.’
Merton is certainly not going to make that mistake again and so his three Impro Chums – Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Suki Webster – will be joining him for Out of My Head, a show billed as ‘sketches, music, magic, variety and dancing girls (two of them aren’t girls)’. Magic? ‘I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but for now we’re calling it special effects. I’ll let the mind boggle on that.’
In terms of the stand-up element, Merton will do 30-40 minutes in front of the mic and while he will usher his trio on and off, he will be on stage for the whole show. So what has enticed him back? ‘I made a trilogy of films last year about the early days of Hollywood and spent a lot of time in the editing suite. I just loved the process of putting something together. With the impro show you never get the chance to retune or hone something. With this you are saying, “this is the show”, you’re not just asking for a household object.’ And he’s perfectly happy to spread the burden across his fellow performers. ‘Contrary to what you might think, I do get tired of listening to my own voice. There’s an exclusive.’ (Brian Donaldson)
422 7000. Times tbc. Free (ticketed). See Tue 20. Michael Winslow: The Man of 10,000 Voices King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £21. Vocal acrobatics from Michael Police Academy Winslow. Alun Cochrane: Moments of Alun The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 7.45pm. £12. Cochrane presents his latest superb show of gentle observations and kitchen sink comedy. Bratchpiece Family Album The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 8pm. £8 (£6). The Bratchpiece clan’s final show together. Joe Hullait Introduces Dane Baptiste to the Least Racist City in Scotland The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. £5 (£4). A ‘pseudo-intellectual discussion of race relations’. Richard Herring: What is Love Anyway? The Garage, 490 Sauchiehall Street, 332 1120. 8pm. £15. See Wed 21. Bennett Arron: Jewelsh Brel, 39–43 Ashton Lane, 342 4966. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). Bennett Arron jokes about his Jewish/Welsh background.
Christian Schulte-Loh: Stop Laughing, I Am German Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8.30pm. £8. Comedy Deutsch-style with the award- winning Schulte-Loh. Matt Finlayson: Becks, Drugs and Rotten Hole The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King Street, 553 1638. 8.30pm. £4. See Tue 20. Rod Hunter: Life Begins at 50 Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). Rod invites all the more mature comedians appearing at the festival to join him in a proud celebration of old age. Pure Quality Banter! Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street, 353 4500. 9pm. £5. See Thu 15. Festival Club: Best of the Fest The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 10pm. £10 (£8). See Thu 15. Edinburgh Spamalot Edinburgh Playhouse, 18–22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660. 7.30pm. £12.50–£44.50. See Mon 12, Glasgow. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Gary Little: big man, big
Comedy
laughs, and tonight he’s alongside Howard Read and Luke Benson. Comedy Academy The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 9.30pm. £3. See Thu 1. Friday 23
Glasgow Comedy Festival Lunchtime Comedy Club Corinthian, 191 Ingram Street, 552 1101. 1pm. £5; including lunch £10. See Fri 16. Craig Hill: Blown By A Fan! Òran Mór, 731-735 Great Western Road, 357 6200. 7.30pm. £14.50. The latest offering from Scotland’s funnyman. See My Comedy Hero, page 61. Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 7.30pm. £21. Lee takes another bewildered, vitriolic look at the world today. Abandoman The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 7.45pm. £10 (£9). An exhilarating blend of hip hop and improv. Joe Hullait Introduces Dane Baptiste to the Least Racist City in Scotland The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. £5 (£4). See Thu 22. Punch Pandemonium Goes to. . . the Hospital Jack McPhee, 261–263 Hope Street, 353 1240. 8pm. £9.99. Adult panto-style show riddled with hospital- themed sketches, parodies and laughter. £5 Festival Funnies Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, 548 1350. 8pm. £5. See Fri 16. 3 Men and an Ovulating Lady The Buff Club, 142 Bath Lane, 248 1777. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Three men (Obie, Joel Israel, Tommy Reid) and one lady (Anna Devitt) take what you think you know about the sexes and turns it on its head. Davey Connor: Pieces of What? Brel, 39–43 Ashton Lane, 342 4966. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). A slice of weirdness from Connor in the form of awkward confessions and painful stories. Jarred Christmas: Let’s Go Mofo! Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8.30pm. £9 (£7). Funny, energetic jokes and stories. John Gavin: Further Down the Rabbit Hole The Griffin, 226 Bath Street, 331 5170. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Gavin talks about his three wee girls and how woefully unprepared he is to understand how to tame them. Shirley & Shirley Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. £5 (£4). Twisted twosome who mash together sketches, physical and character comedy. Comedy Out West WEST Brewery, Building 4 Templeton Building, Glasgow Green, 550 0135. 9pm. £10. See Fri 16. David Heffron: At the Mercy of Forces I Barely Comprehend The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £6 (£5). A typically quasi-bleak show from Heffron, battling with life, the universe and who’s in charge. Pure Quality Banter! Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street, 353 4500. 9pm. £5. See Thu 15. Absolute Improv The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 9.15pm. £8 (£6). ToBeContinued take audience suggestions and transform them into fast- paced comedy. ✽✽ Jerry Sadowitz: Comedy, Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. 10pm. £17.50–£20.50. Magic and stand- up from the hurricane known as Sadowitz. Festival Club: Best of the Fest The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 10.30pm. £10 (£8). See Thu 15. Festival Picks Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 10.30pm. £12 (£10). Late night comedy. Magician, Psychopath King’s
Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Physics teacher turned comedian Bruce Fummey and Mike Wilkinson.
1–29 Mar 2012 THE LIST 63