list.co.uk/comedy
Events are listed by date, then by city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 24
Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Billy Kirkwood hosts a doozy of a line-up: Vladimir McTavish, Chris Forbes, Susie McCabe and Dan Petherbridge. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). There’s Susan Morrison and there’s Graeme Thomas and there’s Bruce Morton and they’re going to make you laugh.
Friday 25
Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £5). See Thu 24 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. A team of Scotland’s best are primed and ready to make you miserable lot laugh: Mark Nelson, Patrick Rolink, Damian Clark and Brendan Riley. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. Ben Verth presents a weekend packed full of top local and visiting comedians to tickle your funny bone in an entirely appropriate way. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £5). See Thu 24 for line-up.
Saturday 26
Glasgow FREE Wasasa Comedy Night The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. Hosted by the Kasengele Brothers, ‘wasasa’ basically translates as ‘yer naw funny’. Original comedians who steer clear of racism/ sexism/homophobia make this a thought-provoking, creative night. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 25. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). The long-standing home of comedy hosts headliner Scott Agnew and MC Chris Bloomfield. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 24 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 25. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 24 for line-up.
Sunday 27 Glasgow Stand Up & Geez It! The SPACE, 34 Argyll Arcade Chambers, Buchanan Street, 222 2333. 7pm. £3. A new music and comedy cabaret night featuring fresh local acts. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Steven Dick, John McGoldrick and Rod Hunter ease your weekend to a chilled close.
COMEDY
5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT RUSSELL KANE
1 Kane admits that getting into stand-up wasn’t exactly the result of a lifelong burning passion. He googled ‘stand-up London’, phoned the first number he saw and got himself an open spot. He describes his move into comedy as ‘apathetic drifting’.
2 He’s a man who clearly takes close note of his reviews, given that some of his Edinburgh Fringe show titles have been named after critical quotes from the previous year’s hour. The likes of Easy Cliché and Tired Stereotypes and Gaping Flaws come directly into this category. It’s probably the same with his current show, Posturing Delivery. 3 Anyone left in any doubt that he is somewhat ‘interested’ in reviewers should have a gander at his debut novel from last year, The Humorist. He’s only gone and written about a comedy reviewer who literally has no sense of humour. Cheeky.
4 Kane likes to play to rather different galleries: he’s had a play put on at the RSC and been part of the presenting team for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Quite where his impersonation of Beyoncé for Comic Relief lands is unclear. 5 At the last election he voted Lib Dem but ‘won’t next time’. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 13 Feb.
Edinburgh Bright Club: Edinburgh The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. The hardworking staff at Edinburgh’s universities are let out for the night to share their tales about the weird, wonderful, and often very funny, world of research.
Wednesday 30 Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. Julia Sutherland hosts a night for comedians to try out their latest gags. Best of Irish Comedy The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £7 (£6; members £3). Michael Redmond introduces the funniest of his countrymen and women. With Kevin Gildea, Simon O’Keeffe and Christiane O’Mahoney.
24 Jan–21 Feb 2013 THE LIST 55
TV THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY EXPERIENCE Comedy Central, starts Tue 5 Feb, 11pm ●●●●●
Stewart Lee is not sure that he and Comedy Central will have the same hopes for his curated 12-part show. The comic sees it as being similar to a ‘slightly under-attended Tuesday night at an arts centre’; Comedy Central’s ambitions remain unclarified, but on viewing the full four hours they may have considered renaming the show.
Filmed in the Edinburgh Stand, The Alternative Comedy Experience suggests some kind of exploration of what that term might mean today, using examples from the contemporary acts involved. Other than a fleeting chat with David O’Doherty in which they knock about this ‘pejorative’ term and conclude that a bunch of likeminded stand- ups sometime around the year 2002 endorsed ‘a cult of abstinence’ (ie they wouldn’t go on stage hammered) and could be seen at festivals ‘playing volleyball in swimming pools,’ the phrase is never mentioned.
Perhaps, ultimately, the lack of debate about the term is a recognition by Lee and co that no one really thinks that such a thing as ‘alternative comedy’ exists today. Back in the early 80s, there was an obvious backlash against the tide of bigotry that fuelled much mainstream comedy, both on stage and on television. This show acts best as a testament to the legacy of alternative comedy that opened the floodgates to so much rich and varied work. There’s the political edge of cricket fan Andy Zaltzman, the Dadaist anarchy of Paul Foot, the sheer daftness of Bridget Christie and the marginally nihilist observations of Alun Cochrane. And there’s David Kay with his musings on why you should ensure the oven is properly preheated when making scones. Now that might be the future of alternative comedy. (Brian Donaldson)
Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Regular freestyle comedy wizards Paul Graham and Stuart Murphy fire up the imagination with another slice of improv action. Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Stu & Garry, Eleanor Morton and host Simon O’Keeffe help celebrate the fact that we’ve all made it through another week.
Monday 28 Glasgow Imaginary Friends Improv Comedy The Old Hairdressers, Opposite Stereo, Renfield Lane, 222 2254. 7.30–10pm. £3 (£2). Suggest some wacky ideas and you’ll get back an improvised film, fantasy novel or literally anything (within the allotted time frame). Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). It’s a fight to the death (or until one of them needs a sit down)
between improv experts Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy and Billy Kirkwood. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. Ben Verth steps up to introduce the new talent and new 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. Sympathy is laughter’s best friend, so be nice to Simon O’Keeffe and host Scott Gibson.
Tuesday 29
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. Some of the scene’s freshest talent. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. The bright young things of Scotland’s comedy circuit strut their stuff for an entirely reasonable two pounds. With Simon O’Keeffe and Chris Conroy.