COMEDY list.co.uk/comedy
MICK FOLEY Tales from inside and outside the ring
F or those who remember Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, there are fewer sights sadder in showbusiness than a once-great star trying to reclaim their past and ending up making an utter fool of themselves. Mick Foley made sure that this would not be his story by brushing up on a few skills which those in the WWE world may not naturally have at their disposal. Such as being able to write and making people laugh with you in public.
But Foley has bucked the trend by penning memoirs, adult fiction and children’s books to some acclaim and is pretty settled now into a
career on the live stand-up stage. Not that he’s overly comfortable being dubbed a ‘stand-up’ and is probably more relaxed if he was known as a ‘spoken word artist’. Still, there’s no denying that Foley on stage errs towards the comedic, and how could it not with all his tales of unspeakable terror and unholy craziness to offload about his time both in and out of the wrestling ring. And maybe he’ll let rip on his curious friendship with Tori Amos? (Brian Donaldson)
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 24 Apr; Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Thu 25 Apr.
HITLIST THE BEST COMEDY EVENTS
✽ Rubberbandits The plastic-bag wearing Irish rapper duo do their bizarre yet highly hilarious musical thing. The Garage, Glasgow, Sat 20 Apr.
✽ Mick Foley See preview, left. Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 24 Apr; Old
Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Thu 25 Apr.
✽ Gary Delaney For fans of quickfire
punchline-heavy comedy, this is the guy for you. He has absolutely hundreds of jokes. See preview, page
55. The Stand, Edinburgh, Wed 8 May.
✽ Micky Flanagan The charming Cockney geeza delivers intimate comedy in arena
spaces. See 5 Things, page 55. SECC, Glasgow, Sat 4 May.
✽ Bill Bailey Our favourite hippie
materialist continues to churn out the laughs on those big stages. See feature, page 54. Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 10 & Sat 11 May.
✽ Jo Caulfield Presents . . . The Speakeasy The monthly adventure
of storytelling comes round again with Alan Bissett and Gavin Webster among those showing off their wares. See review, page 57. Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Tue 14 May.
✽ John Cooper Clarke Rolling back some years is the legendary northern punk-poet,
now curiously residing in Essex. Wonder if he’ll have any words about a certain recently- deceased public figure? Tolbooth, Stirling, Thu 16 May.
18 Apr–16 May 2013 THE LIST 53