list.co.uk/comedy
Events are listed by date, then by city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication by using our ‘Add an Event’ service at list. co.uk Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry Thursday 15
Glasgow The Referendum Review Show! The Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, 636 6119. 7.30–8.30pm. £5 (£3). A comedic look at the impact of an ‘aye’ or a ‘naw’ vote in September.
✽The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335
8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Billy Kirkwood hosts Junior Simpson and Fern Brady.
Edinburgh Absolute Improv The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 225 3784. 7–8pm. £5 (£3). ToBeContinued perform fast- paced improvised comedy. Men with Coconuts The Canons’ Gait, 232 Canongate, 556 4481. 8.30– 10pm. £5 (£4). Improv comedy from erstwhile Fringe faves Impro FX. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Bruce Devlin glory hosts Gavin Webster and Jamie Dalgleish. Friday 16
Glasgow The Whisky Comedian Arisaig, 1 Merchant Square, 553 1010. 7–11.30pm. £55. Alan Anderson, whisky expert, chats about our national drink. The evening includes a three-course dinner, Alan’s chat show and a blind taste challenge. The Referendum Review Show! The Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, 636 6119. 7.30–8.30pm. £5 (£3). See Thu 15. Laughter Eight Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8–9.30pm. £8. Early multi-act stand-up show.
✽The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879.
8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 15 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Bruce Fummey, Chris Henry, Tanyalee Davis and Mark Nelson make you chuckle. The 10 O’Clock Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £10. Vladimir McTavish, with support from Cal Halbert, Gary Sansome, Innis Snelling and MC Viv Gee.
Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. Ben Verth presents top local and visiting comedians. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 15 for line-up, but Nicola Redman replaces Jamie Dalgleish.
Saturday 17 Glasgow The Whisky Comedian Arisaig, 1 Merchant Square, 553 1010. 7–11.30pm. £55. See Fri 16. Laughter Eight Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8–9.30pm. £8. See Fri 16. Pop-Up Politics Presents C’mon Tae Cabaret The Bungo Bar & Kitchen, 17–21 Nithsdale Road, 423 0023. 8–10.30pm. £7 (£5). A mixture of comedy, spoken word, music and drag. Part of Southside Fringe. Comedian Rap Battles The Shed, 26 Langside Avenue, 649 5020. 8.30–11pm. £8 (£6). Rap fantasies and big egos collide. Part of Southside Fringe.
MY COMEDY HERO GARETH RICHARDS The Stand, Edinburgh, Fri 23–Sun 25 May
I discovered Canadian comic Norm Macdonald fairly recently, after being tipped off by another act (Alun Cochrane). I quickly devoured everything I could find, from his most recent special, the brilliant Me Doing Stand-Up, to YouTube clips of him on Conan O’Brien’s show, his deadpan anti-roasting of Bob Saget and his 2013 podcast series Norm Macdonald Live which nearly killed me several times due to the incompatibility of driving and uncontrollable laughter. Norm is not the everyman who says what we’re all thinking: he is
the outsider who won’t leave well enough alone. He could be a drifter just arrived in town, or even an alien in human form who has been observing our ways. But he never pushes the weirdness with quirks – instead, he draws you in with his easy, squinty charm. While some comics play on the contrast of their lightweight observations delivered with total commitment, Norm goes the other way and talks about our taboos – sex, death, the stuff of existence – as though none of it matters very much. The most compelling thing about Norm Macdonald is that he doesn’t
seem to be trying very hard – he’s just being really, really funny. He seems at home on stage, like it might be the best place for him – like it’s good that he’s finally getting some of this off his chest. He’s quite unusual and is talking in a way that you’ve never really heard anyone talk before, but still it seems natural, authentic, and really funny.
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 16. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9–11.45pm. £9 (£6). Mark Nelson and MC Chris Broomfield revisit the granddaddy of Glasgow comedy venues.
✽The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335
8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 15 for line-up. The 10 O’Clock Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £10. See Fri 16, but with Vladimir McTavish, Cal Halbert, Gavin Lynch and John Spiers.
Edinburgh FREE Capital Comedy Club Moriarty, 161 Lothian Road, 228 5558. 6–7.45pm. A night of established and new stand-ups. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 16. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Fri 16 for line-up.
Sunday 18 Glasgow Scottish Entertainment Awards SECC, Finnieston Quay, 0844 395 4000.
8pm. £30–£100. Des Clarke hosts a variety bill of comedy and music.
✽Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands
Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Redmond is joined by the excellent Fern Brady.
Edinburgh FREE Stu and Garry’s Free Improv Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Regular freestyle comedy wizards Stuart Murphy and Garry Dobson. Footlights Comedy Edinburgh Footlights, 7 Spittal Street, 229 6466. 7.30–10pm. £3. New and experienced comedians for a Sunday night. Edinburgh Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Benefit The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Liam Withnail and Billy Kirkwood help raise funds and ensure the EWRSAC can continue to run. Monday 19
Glasgow ✽The Colour Ham The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879.
8.30pm. £5 (£3). Magical comedy sketch group making good use of absurdity, magic and mentalism.
COMEDY
5 THINGS . . . BOB DOOLALLY IS LOOKING OUT FOR DURING THE WORLD CUP
1 First gratuitous mentioning of 1966 Probably before kick-off of England’s first game, but possibly earlier than that. There’s a good chance Clive Tyldesley could slip it into his commentary of Mexico v Cameroon. There’s also bound to be a conversation about goal- line technology. Don’t expect any mention of 1966 then. 2 Budweiser adverts ‘The Official Beer of the World Cup’. Why are sports tournaments and arts festivals always sponsored by shit drinks no one would let pass their lips? Who sponsors the Edinburgh Comedy Awards? Foster’s. I rest my case. 3 Better Together warn that a Yes vote may mean Scotland don’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup This is actually much less ridiculous than some of the things that the No campaign have actually claimed in the run-up to the referendum. If Scotland votes no, we won’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup either. That’s a shame as that one is in Russia, a cold country largely populated by morose alcoholics. I reckon that would suit us. I bet we do qualify for 2022 in Qatar and the Tartan Army have to withstand 50C heat in a country where you can’t get booze. 4 Some idiot in the crowd with a drum bigger than himself And I bet he won’t be Brazilian, which means he must have brought it with him on the plane. How did he get that through security? 5 One of your mates falling asleep during Alan Shearer’s half-time summary He’s boring enough without matches starting at midnight because of the time difference. Also, I reckon, it will only take former Scotland defender Alan Hansen five minutes into the first game to refer to England as ‘us’. Thankfully, he won’t be getting a vote in the referendum. ■ Bob Doolally’s Comedy World Cup Countdown, The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 8 Jun; The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 9 Jun.
15 May–12 Jun 2014 THE LIST 63