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 12
Glasgow ✽ Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £35–£39.50. Much-loved comedian out on a solo tour with a show about the lessons life has taught her. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Susan Morrison presides over Roger Monkhouse, Lloyd Langford, Jamie Dalgleish and Liam Withnail. Edinburgh Men With Coconuts The Canons’ Gait, 232 Canongate, 556 4481. 8.30–10pm. £5 (£4). Improv comedy. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). There’s Billy Kirkwood and there’s Ian Moore and there’s Bruce Fummey and there’s the Lost Voice Guy.
Friday 13
Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 12 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. With Sam Avery, Damian Clark and Raymond Mearns. See Mearns’ My Comedy Hero, page 54. The 10 O’Clock Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £10. MC is the marvellous Viv Gee. Stu Mitchell headlines with support from Ashley Storrie, Ryan Dooley and Alan Provan. Edinburgh The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 12 for line-up, but no Ian Moore.
Saturday 14
Glasgow A Splash of Cabaret Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8–10pm. £5. Marine scientists do cabaret. Part of Glasgow Science Festival. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 13. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9–11.45pm. £9 (£6). With Damian Clark, Craig Johnstone and MC Chris Broomfield. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 12 for line-up. The 10 O’Clock Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £10. See Fri 12, but with Stu Mitchell, Ashley Storrie, Chrissy Ross and Calum Nelson. Edinburgh The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 12 for line-up, also with Diane Stewart.
Sunday 15 Tuesday 17
Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Redmond hosts Iain Stirling, Jim Smith and Davey Connor. Edinburgh ✽ Frankie Boyle: Work in Progress The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £7. Catch The Boyle in a new work-in-progress show. Tickets available online only.
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COMEDY LECTURE ZOMBIE SCIENCE The Stand, Glasgow, Sun 29 Jun
Cultural interest in the zombie tends to go through peaks and troughs, usually related to news that George A Romero is about to unleash his latest army of flesh-eaters. But nowadays you can barely turn a metaphorical corner without a zombie hurling itself at you in the big- screen likes of World War Z, Shaun of the Dead, Resident Evil and 28 Days Later. While in literature, there’s such a plethora of novels about the brain-chomping undead, that to get yourself noticed you have to merge Jane Austen with zombies (yes, it happened, in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). Feeding mercilessly on this ever-potent genre is Theoretical
Zombiologist Doctor Austin, with his unpicking of zombie mythology and, most worrying of all, interactive demonstrations. ‘The recent upsurge of interest in all things zombie is perhaps a reaction to the increasing complexity of life,’ muses the good doctor. ‘The idea of living in the Zombie Apocalypse, a world with no rules, where you take what you want, and even wear an eye patch, is very appealing. It is obviously far easier to kick down a door and take a property for your own than to try and understand the government’s “help to buy” scheme.’ Fair enough, but let’s get to the root of the matter. What’s scarier: a
slow, lumbering, groaning zombie or the really fast running ones as per Charlie Brooker’s Dead Set? ‘The fast would be more frightening to me, but less scientifically likely. The cerebellum and basal ganglia, two areas of the brain important to movement, can be damaged producing the slow zombie shuffle. These are the same areas suppressed when drinking alcohol, hence why any city centre on a weekend appears to be in the midst of a Romero production. Whereas there is no evidence to support the idea of fast zombies: I can’t run very quickly now, so why would catching a disease suddenly improve that ability?’ (Brian Donaldson)
Edinburgh Lloyd Langford & Jarred Christmas The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10. A double bill of Fringe preview shows.
Monday 16 Glasgow ✽ Aries Spears Òran Mór, 731–735 Great Western Road, 357 6200. 7pm. £15. See feature, page 28. Part of West End Festival. Steampunk Comedy Steampunk Café, 1 Drury Street, 204 2929. 8.30– 11pm. £2.50. Weekly comedy show.
Wednesday 18 Glasgow British Red Cross Refugee Week Comedy Night The National Piping Centre, 30–34 McPhater Street, Cowcaddens, 353 0220. 8pm. £14 (£11). First-class stand-up featuring Kevin Bridges, Tom Stade and others. Benefit in Aid of Whizz Kids The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Janey Godley, Chris Forbes, Susie McCabe and Raymond Mearns get together to raise awareness of Whizz Kids. See My Comedy Hero, page 54.
Edinburgh Jo Caulfield Presents the Good, the Bad and the Unexpected The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. An evening of experimental stand-up, sketches and characters.
COMEDY
5 THINGS . . . ABOUT ADAM BUXTON 1 Some people will always see Adam Buxton as one half of the archetypal studenty double act, Adam & Joe. And that’s fine, because they were totally brilliant. 2 But Buxton has had some success all on his lonesome including one series of Channel 4’s The Last Chancers about a struggling rock band and his hilarious Partridge-esque snooker commentaries for the Beeb’s Comedy Extra. And then there’s his music video ‘analysis’ show, BUG, which has successfully transferred from the stage to small screen. 3 One of the key elements of BUG is Buxton’s reading of the awful things which people post in the comments sections of YouTube. This was partly a way of exorcising some ghosts of the personal hurt he has felt at such anonymous hate, as well as attempting to nullify the power of the troll. And also to have a right old laugh at how downright thick some internet addicts are. 4 A former presenter on BBC 6 Music, Buxton appeared on Channel 4 News to confront his then boss, director general Mark Thompson, over his plans to bring that station to an end. And who knows, it could be that Buxton challenging Thompson to a duel by fists might have ultimately saved the day. 5 Buxton used to sing Bowie’s ‘Laughing Gnome’ to his daughter as a bedtime treat. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Adam Buxton Presents BUG, ABC, Glasgow, Thu 26 Jun.
Thursday 19
Glasgow Wasasa Comedy Night The Old Hairdressers, Opposite Stereo, Renfield Lane, 222 2254. 8pm. £5 (£3). Hosted by the Kasengele Brothers. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Raymond Mearns (see My Comedy Hero, page 54) hosts Ben Norris, Silky and Larry Dean. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Vladimir McTavish hosts Markus Birdman, Alex Boardman, Frankie Boyle and Jim Smith.
12 Jun–10 Jul 2014 THE LIST 53