COMEDY
The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 19. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 2 for line-up.
Perth ✽Ross Noble: Tangentleman Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738
621031. 8pm. £25. See Fri 26.
Sunday 5
Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 21.
Edinburgh Footlights Comedy Edinburgh Footlights, 7 Spittal Street, 229 6466. Times tbc. £4. See Sun 21. FREE Stu and Garry’s Free Improv Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 21.
✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
SOLD OUT. See Wed 1.
Monday 6
Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6. Improvised mayhem with Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy and Billy Kirkwood. Please don’t express your annoyance if they appear to be making it up on the spot. That’s because they are, silly. Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 22.
Tuesday 7
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 23. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 23.
Edinburgh ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
prices vary. See Wed 1. G Spot The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. Comedy and cabaret shenanigans with affable host Jojo Sutherland and a selection of different guests each time.
Wednesday 8 Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 24.
Edinburgh ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm.
SOLD OUT. See Wed 1. The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. Skits and character treats.
Thursday 9
Glasgow Vespbar Virgins Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £2. See Thu 18. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Brendon Burns, Wendy Wason and host Joe Heenan. Just Comedy Wild Cabaret & Wicked Lounge, 18 Candleriggs, 552 6165. 9–11pm. £5 (£10 with a sharing plate and drink). See Thu 18.
Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Tanyalee Davis, 56 THE LIST 18 Sep–16 Oct 2014
MY COMEDY HERO BENNETT ARRON The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 16–Sat 18 Oct
Over the years I‘ve had several comedy heroes. My first, and the one who remains the best, is my dad. Although not every joke is a gem, his ability to make light of situations by means of a joke is unequalled. My father introduced me to some other early comedy heroes including the Goons and Laurel and Hardy. I once took my children to the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston where they showed their films in a small cinema. It was incredible to see yet another generation of Arrons laughing uncontrollably.
Like many of today’s older comedians (and yes, it hurts to say that), I grew up laughing at Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper and Dave Allen. These people could tell jokes in such a stylish, conversational manner that you weren’t even aware they were jokes. I then added Monty Python to my list of heroes; school friends and I would learn the words of the sketches and then record them in a blatant act of plagiarism. My last comedy hero is not as well-known as any of the above.
Before you Google the name Kelly Monteith, I can tell you he is an American comedian who had an incredibly funny series on the BBC. Although others had broken the Fourth Wall before him, he made it much more part of his persona. My brother and I saw his one-man show in London and it was one of the funniest things I’ve seen. Sadly he’s not the household name he once was. Some people say it’s because he changed his ‘clean’ material and started swearing a lot to keep up with the changing face of comedy. Who knows what the reason is. I just remember seeing him perform, watching the audience laugh and thinking, ‘I wonder what that feels like?’ Maybe one day I’ll find out . . . (As told to Brian Donaldson)
Danny Pensive, Tom Toal and host Susan Morrison. Friday 10
Glasgow ✽Gilded Balloon Comedy at Drygate Drygate Brewing Co, 85
Drygate, 212 8815. 7.30–9.30pm & 10pm– midnight. £15 for show only; £30 for show and two-course meal; £33 for show and three-course meal. Tonight’s acts are Mark Nelson, Ria Lina and Pat Cahill with Scott Agnew on hosting duties. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 9 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. With John Ryan, former Scottish Comedian of the Year Jamie Dalgleish, Dougie Dunlop and Gary Little.
Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 19. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 9 for line-up.
Saturday 11
Glasgow Jimeoin: Is It . . . ?! Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £17.50. A chatty comic with a delightful sense of the absurd and a uniquely low-key style. Somewhat big in his Northern Irish homeland and just as huge in Australia. Basically, he’s beloved in a number of countries. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 10. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 9 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 19. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 9 for line-up.
Dundee ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Caird Hall, City Square, 01382
434940. 8pm. SOLD OUT. See Wed 1.
Sunday 12
Glasgow Glasgow Kids Comedy Club The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 3pm. £4. Live comedy for younger fans, particularly those aged 8–12. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 21.
Edinburgh Footlights Comedy Edinburgh Footlights, 7 Spittal Street, 229 6466. Times tbc. £4. See Sun 21. FREE Stu and Garry’s Free Improv Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 21.
Dundee ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940.
8pm. SOLD OUT. See Wed 1.
Tuesday 14
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 23. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 23.
Edinburgh ✽Tony Law: Enter The Tonezone The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272.
8.30pm. £14 (£12). Daftly surreal and energetic humour from the Canadian stand-up.
Wednesday 15
Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 24.
✽Tony Law: Enter The Tonezone The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,
0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £14 (£12). See Tue 14.
Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm. Edinburgh ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Usher ✽The Pleasance Sessions: Paul
SOLD OUT. See Wed 1.
Foot The Pleasance, 60 Pleasance,
650 4673. 8pm. £8.94–£13.50. Hovercraft Symphony in Gammon # Major is the latest unabated nonsense from the surreal and chaotic mind, body and dress sense of Mr Foot. Part of Pleasance Sessions. Melting Pot The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). Vote for the best new sketches and skits here and revel in the fact that you’ve probably cheered up a writer’s night.
Thursday 16
Glasgow ✽Lee Evans: Monsters SSE Hydro, Exhibition Way, 248 3000. 8pm. £30.
The manic comedian and actor (remember There’s Something About Mary?) takes his fast-paced gags onto the road again. Vespbar Virgins Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £2. See Thu 18. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Bennett Arron (see My Comedy Hero, above), Johnny Arron, Bruce Fummey and host Bruce Devlin. Just Comedy Wild Cabaret & Wicked Lounge, 18 Candleriggs, 552 6165. 9–11pm. £5 (£10 with a sharing plate and drink). See Thu 18.
Edinburgh ✽Billy Connolly: High Horse Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155.
8pm. SOLD OUT. See Wed 1. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Brendon Burns, Daisy Earl and Jonathan Mayor.