COMEDY
Edinburgh ✽ Jo Caulfield Presents . . . The Speakeasy Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 8pm. £6. A relaxed evening featuring a diverse collection of artists telling true stories from the haunting to the hilarious. Among those on tonight’s ecletic bill are broadcaster James Naughtie and writer-performer Bram E Gieben. First Step Benefit The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. A selection of comedians, including Vladimir McTavish, Keir McAllister, Gus Lymburn and Derek Johnston, give up their time to make you laugh in aid of a good cause.
Wednesday 19
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. Freedom from Torture Benefit The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 558 7373. 8.30pm. £5. Fundraising for a cause that doesn’t get a lot of press, so you ought to come along and support a host of comedians as they make you laugh and raise awareness. Edinburgh Aye Right? How No’? What Next? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). Vladimir McTavish and Keir McAllister take on the post- referendum world in a show that blends stand-up, poetry, spoken word and politics.
Thursday 20
Glasgow FREE John Aldiss’ Magnificent 7 The Griffin, 226 Bath Street, 331 5170. 8.30pm. See Thu 13. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Dan Nightingale and Dave Ward, hosted by Stu Murphy. Vespbar Virgins Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8.30pm. £3. See Thu 13. Just Comedy Wild Cabaret & Wicked Lounge, 18 Candleriggs, 552 6165. 9–11pm. £5 (£10 with a sharing plate and drink). See Thu 13.
Edinburgh John Cooper Clarke The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7pm. £22.50–£27.50. The legendary Mancunian punk-poet (now based in Essex, of all places) and spiritual godfather to the likes of Mike Skinner and Plan B hauls his insatiable laconic wit on tour.
✽ The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Mark Maier, Dylan Moran (sneaky!), Suzi Ruffell and hosted by Scott Agnew.
Friday 21
Glasgow ✽ Gilded Balloon Comedy at Drygate Drygate Brewing Co.,
85 Drygate, 212 8810. 7.30–9.30pm & 10pm–midnight. £15 for show only; £30 for show and two-course meal; £33 for show and three-course meal. Mickey Dwyer, Romesh Ranganathan, Steve Shanyaski and Bec Hill are this week’s turns. Laughter Eight Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £8. See Fri 14. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Fri 20 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. With Janey Godley, Scott Gibson, Junior Simpson and Gary Little.
56 THE LIST 13 Nov–11 Dec 2014
Bright Club: Glasgow The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £5. Intoxicating blend of comedy and academia as lecturers from the city’s universities turn their studies into entertaining stories.
Edinburgh ✽ Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 17, but with Dylan Moran trying out some new material.
Tuesday 25
Glasgow The Tuesday News Review! Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07939 054581. 8–10pm. £5. A sideways glance at the news from the funny guys behind the Referendum Review Show. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 17. 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 26 Glasgow John Bishop: Supersonic SSE Hydro, Exhibition Way, 248 3000. 8pm. £30. Following his 2012 sell out tour Rollercoaster, the cheeky Liverpudlian returns with his newly penned arena show, Supersonic. See 5 Things, page 55. New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 19.
✽ Dylan Moran: A Work in Progress The Stand, 333
Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12. Moran’s back and road- testing new material ahead of 2015’s Off the Hook tour.
Edinburgh Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). A showcase of the finest comedy talent from north of the border. Thursday 27
Glasgow John Bishop: Supersonic SSE Hydro, Exhibition Way, 248 3000. 8pm. £30. See Wed 26. FREE John Aldiss’ Magnificent 7 The Griffin, 226 Bath Street, 331 5170. 8.30pm. See Thu 13. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Mick Ferry, Steve Shanyaski and hosted by Raymond Mearns. Vespbar Virgins Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8.30pm. £3. See Thu 13. Just Comedy Wild Cabaret & Wicked Lounge, 18 Candleriggs, 552 6165. 9–11pm. £5 (£10 with a sharing plate and drink). See Thu 13. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). With Gary Little, Lloyd Langford and hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice.
Friday 28 Glasgow Gilded Balloon Comedy at Drygate Drygate Brewing Co., 85 Drygate, 212 8810. 7.30–9.30pm & 10pm–midnight. £15 for show only; £30 for show and two-course meal; £33 for show and three-course meal. Ray Bradshaw hosts Mark Nelson, Sean Percival and Larry Dean.
COMEDY PLAY ERIC AND LITTLE ERN The Brunton, Musselburgh, Fri 14 Nov; King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 24 Nov
Perhaps one of the intriguing by-products of alternative comedy’s boom was not just making stand-up a broader and more diverse church, but allowing us to look at some of the old school gang with fresh eyes. Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise have long been credited as helping influence almost every British double act to follow in their wake (though Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are the duo most often mentioned in dispatches) so it’s only fitting that they are enjoying another moment in the sun. After the success of Morecambe, Bob Golding’s revered one-man
show, Eric and Little Ern delves further into their unique relationship while recreating some of their most acclaimed routines. Jonty Stephens (Eric) and Ian Ashpitel (Ernie) are the men behind this production. Clearly massive fans of Morecambe and Wise, the trick is not just in pulling off spot-on impersonations but inhabiting the roles. ‘I think the important thing is Eric’s vocal quality and physicality,’ states Stephens. ‘He moved in a unique and specific way. Very light on his feet and not just waggling his glasses and going “way hey”! Although he did do that, of course.’ For Ashpitel, getting the voice right was a challenge. ‘Ernie had this strange mid-Atlantic accent mixed up with his native Yorkshire which was hard to place initially. Also he was a very good dancer, and I have trouble walking in time to music let alone anything else.’ (Brian Donaldson) ■ See list.co.uk for a Q&A with Stephens and Ashpitel.
Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 14. The Line Up 48 Below, 48 Broughton Street, 48below.com 8.30–11pm. £4–£5. See Fri 14. Men With Coconuts The Granary, 32–34 The Shore, Leith, 554 9465. 8.30–10pm. £6 (£5). See Fri 14.
✽ The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10;
members £6). See Thu 20 for line-up.
Saturday 22
Glasgow Laughter Eight Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £8. See Fri 14. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 21. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 20 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £9. See Fri 14.
✽ The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See
Thu 20 for line-up.
Sunday 23
Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 16. Edinburgh FREE Stu and Garry’s Free Improv Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 16. Footlights Comedy Edinburgh Footlights, 7 Spittal Street, 229 6466. 7–9.30pm. £4 (£3). See Sun 16. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). A cocktail of laid- back comedians.
Monday 24
Glasgow ✽ Eric and Little Ern King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871
7627. 7.30pm. £12–£35. See Fri 14.