COMEDY
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GILDED BALLOON
Iconic comedy institution lays on a strong spring programme
While much comedy attention is being currently directed towards the west thanks to the Flight of the Conchords and Glasgow International Comedy Festival, the Gilded Balloon continues to remind Edinburghers that there are plenty laughs to be had on their doorsteps. Having taken permanent residency in the Rose Theatre, the Gilded Balloon programme-makers have gathered up a i ne array of wits over the next couple of months. Cage-rattling liberal-baiter Fin Taylor delivers a Best Of (Thu 15 Feb) featuring material from the excellent Whitey McWhiteface and Lefty Tighty Righty Loosey while the equally rabblerousing talents of Tom Stade (pictured) are put on display with I Swear (Fri 16 Feb).
More genial amusements are laid on by showman comedian Charlie Baker with The Hits (Fri 9 Mar) while Stephen Frost’s Celebrity Murder Mystery Play (Wed 28 Feb; Wed 28 Mar) is assured to be a crowd-pleaser. Those more in the mood for quirkier delights should get along to People Pleaser by Eleanor Tiernan (Fri 23 Feb), The Alasdair Beckett- King Mysteries (Fri 16 Mar), Gráinne Maguire (Thu 8 Mar), and Mat Ewins whose Adventureman 7 (Thu 15 Mar) found a spot on last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award shortlist.
There are plenty local talents on show with Jay Lafferty’s Besom (Thu 22 Feb) and Chris Forbes’ Unquiet Mind (Thu 29 Mar), while Glasgow-based Irish icon Michael Redmond recalls his comedy breakthrough with I Wrote a Joke in 1987 (Thu 1 Mar), and Fife-born Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Richard Gadd (Thu 15 Mar) tries out some new material. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Rose Theatre, Edinburgh.
52 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2018