THEATRE

CABARET

I Stitched Up Like A Kipper Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate, Glasgow, 041 552 4267. 10.30pm. £4 (£2.50). The Hairy Marys are a founwoman Irish comedy dance 0 company whose hour-long revue takes in Anglo-Irish and sexual politics alongsrdc oddball tap routines and off-beat live music. Described in Ireland as ‘a visual onslaught of comedy and art'.

I The Counting House Upstairs. 32/2 West Nicolson Street. Edinburgh, 031 6620781. 10pm. £4 (£3). Bar/restaurant open all day. serving until 9.30pm - diners can claim £1 reduction on their cabaret tickets. Parrot has been making a name for himself on the London circuit and he‘s back in

Parrot

Scotland for a few weeks to remind people he‘s still about. Tonight he‘s joined by fellow Funny Farmer Kevin Kopstein.

F W

. 3': 7‘ iii: 10" THEATRE COMPANY

MUSSELBURGH

THE BRUNTON THEATRE SEASON 1990/91

IN KIND ASSOCIATION WITH CHILDLINE

PINOCCHIO -

THE PANTO SCRIPT BY DA v10 SWAN

4 DECEMBER - 5 JANUARY (excluding Sundays, 25 & 31 December, 1 January)

SPECIAL SCHOOL DISCOUNTS A VAILABLE

MATINEES 2.30pm EVENING PERFS 7.30pm 110K515: £4.50 - 22.50

POSTAL BOOKINGS OPEN NOW, PERSONAL CALLERS WELCOME FURTHER BOOKING INFORMATION AND PERFORMANCE TIMES PLEASE kTELEPI‘IONE (031) 665 2240/

SATURDAY 22

I The Comic CltlIl Blackfriars. 45 Albion Street, Merchant City, Glasgow. 041552 5924, 9pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Baropen 8.30pm-midnight. All-star Christmas spectacular in which everyone who’s anyone on the thriving Glasgow alternative stand-up scene will be turning up to provide buckets of festive mirth.

I Stitched Up Like A Kipper Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, 041 5524267. 10.30pm. £4 (£2.50). See Fri 22.

SUNDAY 23

I Stitched Up Like A Kipper Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate , Glasgow, 041 552 4267. 10.30pm. £4 (£2.50). See Fri 22.

The Hairy Marys I Billy Connolly King‘s Theatre, Bath Street. 041 227 551 1. SOLD OUT. Charity performance by Pamela

Stephenson‘s big man that sold out within an hour of tickets going on sale.

FRIDAY 28

I The Counting House Upstairs. 322 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, 03] 6620781. 10pm. £4 (£3). Bar/restaurant open all day. serving until 9.30pm - diners can claim £1 reduction on their cabaret tickets. One of the busiest of the current crop of Glasgow stand-ups. Fred McAulay is joined by Adrian Norman who. having conquered his native Australia. has arrived in Scotland via the USA and is starting to make a name for himself here.

SATURDAY 29

I The Counting House Upstairs. 32/2 West Nicolson Street. Edinburgh. ()31 6620781. 10pm. £4 (£3). Bar/restaurant open all ' day. serving until 9.30pm diners can

is hav

BIG, MEN“L HRISTMAS

Countless comics; dozen

E:_J[_JI_.-

ARNOLD enown

Arnold Brown

It most comedians cut their teeth in the sweaty, uneasy atmosphere oi converted bars, they come oi age in classy venues like Edinburgh’s converted Counting House. With its stripped pine walls, lamp-lit tables and glass dome, it could have been custom built to reilect the polished wit at Friday night’s guest: Arnold Brown. Having come ot age some time ago, the iormer accountant must have approved oi the luxurious setting. He's never been one to make his audience suiier.

Star oi stage, screen and radio, he

complained recently that lukewarm reviews in The List and The Jewish Chronicle had adversely aitected his Scottish-Jewish identity (hard to believe as it's still central to his act). Fortunately, we can put matters right: The Jewish Chronicle have promised to review his next show more iavourably. Just kidding -we don’t have any connection with them.

Brown’s is a dry wit oi considerable style, best savoured in such a civilised setting. He grants his audience respect, nudging them gently into a laugh raiherthan doubling them up with boot-thumping directness. This time around, his act has been relined still iurther by the piano playing oi Hod Douglas, erstwhile Blockhead oi ‘What a Waste' tame. And while there’s no doubt that they suit an intimate stage tor two, there was a danger oi becoming too cosy and too sate. Comedians should ioilow the Casanova principle - get intimate, but never sale. Fortunately, Brown had the sense to remove his saiety net and put himseli out on a limb —taking questions trom the iloor and introducing a heady ilavour oi danger to the last portion oi the act. A bit more oi this and he would get both The List and The Jewish Chronicle back on his side. (Hoss Parsons)

claim £1 reduction on their cabaret tickets. Rare appearance by the Alexander Sisters who turn up to perform a one-offup-dated revival of last year's Fantasy Island show. Good seasonal fun.

FRIDAY 4

I The Counting House Upstairs. 32/2 West Nicolson Street. Edinburgh. 031 6620781. 10pm. £4 (£3). Bar/restaurant open all day, serving until 9.30pm - diners can claim £1 reduction on their cabaret tickets. Alexander Sisters, Lynn Ferguson turns in

her solo routine and she‘s joined by up-and-coming Glasgow comic John Gillock.

WEDNESDAY 9

I Salamander Club The Venue. Calton Road. Edinburgh. 9.30pm. £3.50 (£2.50). Pure Blind Panic is the band tonight, but entertainers from the Salamander Club return from their Christmas break to warm up the audience first. Arnold is the

compere.

The Funny Farm out in iorce on Sat 22 atlheComic mun,

52 The List 21 December 1990— 10January 1991