COMEDY

Comedy is listed by date, then by city. Shows will be listed, providing that details reach our offices at least ten days in advance of publi- cation. Comedy listings are com- piled by Rob Fraser

THURSDAY 18

Glasgow

Ennio Marchetto Cottier Theatre 935 Hyndland Street. 357 3868. Booking also: Ticket Centre. Candleriggs. see Ticket Link details page 58. The origami originator in full effect.

Cheshire Cat Comedy Club Waxy's. 20 Candleriggs. 552 87l7. l().3()pm. Free. Reg Anderson. Gary Hagen and Frank Quinn strut their sttiff under the watchful eye of Raymond Mearns.

Cosy Comedy Cafe The State Bar. t48 Holland Street. 332 2159. Doors 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Billy Bonkers invites Sandy Nelson and Dave Williatns to flex their chuckle muscles. ()pen spot. too.

Edinburgh

Christie's Comedy Cellar W.J. Christie's. 228 3765. 9pm. £4 (£3). Michael Redmond is your as seen on TV headliner. with James Donlan supporting and Susanne Fraser your ceremonial mistress.

The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £4 (£3). Susan Morrison is one side of the eternal comic triangle. with Alan McQueen and Teddy as her suitors. Joon Broon comperes.

FRIDAY 19 Edinburgh Al's All Night lokeshop The Bongo Club. New Street. 556 5204 l()pm. Fringe legend Earl ()kin is just one attraction at the the tnttlti media extravaganza that is the .lokeshop. Music. comedy. DJs. art. What more do you want. The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £5 (£4). A Stand debut for John Gordillo (London circuit regular) with Donna Krachan. Dougie Dunlop and Kevin Spence. Susan Morrison makes sure no one bullies the new boy. Reg Anderson's Comedy Explosion Tron Ceilidh House. Hunter Square. 337 8340. Doors 8pm. £4 (£3). Viv Gee. Raymond Mearns and Gary Hagen join the self proclaimed genius.

SATURDAY 20

Glasgow

Cosy Comedy Cafe The State Bar. I48 Holland Street. 332 2l59. Doors 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Billy Bonket's rolls out the comedy barrel for John Gillick. Sattdy Nelson. Marie Claire and Rutherford & Merson.

Edinburgh

Bruce Morton Brunton Theatre. Musselburgh. 665 2240. 8.30pm. £9 (£5.50) Stand up meets theatre meets autobiography for Fringe hit Blum/ Bellm- T/It' li’Y/ll/Uil‘.

The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £6 (£4). Same line up as last night (see above). bill with the

formidable .lane Mackay tn charge.

Glasgow

The Comic Club Blackfrtars Underground. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. Skank joins the ranks with Craig Hill and .lohn (iillick. \r'i\ (ice is the artist in residence.

Edinburgh

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lptn. Free. lmprov in the afternoon from residents Jack Weatherall and Pattl Graham.

Comedy Off The Cuff W.J. Christie's. 228 3765. 9pm. £4 (£3). Raymond Mearns is your pimp for the evening. with Dougie Dunlop. Skank and Joe Heenan his comedy bitches.

Pint-Sized Comedy The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 7.30pm. £2.50 (£2). Seven count 'em seven acts in l2() minutes. Allan Miller tries to keep a lid on proceedings. but things are bound to get out of hand by the time Neil Shackleton brings proceedings to a dignified close.

Glasgow

Laugh Out Loud L'Attache. 27 Waterloo Street. 22l 3210. 8.45pm. £2.50 (£2). Frank Quinn. Ricky H. Keara Murphy and brains behind it all Grant McManus.

Edinburgh

Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558' 7272. Doors 7.30pm. £l. Liane Ellis' gives eight comically inexperienced individuals a chance to take their first faltering steps along the road of humour. Graeme Thomas is guest closer.

TUESDAY 23 Edinburgh

Brian Hennigan's House Of Fun

The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8pm. £| to play. free to watch. Team up (four to eight players) to play big boardgames with host Brian Hennigan. Calling one game 'Natne That Tuna' suggests a superior standard of wit and invention.

WEDNESDAY 24 Edinburgh

Tommy Tiernan & Jason Byrne Queen's Hall Clerk Street. 668 2()l9. 8pm. £8 (£6). Laughs aplenty guaranteed from two of the biggest stand tips around just now. See Frontlines.

World Of Comedy Quiz Show

The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £| to play. free to spectators. Allan Miller is the Geoffrey Wheeler to absentee host Bill Dewar's Jimmy Tarbuck for a hilarious night of comedy trivia. Not to be confused with a trivial night ofcomedy hysteria. Play to win great prizes and a roll-overjackpot. A ton to yott. me old son.

THURSDAY 25

Glasgow

Cheshire Cat Comedy Club Waxy‘s.

2() Candleriggs. 552 87l7. l().3()pm. Free. Raymond Mearns hosts for Janey Godley. Paul & Rav and David Kay. Cosy Comedy Cafe The State Bar. I48 Holland Street. 332 2 I59. Doors 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Billy Bonkers welcomes Teddy and John Gillick.

Edinburgh

Christie's Comedy Cellar W.J. Christie's. 228 3765. 9pm. £4 (£3). Dave Williams headlines. after Stuart Potter and Madame Moo Moo have done their hit. Joe Heenan hosts.

The Stand 5 York Place. ' 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £4 (£3). Donna Krachan is back for more. alongside Adie C and David McCreight. Compete Joon Broon will also welcome Benni lisposito, who loses his Stand cherry.

FRIDAY 26

Edinburgh

Kit Kat Klub W.J. Christie’s. 228 3765.£4 (includes a cocktail) Frauline Fraser and the Kit Kat Boys are back with Exotic Dancer. Turkish Delight. Deranged Walter. Brian headlining. and drag act. Kevin Peters.

listings COMEDY

Blood Below The Window

Stirling: MacRobert Arts Centre, Fri 5 Mar; Glasgow: Arches Theatre, Wed 24 8: Thu 25 Mar; East Kilbride: Village Theatre, Sat 27 Mar.

Stigmatic for the people: Bruce Morton

You could be forgiven for thinking that Glaswegian comic Bruce Morton had hung up his red nose, parked the collapsing car and kicked off the big shoes. It's true that he is currently being grouped with Tommy Tiernan, Ardal O'Hanlon and Owen O'Neill by the heavyweight press as a 'serious' comedian. Neither can it be denied that his current show is being promoted as 'tales of identity, aspiration and the magical power of unity‘. But those who attend comedy shows in the frail hope of hearing a little comedy can rest assured that, while Blood Below The Window is a dark and complex beast infused with a candid, confessional narrative drive, it still has its fair share of toilet

humour.

'I read. in a broadsheet the other day that I'm part of a movement.’ snorts Morton. 'They say I’m in the vanguard of something. Fuck offl I wouldn’t even get in a van. This show takes the audience through an emotional labyrinth, but there are a couple of nob gags in there as well.’

Blood Below The Window is inspired by an incident when the 39-year-old comic was 18. Charged with looking after an empty house while his parents were on holiday, Morton took advantage of the ‘empty’ to promptly lose his virginity. Sadly, this rite of passage was swiftly followed by a nasty fall from an upstairs window. The newly sexed up teenager broke his nose, jaw and an arm and lost so much blood that he resembled ’a Stigmatic showing off at a

party'-

Building on this accident, Morton uses the metaphor of a chick learning to fly by plummeting from its nest as a way of touching on issues of personal development, friendship, love and loss. He has found this show much more stretching and fulfilling than traditional stand-up, a format he has grown increasingly disillusioned with. Plus, Blood Below The Window is a learning experience, constantly bringing home to Morton the impossibility of ever

becoming 'mature’.

’You just keep growing,‘ he says. ’Mind you, I’m 39 now so maybe it’s time I got out of the skateboarding clothes, started wearing slacks and joined a golf

club.’ (Peter Ross)

Reg Anderson's Comedy Explosion Tron Ceilidh House. Hunter Square. 337 8340. Doors 8pm. £4 (£3). Sandy Nelson strums merrily. with Rowan Gent and John Gordon.

The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £4 (£3). Poetic champion Hovis Presley is iii town. composing. Lucy Porter and John McGuiness complete the bill. with Susan Morrison your resident hostess. ()ne spot. too. However do they pack it all in'.’

SATURDAY 27

Glasgow

Tommy Tiernan 8: Jason Byrne Cottier Theatre 935 Hyudland Street. 357 3868. Booking also: Ticket ('entt'e. Candleriggs. see Ticket l.in details pagc58. The dynamic duo lill Glasgow. See Frontlines

Cosy Comedy Cafe The State Bar.

I48 Holland Street. 332 3 | 5‘). Doors 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Parrot headlines for Mr Bonkers. with Mitch Benn arid Rowan Gent.

The Joke Box Mister P‘s Bar/Diner. 42 Wellmeadow Street. Paisley. 56! 7| l7. l().3()piti. Free. Susanne Fraser with Mitch Benn and Pattl & Ray.

Edinburgh

The Stand 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 8pm. £6 (£4). Last night’s acts return to the scene of their comedy crimes. with Jane Mackay this time a- hosting.

SUNDAY 28 .

Glasgow

The Comic Club Blackfriars Underground. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. Gordon Brunton headlines. after Roland Gent and R David strut their stuff.

Edinburgh

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lptn. Free. lmprov in the afternoon from residents Jack Weatherall and Paul Graham. Comedy Off The Cuff W.J. Christie's. 228 3765. 9pm. £4 (£3). Mitch Benn in the house with support from Craig Hill. Susanne Fraser hosts.

Pint-Sized Comedy The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. Doors 7.30pm. £2.50 (£2). Another magnificent seven acts with Allan Miller hosting and Rutherford Merson the guest bill toppers.

Continued over page

18 Feb—4 Mar 1999 TREIJSTBl