. A Babycham Funny Women Competition A bunch of ladies aim to make us laugh with Janey Godley trying to calm everyone's nerves. Blackfriars, Glasgow, Sat 74 May.

John Ryan The estimable EastEnder is joined by the cleft Ben Norris and the albino-poking magician Carey Marx in this top notch Jongleurs weekend. See 5 Reasons, right. Jongleurs, Glasgow, Thu 79—Sat 21 May.

Bruce Morton Still very funny indeed after all these years, The Boss headlines another Madcap Comedy Club night. The State Bar, Glasgow, Sat 27 May.

Jem Rolls’ Charm Offensive The Big Word guy lights up the Edinburgh Bush with this solo outing. Roxy Art House, Edinburgh, Sun 22 May.

Frankie Boyle The finest beard in Scottish comedy (pictured) offers three bites at his cherry with the likes of Mandy Muden, John Flint and Steve Gribben keeping him company. The Stand, Edinburgh, Wed 78 & Thu 19, 26 May.

Edinburgh

Comedy Benefit Evening The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£4). Unholy preacher Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe lll spreads his comedy gospel with support from ginger politico John Flint. magical Steven Dick and Jamie Anderson. Proceeds go to First Step. which helps families with young children.

Hairy Watt Comedy Club Heriot-Watt University Union. Riccarton. 451 5333. 9pm. £3. Loveable rogue Joe Heenan stands up in the company of deadpan Irishman Michael Redmond and Afro- Celt Bruce Fummey. Students and guests only.

Edinburgh

A Kick Up the Tabloids The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £5 (£2.50—£4). Resident political satirists Paul Sneddon. the soon to be rather quite famous Frankie Boyle. Susan Morrison

and John ‘Red‘ Flint scan the headlines

for the best (and worst) topical titbits.

Thursday 19

Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club

: Jongleurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street.

()8707 870707. 8pm. £7. Laughs from slick entertainer John Ryan. former magician Carey Marx. Ben Norris and confident Canadian Sean Collins. See 5

Reasons. right for John Ryan. The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 j Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055.

8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). The bombastic Mr

Raymond Meams introduces laughter-

~ meister Benjamin Crellin. topical local

Teddy. Mr Patterson and Allen ‘Monkey _ Boy‘ Chalmers.

Edinburgh

Cockburn Comedy The Arcade Bar. 48 Cockbum Street. 220 1297. 8pm. £3 (£2). Acoustic set followed by laugh-a-minute

comedy session. hosted by Ashley Frieze i and starring Andy Sir.

The Three Tuns Comedy Night The Three Tuns Wine Vaults. 7—1 1 Hanover Street. ()131 225 5412. 9pm. Free. Banter- meister Chris Broomlield takes the top spot with support from some comedy chums.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£3—£5). Sharp host Frankie Boyle introduces guitar-wielding funny man Steve Gribben.

Graeme Thomas. comedy mum Jo Jo

Sutherland and psychotic character comic

Jo Darkin.

The Snatch Social The Liquid Room.

9c Victoria Street. 225 2564.

10.30pm—3am. £4 (£3.50). See Thu 12.

V m

Glasgow

Watson’s Wind-up Glasgow Film

Theatre. 12 Rose Street. 332 8128. 1pm.

Free but ticketed. See Fri 13. Jongleurs Comedy Club

Jongleurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street. ()8707 870707. 8pm. £12. See Thu 1‘).

The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands

Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7).

Benjamin Crellin leads the way. with able backing from dark humorist Teddy. Welsh wit Steve Williams. Allen Chalmers and

. compere Susan Morrison.

Edinburgh

? Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs.

Omni Centre. Greenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £12. Mickey Hutton trades jokes for laughs with support from genial raconteur Dougie Dunlop. David

, Hadingham and Rick Right. The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7). Daniel Packard takes

to the headline spot. aided and abetted by

l Graeme Thomas. Jo Jo Sutherland. loony Jo Darkin and host Jane Mackay.

Glasgow

Jongleurs Comedy Club

Jongleurs. L'GC Building. Renfrew Street.

Wednesday 18 '

Glasgow

Comedy Benefit Evening The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 6(X) 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£4). Cheeky chappy Joe Heenan and dancing monkey boy Sandy Nelson join Saj. Chris Henry and Martin & Wee Man to help raise funds for Amnesty lntemational.

46 THE LIST 12—26 May 2005

()8707 870707. 8pm. £13. See Thu 19. Madcap Comedy Club The State Bar. 148 Holland Street. 332 215‘). 8.30pm. £6 (£5). Following his recent performance at the Glasgow international

's’eeiaiie9for'd'etais

Comedy Festival with Shame. Bruce Morton returns to the limelight with support from Chic and Billy Bonkers. Blackfriars Comedy Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. 9pm. £6 (£5). Local laughter-meister Des McLean teams up with Geordie duo Matt & Farron for this weekly comedy spot.

The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 6(X) 6055. 9pm. £10 (£8). See Fri 20. but with host Jane Mackay.

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni Centre. Greenside Place. ()8707 870707. 8.15pm. £13. See Fri 20.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£8). See Fri 20. although Susan Morrison takes over as compere.

Glasgow

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 (£1—£3). Comedy aces Graeme Thomas and Mr Paterson join Michael Redmond for this Sunday night comedy offering.

Edinburgh

Whose Lunch is it Anyway The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 1pm. Free. See Sun 15.

Jem Roll's Charm Offensive Roxy Art House. 2 Roxburgh Place. 0871 750 0077. 7.30pm. £3 (£2). Solo performance for dynamic Big Word man Jem Rolls. who is best known for mixing up poetics with politics and everything in between. Part of [fr/inbuiin Rush.

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£1—£3). Wicked host Bruce Devlin welcomes fun-loving Welshman Steve Williams to this night of laughs and topical quiz fun.

Glasgow

Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4. See Mon 16.

Edinburgh

Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £1. Welsh wonder Steve Williams shows more comedy beginner‘s how it's done.

Tuesday 24

Glasgow

Red Raw The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. ()870 6(X) 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£11. A host of comedy virgins air their best lines in the company of Chris Henry.

Edinburgh

Jupp’s Juniors 7The Stand. 5 york Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £5 (£2.50—£4). Miles ‘Archie' Jupp welcomes his pick of the hottest comedy talent.

Glasgow

The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III Charity Appeal The Stand. 333 Wrxxllands Road. ()870 6006055. 8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). The bible- bashcr gathers his faithful for an unholy evening of spiritual healing.

Edinburgh

The Stand lmprov The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £4 (£2.50--£3). lixplore the crazy world of improv comedy with the Stand Players as they climb hill and dale in search of bigger and better laughs.

Glasgow

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jonglcurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £7. Smiig Roberts keeps the laughs rolling in the company of Christian Reilly (who once accompanied ()tis Lee (‘rcnshaw around the world as a member

of his band the Black Liars). plus Eddie lfft and chatty comic Paul Thome.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 333

Woodlands Road. 0870 6(X) 6055.

8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). Mr Bombastic. Raymond Meams invites up and coming laughter-gurus Josh Howie. Chris Henry

and Keir McAllister to the stage.

Edinburgh

The Three Tuns Comedy Night The Three Tuns Wine Vaults. 7—1 1 Hanover Street. 0131 225 5412. 9pm. Free. Jokes and japes from John McGuinness. Susan Calman and more comedy faces.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£3—£5). Rapid fire Frankie Boyle invites a handful of top comedy totty to the stage. including Peter Berman. magical Mandy Muden. Kevin Bridges and free-style thinker ldil Sukan.

Big Word Performance Poetry Roxy Art House. 2 Roxburgh Place. 0871 7500077. 10pm. £3 (£2). A special featuring lightning-tongued Califomian slamrner Derrick Brown. Edinburgh lass Elspeth Murray and Ash Dickinson. Part of Edinburgh Rush. The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. 10.30pm—3am. £4 (£3.50). See Thu 12.

REASONS TO GO SEE

1. He’s a good boy, really This cockney lad could have fallen into bad ways. with the school he attended being closed down because of its dire academic record while many of his friends eventually ended up in prison. Something told him he should try for an alternative career path. 2. Social responsibility He has offered men solid advice on how to check for testicular cancer with the innovative use of lemons and limes. 3. Doing it for the kids As well as making the grown-ups laugh, he's been equally adept at providing chuckles for the children with shows such as Kids are Best and Never Growing Up. And having written for Teletubbies and BRUM. he should know what he's talking about 4. Just don’t sit too near the front You may well and up on stage. acting like a member of the animal kingdom. singing a solo or performing a handstand while making chimp noises. 5. Anagrammatically speaking As someone who is intrigued by the darker recesses of the male psyche. we wonder whether he can be at all related to the infamous star of Czech erotica. Horny Jan. (Brian Donaldson) Jong/eurs, Glasgow, Thu 7 9-Sat 27 May.