Tackling the hegemony of the big two
comedy clubs in these parts is no mean task, but those good people down Blackfriars way are doing their utmost. For this issue’s mirthful mayhem, they’re dragging out the big guns with Janey Godley (pictured), Raymond Mearns and Jo ‘Don’t Mention’ Jo ‘Wife Swap’ Sutherland wielding their comedic arsenal. Black/mars. G/asgow. Sat 28 May <3 4 Jun.
Monday 30
Glasgow
Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4. Much loy‘cd comedy improy night with Sandy Nelson. Raymond Mearns. Allen Chalmers. Joe lleenan and Des McLean. plus their trusty guitar and piano for company.
Edinburgh
Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £1. Host Chris Henry and headliner Michael Manley lead the way for a clutch of comedy beginners.
Glasgow
Red Raw The Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road. (1870 ()(X) 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Chris Henry introduces a new group of fresh comedy faces. plus headliner Mr Patterson.
Edinburgh
Comedy Benefit Evening The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£4). Big man (iary Little and his comedy chum Key in Bridges stand up to raise money for Challenges Worldwide. which organises projects oyerseas.
www .challengesw orldw idc.com.
Wednesday 1
Glasgow
John Hegley: Uncut Confetti The Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £9 (£8). Bespectacled comic-poet introduces Hermann Messiah the Sack Rtrssell Terrier and other friends as he performs numbers from his eight best-selling books. See pr'ey'icyy. page 42.
Edinburgh
Melting Pot The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £5 (£2.50 £4). Cast your \otc in the ultimate comedy referendum as Scotland‘s bright young things throw their short theatre pieces into the ring.
Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. [‘(iC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707
870707. 8pm. £7. Laugh-a-minute comedy from patter merchant Roger Monkhouse. spaced-out Canadian Jason- John Whitehouse. Tony ‘Palcface' Hendriks and Jim ‘l’orno’ Jeffries.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). A busy old night as top dog Raymond Mearns welcomes comedy powerhouse Junior Simpson. Dayina McCall look-a-Iike Karen Cocklield. Michael Manley and Niall Brown.
Edinburgh
Three Tuns Comedy Night The Three Tuns Wine Vaults. 7 -l 1 Hanover Street. 0131 225 5412. 9pm. Free. ()wen Niblock leads the laughs with help from some mystery comedy chums at this Thursday night stand-up offering.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£3-—£5). Any'il Springstein trades jokes for laughs with support from yentriloquist Mark Felgate. Mr Paterson. Paul Pirie and the ultra flamboyant guest compete. Craig Hill.
The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. ()c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l0.30pm~3am. £4 (£3.50). See Thu 26.
Glasgow
Watson’s Wind-up (ilasgow Film Theatre. 12 Rose Street. 332 8128. lprn. Free btrt ticketed. See Fri 27. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. C(iC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £12. See Thu 2.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Junior Simpson preaches the stand-up gospel with support from former teacher John Flint. iny‘entiye mistress of laughter Karen (‘ocklie1d. Niall Brown and guest compete Mr Raymond Mearns.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni Centre. (ireenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £12. Feisty funny lady and comedy \eteran Jo Jo Smith leads the way. with ample comic support from the liy'ely Rob Heeney and impresario Stefano l’aolini.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7). Hardcore funny man Anyil Springstein teams up with voice thrower Mark Felgate. musical maestro Allen Chalmers. Paul Pirie and hostess with the mostest. Jane Mackay.
Saturday 4
Glasgow
Blackfriars Comedy Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 552 5924. 8pm. £6 (£5). Bornbastic Raymond Mearns shares a stage with Bratchy'. comedy mother Jo Jo Sutherland. Austin Low. Rowan Campbell and MC Alan Anderson. See caption. left. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jonglcurs. L'GC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £13. See Thu 2. Madcap Comedy Club The State Bar. 148 Holland Street. 332 215‘). 9pm. £5 (£4). Irish laughter-meisters Michael Redmond and Francis Healy team up with wordsrnith \"iy (iee for more Saturday night guffaws.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 6006055. 9pm. £10 (£8). See Fri 3.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleut‘s. ()mni Centre. (ireenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £13. See Fri 3.
Glasgow
Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 (£l»—£3). Spot-on local parodies from east coaster Colin Ramone. plus Keyin Bridges. the Fun Brothers and droll Irish host. Michael Redmond.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 1pm. Free. See Sun 2‘).
Open Mic Night with Reg Anderson Bar Sirius. Dock Place. Leith. 555 3344. 7.30pm. £3 (£2). Try out your best lines in front of the Leith contingency. supposedly one of the friendliest audiences in the city. with support from Sunderland jester Reg. Parr rift/re Leif/r I'i’s'lit'ul.
The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£1—£3 ). Surreal character comedian Karen Cockfield and Mr Paterson join Iaughter-meister Bruce Devlin for more Sunday night fun.
Monday 6
Glasgow
Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4. See Mon 30.
Edinburgh
Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £1. A handful of fresh comedy talents air their best lines. with support from Andy“ Sir and Vladimir McTayish.
Glasgow
Red Raw The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Mischieyous funny man Joe Heenan is the act to follow for a bunch of comedy
Edinburgh
Comedy Benefit Evening The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£4). A host of stand-up comedians donate their laughter-making talents to raise money for Water Aid.
Wednesday 8
Glasgow
Rough Cuts The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 000 0055. 8.30pm. £4 (£2 £3). New comedy sketch
show. hosted by New Deal comedian Tony Carter. L'sing scripts from aspiring Comedy L'nit writers and professional actors. it mixes up quick-lire pieces with sitcom scenes.
Glasgow
The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£3—£5). Banter-meister Roger Monkhouse leads the merry comedy way. with support from cheeky geordie Tony Carter. trickster Steyen Dick. Duncan (iuthrie and full-force host. Raymond Mearns.
Edinburgh
Big Word Performance Poetry The Tron. 9 Hunter Square. High Street. 226 0931. 9pm. £3 (£2). Fortnightly dose of lyrical mayhem featuring Dundonian Gary Robertson. Fiona Lindsay. piranha poet Gary Death. Bram (iieben. Sean McBride and Jed Milroy. Hosted by regular compere Jenny Lindsay.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£3—£5). Bearded mischief-maker Martin ‘Bigpig‘ Morjoins comedy sharp-shooter Nick Doody'. Michael Manley and Susan Calman for another pre-weekend laughter session. hosted by guest compere Jane Mackay. The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l().30pm--3am. £4 (£3.50). See Thu 26.
PROFILE
Name Susan Murray
Who’s she then? At first glance she appears to be a bawdy Brummie with a mouth like a neglected sewer. But it soon transpires that she's a bawdy Brummie with a mouth like a neglected sewer who left her native Glasgow at the age of two. Not her fault, of course. but she clearly feels mildly saddled with that accent: ‘Hands up who among you think I'm stupid?‘
In three words (albeit one of them hyphenated) Self- effacing, scatological. spunky. Where we saw her The Stand. Edinburgh, Sun 15 May. Anyone else good that night? The evening's compere Bruce Devlin was in typically fine. filthy form, inducing a walk-out after approximately six minutes. Enjoyed one-sided banter with a Sven Goran Eriksson doppelganger and became almost speechless during an 'interview' session with football pundit Bob ‘the Gob' Doolally. Also worth noting was one of the comedy newcomers. Susan Calman. a wee lassie with a big future if her swingball story and relaxed. witty manner are anything to go by. (Brian Donaldson)
20 May—9 Jtrr‘. 200:3 THE LIST 43