* The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Poison poof Bruce Devlin corrals bearded wonder Martin ‘Bigpig' Mor. Matt ‘Modesty‘ BIai/e (see 5 Reasons) and Steven ‘no nickname' Dick for the three-day weekend.

Glasgow

VWX The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. ()870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £3 (£2; £l members). Five acts. a host and a horse. Audiences decide topics. and who gets a paid booking next time. With features the Horse‘s Mouth (aka Jamie Anderson & Kevin Bridges) and Dear l7nity. Steven Dick features.

Edinburgh

Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £l. Paul Pirie and Graeme Thomas throw more greenhorn recruits into the comedy mincer.

Tuesday 18

Glasgow

Red Raw The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1 members). It‘s a true comedy lottery for newcomers showing off their best lines. supported by an experienced compere and headliner.

Edinburgh

The 50p Show (‘anons' Gait. 232 (‘anoiigate. 556 448I. 8pm. 50p. New night involving local laughter merchants James Murray. James Blood. Beth Hamilton. Ben Venh. Barney Norris. and host Roddy Maclniies.

VWX The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £3 (£2; £l members). See Mott l7.

Hairy Watt Comedy Club Heriot- Watt University Union. Riccarton. 45l 5333. 9pm. £3. ('Iii'ii'in'rlie I’u! contributor Joe Heenan hosts Ross Noble‘s mate Gavin Webster and tiny Glaswegian Stisan Calman. Students and guests only.

Sidetracked Comedy Belushi‘s. 9 Market Street. 226 I446. 9pm. Free. Gratis comedy shenanigans involving newcomers and old hands.

Wednesday 1 9

Glasgow

Charity Comedy Night The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£4). Support research into the second most common cause of death in the UK bowel cancer by laughing at Joe Heenan. Sandy Nelson. Jason Arnstein and more.

Don Quixote Comedy Nite Cobar. 2()Ia Pitt Street, 332 9330. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). The chaps and chapesses behind the Don Quixote Appreciation Society tilt at those crazy comedy windmills

Edinburgh

Charity Comedy Night The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£4). Vladimir McTavish. Bruce Devlin. Derek Johnston (not the former Rangers player). Billy Kirkwood (not the fonner Dundee United player) and more star in aid of charity Bowel Cancer UK.

Glasgow

* The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; £3 members). A sneak preview of the weekend. with Jo

C aull'ield. David Kay and Graeme Thomas. Joe Heenan is master of ceremonies.

Edinburgh

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£5: £3 members). Laconic guy Craig Campbell. local boy Greg McHugh. and Marcus

Ryan warm themselves up for a weekend stint. Hosted by Bruce Devlin.

The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l lpm—3am. £5. See Thu l3.

Glasgow

Watson’s Wind-Up (ilasgow Film Theatre. l2 Rose Street. 332 8l28. lpm. Free; ticketed. See Fri 14.

Blackfr'iars Bumper Value Comedy Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 556 5626. 8pm. £4. Night ol'chucklesoine mirth. introduced by SUsan ('alinan. Guests to be confirmed.

Curlers Bumper Value Comedy Curlers. 256-260 Byres Road. 338 65l I. 8pm. £4. Popular Scottish comedian Vladimir McTavish headlines a night introduced by self-confessed pooftie Scott Agnew.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £ 10. ()Idham-born Alex Boardman is accompanied by Johnny (.‘andon‘s smelly feet. and the little lady with the big talent. Tanyalee Davis.

* The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Wry temptress Jo Caull'ield headlines. ably supported by Fife simpleton David Kay. and Graeme Thomas. (‘ompered by Joe Heenan.

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni Centre. Greenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £l0. Comedy-in-a- Mini innovator Allie Joey makes them laugh. with Irishman Kevin Gildea and funnyman squawkbox Parrot.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7). Susan Morrison introduces Canadian Craig Campbell (one of Festival favourites the Dinks). cheeky chappie Greg McHugh. and Aussie dreamboat Marcus Ryan.

The Bedlam Improverts Bedlam Theatre. I lb Bristo Place. 225 9893. l0.30pm. £3.50 (£3: £2.50 members). See Fri 14.

Glasgow

Blacktriars Bumper Value Comedy Blackfriars. 36 Bell Street. 556 5626. 8pm. £4. Maestro Alan Anderson warms up the crowd for topical satirist Vladimir McTavish. among others.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. UGC Building. Renfrew Street. 08707 870707. 8pm. £13. See Fri 21.

Cosy Comedy Cafe The State Bar. I48 Holland Street. 926 9289. 9pm. £6 (£5). See Sat l5.

* The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £l0 (£8). See Fri 2| but with Bruce Devlin doing the catty compering bit.

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. Omni Centre. Greenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £l2. See Fri 21.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £l0 (£8). See Fri 21.

Glasgow

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 (£3; £l members). Michael Redmond entenains in his usual lugubrious style. with comedy support from Greg McHugh and Marcus Ryan.

Edinburgh

Whose Lunch is it Anywari’ The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lpm. Free. See Sun l6.

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£3; £l members). Bruce Devlin welcomes Fife scone-lover David Kay to the Stand. along with Graeme Thomas.

Monday 24

Glasgow

Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08"0 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4. Team Monkey ibctter known as Sandy Nelson. Allen Chalmers. Patil Pirie. Des McLean and Raymond Mearns) spice up a dull weeknight with more spontaneous sketches. music and

Edinburgh

* Jerry Springer: The Opera l-‘esiival Theatre. l3 ~39 Nlc‘tllsoll Street. 52‘) 6000 7.3(lPlIl. £l3.5(l—£32.5(l. The controversial but incredibly popular opera written by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas will no doubt be a real draw for the capital's placard-w av ers.

Bed Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £ I. It's a true comedy lottery for newcomers show mg on" their best lines. supponed by compcre Bruce Fiiiniiiey and a headliner.

Glasgow Red Raw The Stand. 33.3 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1

members). See Mon 24.

Edinburgh

=l< Jerry Springer: The Opera Festival Theatre. l3—29 Nicolson Street. 529 6000. 7.30pm. £I3.50—£32.50. See Mon 24.

; Shamwagon The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£3; £2 members).

New improv show starring alumni from the Bedlam liiiproverts. including Jamie Anderson. Humphrey Ker. David Reed. ldil Sukan and Thom Tuck.

Sidetracked Comedy Belushi's. 9 Market Street. 226 I446. 9pm. Free. See Tue [8.

Wednesday 26

Glasgow

Best oi Irish The Stand. 33.3 \‘y'oixllands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £7 (£6). Bejesus and begorrah. it‘s more comedy imports from the limerald Isle. Kev in Gildea. Tara Flynn and others show oll their panicular gilt of the gab.

Don Quixote Ladies Comedy Nite The Liquid Ship. l7l—I75 (ireat Western Road. 33l l90I. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). Benefit night in aid of breast cancer research. featuring Susan Caliiian. Jo Jo Sutherland. Fran Healey (not the Travis t‘roiitguy; we think. anyway) and host Jay l.al'l'erty.

Edinburgh

=I< Jerry Springer: The Opera Festival Theatre. I3—2‘) Nicolson Street. 529 6000. 7.30pm. £l3.50—£32.50. See Mon 24. Best of Scottish The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5. Wave the

comedy saltire with charmingly sour II()sI Jane Mackay. Sandy Nelson. and Graeme

Thomas.

Thursday 27

Glasgow Freddie Starr Pavilion Theatre. l2l

Renfield Street. 332 I846. 7.30pm.

£15—£ l 7. The hamster muncher returns with his ‘zany' humour.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; £3 members). Kevin Gildea (of the

Kevin Gildeas fame) and Andrew Stanley

flex their minh mUscles. Rel'ereeing the

t comedy bunfight is Sandy Nelson.

Edinburgh

* Jerry Springer: The Opera Festival

Theatre. 13—29 Nicolson Street. 529 6000.

1 2.30pm & 7.30pm. £l3.5()—£32.5(). See

Mon 24.

Word Performance Poetry The Tron. 9 Hunter Square. High Street. 226 ()93l.

9—l lpm. £3 (£2). Joining host Jenny

Lindsay this week are guitar-man Mark RalTeny. Arts Foundation Award-winner Tim Tumbull. Laura Cameron Lewis of Silencio/Highway Diner infamy and

llit

THE BEST COMEDY

>l<

>I< Cuban Brothers Those crrrrrrraaaaaazy Cubans return with a spanking show that is as simple as ABC. Even though it's actually the AZ (Our they're pushing. The LIQUld Room, Edinburgh, Thu 73 Apr.

>I< Big Word Fifth Birthday Jam and Jen blow out the candles with highly active assistance from Rob Gee. Brendan McCloud. Lucy English. Gary Robertson and Tickle. The Tron, Edinburgh, Thu 73 Apr.

>I< Matt Blaize Nice SUII and nice line in comedic observations and all-round daftness. See 5 Reasons. The Stand. Glasgow, Thu 73—Sat 75 Apr; the Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 76 Apr.

* Jerry Sadowitz Take cover as Jez lets loose on all those he hates. Quite a long show. then. With magic tricks. we hope. See preview. George Square Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 75 Apr.

=I= Jo Caullield If you want to learn how to gossip with style. check out this genial comic whose last Fringe show was about why we love to hate. The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 20—837 22 Apr.

=l< Jerry Springer: The Opera You can almost hear the capital‘s ecclesiasts daubing their madcap slogans onto their placards already. can't you? Go. Jerry. Fest/va/ Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 24-Sat 29 Apr.

Paisley poet Tracy Patrick.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £6 (£5; £3 members). Jane Mackay and her lovely handbag welcome the energetic

efferv escence of Phil Nichol. and Tara Flynn’s velvet Irish tones.

The Snatch Social The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l Ipm—3am. £5. Life goes on at the Snatch after the Cuban Brothers' silliness.

13-27 Apr 2006 THE LIST 41