Wee Man and liilidh MacAskill tsee preview). i

Edinburgh

Warm Up to the Fringe lispionage. 4 India Buildings. Victoria Street. 477 7007. 5 7pm. £l0 (£8). Stretch your muscles ahead of the August onslaught as lispionage prepare for another festival of gigs. 'l‘onight‘s comedy comes from Jojo Sutherland. Neil Mcl‘arlane. Susan (‘alman and Michael Redmond. Half of the profits go to the Sick Kids Friends

host

MUSICAL COMEDY EILIDH MACASKILL

Last year, one woman set out on an incredible journey. There were tears. There was laughter. There were good times, there were bad, and there were midnight YouTube sessions in front of her cat, as Eilidh MacAskill attempted a performance on a tiny guitar for every day of 2007. Five months after the final Eilidh’s Daily Ukulele Ceilidh, MacAskill is back, exploiting the inherent comic potential of George Formby’s instrument of choice with a new stand-up direction.

‘The public response to the Ukulele Ceilidh has been amazing,’ she says. ‘I have to say I’m quite enjoying being a minor Glasgow celebrity. I’m not quite at the level of a River City actor, but I’m getting there. Quite a few people recognise me from the Christmas ceilidhs [televised on the BBC] and a lady in a shop in lnverness said she’d heard me on the radio.’

Feeling a bit of a void in her existence once she realised that the daily performances were ‘bringing much-needed meaning to my life’, MacAskill decided to push the ukulele performance genre. She describes her upcoming slots as ‘stand-up with a uke. I did the ceilidh as a theatre show in London and the marketing manager said, “Oh, I didn’t know it was stand-up. We could have got more people if we’d known that”. So I thought I’d give it a go. I made a new song using the titles of spam messages I’ve been sent in a bid to do “edgy” comedy. That’s quite funny.’ (Kirstin lnnes) I The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 8—Sal l0 May

Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedyOlist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Sian Bevan. Indicates Listpicks entry

tongue. introducing David Kay. John Ross. (‘arol Tobin and Andrew l.earmonth.

Heresy 'l'he Jekyll & llyde. l 12 Hanover Street. 225 2022. 9pm. £3. Rick Molland's den of inequity welcomes another load of comedians unleashing the darkest pieces of material they can think of.

Glasgow

The Thursday Show The Stand.

333 Woodlands Road. 0870 (>00 ()()55. 8.30pm. £7 (£6; £3 members). Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. John Moloney. Nick l)oody. The Wee U(i(‘ Building. l I Renfrew Street. 0870 Man and liilidh MacAskill are all getting 7870707. 8pm. £l2. Mike l‘erry. Parrot.

Glasgow

the weekend started early. along with Smug Roberts and the iiber-cool 'l'om jovial host Raymond Mearns. See Slade entertain Jongleurs this weekcnd. preview for MacAskill. doing their utmost to make the ttlob

, laugh. There‘s a club afterwards. included Edinburgh in the price. so you can bop.

The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5: £3 members). ()h. a lovely pick'n'mix this evening. with comedy Iiring in from all angles. M(‘ Bruce l)evlin llails the audience into action with his acid

The Stand The Stand. 333 mellands Road. 0870 (100 (i055. 8.30pm. £9 (£8: members £5). A weekcnd guided by the steady hand of host Raymond Mearns. with the company of stalwarts John Moloney and John (iillick. as well as the

Poundahon.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni Centre. (irecnside Place. 08707 870707. 8.15pm. £l I. Jongleurs opens its doors to another weekcnd of partying. comedy hungry hoards throwing comedians l)ave Johns. Steve Best and (‘olin (‘ole into the ring to entertain them. Dancing until 3am afterwards. Not

compulsory. obviously.

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £9 (£8; members £3). Bruce Devlin presents the inimitable David Kay. who‘s worth the entry price alone. as well as John Ross. (‘arol Tobin and Andrew l.earmonth. A lovely weekend should be had by all.

Glasgow

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs.

l.'(}(‘ Building. ll Renfrew Street. 0870 787 0707. 8pm. £15. See Hi 9.

The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands

Road. 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £l2. See l‘ri t).

Edinburgh

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni (‘entre. (ircenside Place. 08707 870707. 8.l5pm. £l4. See l‘ri I).

The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. ()pm. £l2. See l‘ri 9.

Glasgow Ha Ha Raw Comedy Ivory

llotel. Langside Avenue. Shawlands. 8.30pm. A beautiful night of new comedy talent. headed tip by a professional headliner and M('. tucked in the heart of Shawlands. 'l‘he line-ups change weekly. btrt you should always get there early for a decent seat.

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand. 333 thxllands Road. 0870 600 (>055. 8.30pm. £5 (£4: members £l ). John (iillick. Niall Browne. Rick Molland and Daniel Slossjoin regular host .‘vlr Redmond in a night dedicated to the (iods of laughter.

Edinburgh

Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. lprn. Stu and (iarry. the resident irriprov-gtrrtrs at the Stand. treat you to some free improvised comedy ftm. With hot food available. you can stretch otrt the weekend that little bit further. Watch out for some magical special guests. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4: members £l ). Joe lleenan hosts the demise of another week of life on earth. in the company of (iary Little. (‘arol 'l'obin. Ross Baillie. Lesley Kelly and John Whale.

Glasgow

Magners Comedy Monday Mc(‘huills. 40 High Street. 552 2l35. 8.15pm. £2 t£l ). ltnprobabble cheer up Mondays in (ilasgow with some of their quick-witted. improvised japes. (‘ome ready with suggestions.

Edinburgh

Fit 0’ The Giggles Absolute Beginners 'l‘he Mercat. 28 West Maitland Street. 225 38(il. 8.30pm. £2. M(‘ Keara Murphy introduces a selection of new acts with an experienced headliner.

The Thursday Show A hot and varied list of comedy folk abound here with John Moloney, Nick Doody, The Wee Man (scarin pictured) and Eilidh MacAskill all doing their thing in the company of compering host Raymond Mearns. See preview for MacAskill. The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 8 May.

John Hegley Luton's top poetical potato fan returns for this one-off extravaganza of prose and piercing stares when things don’t quite go according to plan. Which. on reflection, isn't especially often. See 5 Things. The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 73 May.

Owen O’Neill Another comic moving on the lyrical side of life here as the redheaded Irish chap tackles the Jongleurs crowd with subtlety and skill. Jong/eurs, Glasgow, Thu I5—Sat 77 May.

Daniel Kitson If you haven't got your ticket yet. that's tough as the bearded guy sold out these gigs in about four minutes. He’ll be back in August though, so no need to cry into your soup. See caption. The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 79 & Wed 20 May.

bringing comedy to the West lind of lidinburgh.

Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Red Raw thrusts open a theatrical (and metaphorical) curtain to reveal another group of up—and-coming talent. headed tip by Jill Peacock and (iraeme 'l‘homas.

Glasgow

Red Raw The Stand. 333 \‘l'oixllands Road. 0870 ()00 6055. 8.30pm. £2 l£| members). Bargain bucket comedy. with a selection of wannabe funsters of all different shapes and si/es to suit all tastes. Led by professionals Scott Agnew and (iraeme 'l'homas.

Edinburgh

John Hegley The Stand. 5 York

Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10 (£5). We challenge the grumpiest person in the world not to feel all woolly inside after an hour in the company of comedian. musician and poet llegley. You may have tojoin in but you'll feel much better for it. we promise. See 5 Things. page 48.

8 >2? May 2008 THE LIST 47