MY COMEDY HERO JASON MANFORD The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 12 Jan; The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 13 Jan
I saw Billy Connolly live in Manchester when l was eight, though I’m not sure how I got in. My dad had two tickets but my mum said ‘oh I don’t fancy it’ and he didn’t have anyone else to go with, so I said ‘I’ll go’ and got sneaked in. I did sit there and laugh but I was more transfixed by this alpha male on stage just talking. He sounded and looked so funny that as soon as it was done, that was all I wanted to be. I wanted to be him and I’ve watched every single thing he’s done and always found him brilliant. Even recently when he’s had a bit of stick, I still stand by him because when he
was at his best, he was the best.
There are people who’ve only seen one comedy show in their life and it’s probably Billy Connolly. Peter Kay has that in the north west where suddenly loads of people who’ve never been to a theatre are going to see him; every so often it takes someone like that to excite people. Also for Connolly, to be up there at that time and not doing mother-in-Iaw gags in a world of mother-in-law gags was brave. In America they’d been doing it for 20 years but in this country it was new and special.
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedy®list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Sian Bevan. Indicates Hitlist entry
Glasgow
The Thursday Show The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £5). (iet thyself to The Stand to see the very marvellous raconteur Jason John Whitehead. who is joined by compere Scott Agnew. Silky. Rab Brown and Michael Adams.
Edinburgh
Heresy The Jekyll 6'; Hyde. l 12 Hanover Street. 225 2022. 9pm. £3. The new year has dawned. and the Heresy show continues in its darkened depravity. This ain‘t for the easily offended. kiddo.
The Thursday Show The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). The very chartning circuit veteran Simon Bligh heads tip this evening‘s litte- tip. in the company of .\1(‘ Raymond Mearns. '/.oe Lyons and Jeff ()‘Boyle. (let in early for a good seat and a chance to sample the line fare ol'The Stand kitchen.
42 THE LIST 8%)? .Jan 2000
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. l'(i(' Building. 1 l Renfrew Street. 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £8. Acts such as Alex Boardman and Victor Daniel will be entertaining the Jongleurs lot this weekend. There's hot food available and your ticket price gets you entry to (‘1th Risa. where they‘ll probably play ‘l.ivin’ on a Prayer' if you ask nicely.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £10 (£9: members £5). .\1iss Susan (‘alman has the honour of introducing a line selection of comedy talent at various stages of their career. frotn circuit favourites Jason John Whitehead and Silky to bright young things Rab Brown and Michael Adams.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni (‘entre. (ireenside Place. 0844 844
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on paqe8
0044. 8.15pm. From £8. A very chartning. and musical line-up this weekend at the Big J. with (ieordie scallywag (iavin Webster. (‘hristian ()‘Reilly and Jeremy O‘Donnell.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 8 for line-up.
Glasgow
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. l.'(i(‘ Building. I 1 Renfrew Street. 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £8. See Fri 9. Comedy @ The State The State Bar. 148 Holland Street. 332 2159. 9pm. £5. The State Bar basement is open again for entertainment after the Christmas break. It's only a liver and you'd be surprised at some of the names who pop by.
The Stand The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 9pm. £13. See Fri 9. Woodlands Bumper Value Comedy Club lfisge Beatha. 232—246 thxllands Road. 564 1596. 9pm. £6 (£4). Another addition to the blossoming (ilasgow comedy scene continues. headed up by .\l(‘ Alan Anderson. with a hand-picked. organic range of comedians.
Edinburgh
Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs. ()mni (‘entre. (ireenside Place. 0844 844 0044. 8.15pm. From £8. See Fri 9.
The Stand The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 9pm. £13. See Fri 9.
Glasgow
Ha Ha Raw Comedy Ivory Hotel. Langside Avenue. Shawlands. 8.30pm. An evening of free entertainment a la Shawlands. with a packed line-up every Sunday. (let in early for a seat. my dears.
Edinburgh
Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 1pm. You know the score: free improv. yummy food and a bar well-stocked with goodness. Stu and (iarry are your entertainers. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Billy Kirkwood bounds onto the stage as your affable compere. in an evening to make your Sunday just that bit better. With Kevin Bridges. Kim MacAskill. Phil Differ and (iarry l)obson providing the comedy titbits.
Glasgow
Jason Manford Special The
Stand. 333 Womllands Road. 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £12. The affable northern one from 8 ()u! of I() (tits is making a couple of appearances in Scotland. (‘atch him in full. live. beautiful observational flow before TV land devours him whole. See My (‘omedy Hero.
Edinburgh
Red Raw The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2 (£1 ). Graeme Thomas and Sian Bevan help shove a selection of newer acts into the limelight in this popular evening of cheap. fast and sometimes furious comedy entertainment.
Glasgow
Red Raw The Stand. 333 thxllands Road. 0870 6006055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1 members). It's the best showcase for new comedy talent in Scotland. and tonight Red Raw presents its latest collection of wannabes. headed tip by (Terry McDade and Ro (‘ampbell
Edinburgh Jason Manford Special The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £12 (£10). See Mon 12.
THINGS YOU MIGHT
NOT KNOW ABOUT . . .
Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt decided to become a double act while appearing as a penis and a whale in Stewart Lee's 1997 Edinburgh show. King Dong v Moby Dick. Lee in turn directed their ‘99 bonanza Arctic Boosh which was nominated for the Perrier.
One of their few rows occurred just before a show in Edinburgh after Noel accidentally put one of Julian‘s shirts in a coloured wash.
With four years difference. Julian sometimes acts like a big brother to Noel and once threatened to attack a stand-up comic who had insulted Noel during his act.
While praising Barratt's work as the “freelance scientist' in the late 90s drink ads for Metz. plummy Peter York insisted that Julian's Judderman 'has the same effect on girl viewers as Colin Firth playing Mr Darcy'.
A former art student. Fielding put on an exhibition in London‘s Gallery Maison Bertaux at the beginning of 2008 entitled Psychedelic Dreams of the Jelly Fox. It featured paintings of Bryan Ferry. Mick Jagger and one of Terry Wogan. entitled ‘Wogan Josh' as it looked more like a Curry than the Irish broadcaster.
(Brian Donaldson) SECC, Glasgow, Wed 74 Jan.
Glasgow The Mighty Boosh Sli(‘(‘. Finnieston Quay. 08700404000.
. 7.30pm. £25. Join Vince Noir and Howard
Moon (that's Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt in disguise). plus a whole host of recognisable characters. on their wacky and colourful adventures. See 5 Things. Rough Cuts The Stand. 333 Woodlands Road. 08706006055. 8.30pm. £5 (£4: members £2.50). The (‘omedy L'nit presents another evening of its fittest new sketches and comedy; a chance to see potential TV and radio hits before they go public.
‘ Edinburgh
Melting Pot The Stand. 5 York Place. 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). ()ne of the best places to enjoy a selection of sketch comedy from hot new
i writers. where you have the power to
select a winner and rocket them to stardom. Kinda.