www.list.co.uk/comedy

Scottish culture and all its attendant stereotypes from the inside out, with plenty of laughs along the way. FREE Comedy Pow Wow The Illicit Still, 2 Brougham Street, Tollcross, 8.30pm. Replacing the comedy night at The Illicit Still, comes a new and improved version featuring stand-up, sketches, songs, competitions and special guests. Like Noel’s House Party. Featuring Ben Verth, Adam Mitchell, Phil O’Shea, and Bob Graham.

Wednesday 21

Glasgow ✽✽ Jeff Dunham Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000.

7.30pm. £28.50. Ventriloquist extraordinaire and internet phenomenon Dunham comes to the UK for his first tour, accompanied by his insanely popular puppet creations. Benefit in Aid of Vision Aid Overseas The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £10 (£8). Comedy from Gary Little, Steven Dick, Billy Kirkwood, Steve Shanyaski and Davey See, all raising funds for the charity which helps visually impaired people in the developing world.

Edinburgh Fit O’ The Giggles Out with The Old Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). An evening dedicated to new material from experienced acts. Watch as comedians step outside their comfort zones, and unleash their latest gags to the world. Lucy Porter: Fool’s Gold The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10 (£9). Pint-sized Porter returns with her Fringe 2009 show, Fool’s Gold. See preview.

Thursday 22

Glasgow Slumdog Stand Up Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, 410 Sauchiehall Street, 7.30pm. £19.95 (inc meal). See Thu 15. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Spend a weekend in the company of Joe Heenan, with Dominic Woodward, Charlie Ross, Ed Patrick and Fred MacAulay. Edinburgh Ghillie Gags Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. 8.30pm. £15 inc dinner. See Thu 15. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Thu 15. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). This weekend features Sean Percival, Steve Shanyaski and Teddy, recently voted the Best New Scottish Comedian at the Scottish Variety Awards. With host Scott Agnew.

Friday 23

Glasgow Famous for Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. Comedy goodies from Adam Crow and Susan Murray followed by dancing til it hurts. Hot food’s available too. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 22, with Bruce Morton replacing Mr MacAulay. Edinburgh Famous for Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. From £10. More comedy and all-night entertainment as Brendan Riley and Scott Agnew make you laugh, and then some tunes make you bounce at the aftershow club. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 22 for line-up.

Comedy Hitlist THE BEST COMEDY *

For Mark Steel’s in Town, the comic drops into six UK locations to discover what makes them and their Mark Steel inhabitants peculiarly unique. Not only does he go and find that kind of stuff out, he then goes and performs a live stand-up show in that town to tell them about their loveable quirks. In this episode he drops into Dumfries with its abiding fondness for Rabbie Burns and its local football team: the cock of the north and Queen of the South, if you like. Another Scottish twist is added when he lands in Kirkwall on 12 May for the series’ finale. Radio 4, Wed 21 Apr, 6.30pm.

Saturday 24 Monday 26

Glasgow Famous for Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. See Fri 23. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £13. See Thu 22 for line-up. Edinburgh Famous for Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 6.30pm & 10pm. From £10. See Fri 23. Fit O’ The Giggles Upstairs Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 9pm. £5. See Sat 17. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £13. See Thu 22 for line-up.

Sunday 25

Glasgow Glasgow Kids Comedy Club The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 3pm. £4. Another top notch show aimed at younger comedy fans, with Steve Shanyaski, Bruce Devlin and Mikey Adams. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult. FREE Ha Ha Raw Comedy Ivory Hotel, Langside Avenue, Shawlands, 8.30pm. This free Shawlands gig continues to offer a different line-up each week. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Another comedy sermon from Redmond, with guest spots from Dominic Woodward, Charlie Ross and Lucy Oldham. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1pm. See Sun 18. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Host Billy Kirkwood brings your weekend to a bouncy close, as he introduces Steve Shanyaski, Jeff O’Boyle, Robert Parker and Ben Verth.

Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). Billy Kirkwood, Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy, Chris Forbes and The Improv Dogs champion the fine art of improvised comedy. Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Don’t mock until you’ve tried it. The Stand’s opportunity for newer comedians takes its weekly position with host Scott Agnew.

Tuesday 27

Glasgow FREE Comedy at the Halt Bar The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 352 9996. 8pm. See Tue 20. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Chris Forbes hosts this evening’s entertainment, with a whole heap of newbies and a professional headliner to top things off.

Wednesday 28

Glasgow Best of Irish The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £7 (£6; members £4). The Stand’s resident Irish fella, Michael Redmond, comperes this tribute to the fair isle of Ireland. With Martin Mor and John Colleary. Edinburgh Best of Scottish The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). The finest tartan-wielding, Irn Bru-drinking, kilt-wearing (or not, in any way) comedians demonstrate all that’s ace about the Scottish scene. With legend Parrot, Michael Adams and host Billy Kirkwood. Fit O’ The Giggles Out with The Old Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). See Wed 21.

✽✽ The Comedy Circuit by Gilded Balloon Another bunch of comics hit the road thanks to the iconic Fringe venue. Stuart Goldsmith, Doc Brown and scary magic man Ali Cook (pictured) all do their things. Oran Mor, Glasgow, Thu 15 Apr. ✽✽ Kevin Bridges Nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer gong last Fringe and with a massive SECC gig on the way, there seems to be no stopping the Clydebank stand-up. Perth Concert Hall, Thu 15 Apr. ✽✽ Jeff Dunham Giving the lost art of ventriloquism a dark and dangerous name, the man reputed to be the third richest comic in the States after Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock drops by on his brief UK stint. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Wed 21 Apr. ✽✽ Paul Sinha Headlining duties come the way of the ever-talented comic who was once in the medical profession. Like Harry Hill, George Ryegold, Simon Brodkin and Joe Pasquale. No, wait, maybe not Joe Pasquale. The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 29 Apr.

Thursday 29

Glasgow Slumdog Stand Up Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, 410 Sauchiehall Street, 7.30pm. £19.95 (inc meal). See Thu 15.

✽✽ The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600

6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Kick off your weekend with a dose of intelligence from Paul Sinha, with Parrot, Danny Deegan and host Billy Kirkwood.

Edinburgh Ghillie Gags Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. 8.30pm. £15 inc dinner. See Thu 15. FREE Heresy The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9pm. See Thu 15. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Host Bruce Devlin introduces Lucy Oldham, John Colleary, Tony Burgess and the life-affirming mayhem that emits from Martin Mor.

15–29 Apr 2010 THE LIST 59