Comedy
BOOKS AUTUMN COMEDY PUBLICATIONS
The stand-up memoir has done some cracking business this year with Stewart Lee, his former comrade in comedy Richard Herring, and America’s wicked wench Sarah Silverman all pulling out the stops to give us something a little bit different in the form. It might take their entire lives for the trio to match the first-month sales figures of My Booky Wook, but in terms of literary merit, there’s little competition. Of the upcoming batch of publications, Simon Pegg’s Nerd Do Well (Century, 14 Oct) has the ‘highly-anticipated’ factor in its favour, given that it should have been out 12 months ago. But will he nail forever the question he gets asked in the street the most: ‘When will Spaced be back?’ I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at the questions thrown towards Michael McIntyre in the street, but the massively popular, and vastly populist, comic probably doesn’t care two flying hoots anymore. His Life and Laughing (Michael Joseph, 14 Oct) may go some way to explaining just how he got to where he is now.
There are three books by comics of a non-memoir variety which are of intrigue: Harry Hill’s Livin’ the Dreem (Faber, 7 Oct) will be lapped up by fans of his broad and big-collared silliness, while Kristen Schaal and Rich Blomquist give us a Sexy Book of Sexy Sex (Hodder, 14 Oct). Telly talking head Natalie Haynes seems to have left all that stand-up frippery behind her now and here offers us The Ancient Guide to Modern Life (Profile, 4 Nov), in which she attempts to answer questions such as ‘is The Wire based on Sophocles?’ and ‘when did the first Bond villain throw his first hapless underling into a pool of man-eating fish?’ We seem to have been saying for years that it’s only a matter of time before the likes of messrs Moran, Kitson and Tiernan knock out a novel to follow in the footsteps of stage-to-page folk like Fry, Laurie, Edmondson and Hughes (Sean not Ted, sillies). But for now we’ll have to settle for Dawn French with A Tiny Bit of Marvellous (Michael Joseph, 28 Oct), a debut novel about the dysfunctional Battles family, while Steve Martin’s An Object of Beauty (Weidenfeld, 25 Nov) traverses the New York art set and may or may not help us to forget the dreadful films he’s made over the last 20 years. (Brian Donaldson)
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Siân Bevan. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 23
Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Wee Susan Calman returns to The Stand for the weekend to introduce Simon Bligh, John Ross, Liam Mullone and Martin McAllister. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Susan Morrison hosts the weekend of joy featuring Bennett Aaron, David Longley and local boy Stephen Callaghan.
Friday 24
Glasgow Jongleurs Tiger Tiger, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 553 4888. 8pm. TBC. 54 THE LIST 23 Sep–7 Oct 2010
Janey Godley is joined by Christian Reilly, Jason John Whitehead and Joe Heenan for a night at Jongleurs. highlight Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. Bob Mills, Billy Kirkwood, Kevin Hayes and Christian Reilly are doing some comedy this evening in the party palace of Highlight. Dancing afterwards included in the price. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 23 for line-up. Edinburgh highlight Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. From £10. This weekend features Tim Clark, Carl Hutchinson, Nick Doody and Steve Gribbin. Dancing afterwards if you last. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 23 for line-up. The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 11b Bristo Place, 225 9893. 10.30pm. £4.50 (£4; members £3.50). Late-night laughter from Edinburgh’s long-standing improvised comedy troupe with more made-up madness.
Saturday 25
Glasgow Jongleurs Tiger Tiger, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 553 4888. 8pm. TBC. See Fri 24. highlight Comedy Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8pm. From £12. See Fri 24. Half Price Comedy Club Uisge Beatha, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 9pm. £6 (£4). The comedy club restarts after the summer, with a different line-up each week. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 9pm. £13. See Thu 23 for line-up. Edinburgh highlight Comedy Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. From £10. See Fri 24. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £13. See Thu 23 for line-up.
Sunday 26
Glasgow FREE Comedy at the Ivory Ivory Hotel, Langside Avenue, Shawlands, 636 0223. 8pm. The Shawlands gig rises up again, under new management and with a fresh batch of faces doing the comedy and Graham Mackie on hosting duties. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Settle down everyone, Michael Redmond’s here. This week his guests include John Ross, Patrick Rolink, Daniel Webster and Caroline Robertson. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch is it Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Stu & Garry bring forth magical improvised comedy. With hot food available and a bar, this is the best hangover cure since God invented Irn Bru and tattie scone rolls. Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4; members £1). Host Rebecca Donohue eases the end of the weekend with three funny gents: David Longley, Bob Graham and funny dad John Gavin.
Monday 27
Edinburgh Fit O’ The Giggles Absolute Beginners Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). More comedy goodies from the increasingly long list of hopeful comedians in Scotland, courtesy of the Fit O’The Giggles team. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). The beginners showcase which has been running for a million years produces another load of people prepared to face the mic. With help from professionals Mark Nelson and Chris Henry.
Tuesday 28
Glasgow FREE Comedy at the Halt Bar The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 352 9996. 8.30pm. A wee gig showcasing the young (and not-so-young) hopefuls after a shot of the comedy flag, all for nothing but attention and adoration. Like cute puppies in a basket made of jokes. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £2 (£1). Up to ten new acts try and make you laugh in this packed show. With Gus Tawse. Edinburgh Matt Green & Co The Pleasance Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 556 6550. 7.30pm. £5 (£4). The owner of one of the more controversial posters of the Fringe (go look it up) is back up north to talk about embarrassment. For students and grown-ups and everyone in between.
5 THINGS
ROSS NOBLE 1 Raised in the tiny Northumberland town of Cramlington, Noble was a circus performer by the age of 15. Through this, he discovered stand- up. His propensity for being bored very quickly led him to become the comic he is today, an improvising juggernaut by whom two shows are quite simply never the same.
2 Last year, calamity struck the Nobles (he has a wife, Fran, and small daughter, Elfie ) when their 100-acre farm outside Melbourne was destroyed in savage bush fires. While everything he owned was gone, it could have been much worse as his wife and kid survived (he was gigging at the time) when many other people in the area did not. Noble sums it up thus: ‘For us, it’s as if there was a massive car crash and we happened to lose a shoe’. 3 One thing the teetotaller Noble loved about Australia (asides from the ‘mental animals’) was the chance to get away from Britain’s booze culture. He does offer a solution to the problem: 24-hour superpubs with sofas, tables and all-round comfort for everyone because ‘It’s very hard to get lairy if you’re in a beanbag’.
4 In May, Noble started a one-night trend on Jonathan Ross’ telly show by wrestling the host to the floor in an extended joust. Gary Lineker also had a brief go while Damon Albarn and his Gorillaz somewhat outnumbered JR in a massively undignified tussle. 5 He’s not related in any way, shape or form to Kim Noble, the man formerly one half of deconstructionist comedy duo Noble and Silver, who once filmed of himself releasing some bodily juices into a frozen meal before resealing the packet and sticking it back into the supermarket cabinet whence it came. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Playhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 7 Oct.
Wednesday 29
Glasgow ✽✽ Nordoff-Robbins Comedy Gala The Garage, 490 Sauchiehall Street, 332 1120. 7pm. £10 (£6). A stellar line-up for this charity event, raising funds for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland. Featuring Des Clarke, Greg ‘Tank Commander’ McHugh, Bruce Morton, Tam Cowan, Janey Godley and Susan Calman. Best of Irish The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. 8.30pm. £7 (£6; members £3). A night celebrating Irish comedy, with Stand regular Michael Redmond, plus Johnny Candon, Colm O’Regan and FJ Murray.