Comedy The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 23 for line-up.

Edinburgh To Be Continued The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 8pm. £7 (£5). This talented group of improvisers put on a fast-paced show, based on audience suggestions. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £4–£7. See Fri 24. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 9pm. £10–£13. See Fri 24.

✽✽ The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See

Fri 24 for line-up. Jekyll & Hyde Comedy Club The Jekyll & Hyde, 112 Hanover Street, 225 2022. 9.30pm. £8 (£6). Rick Molland presents a night in a basement which you’ll remember for the right reasons. Hopefully. Paisley Fit O’ The Giggles @ Hamishes Hoose Hamishes Hoose, 42 Old Sneddon Street, 561 7105. 9pm. £5. Three professional acts and a promising newbie. Hosted by the incorrigible Stu Who? and featuring Keara Murphy.

Sunday 26

Glasgow ✽✽ Danny Bhoy: Messenger (Please Do Not Shoot) King’s

Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648.

8pm. £18.75. One of Scotland’s biggest comedy exports performs in his homeland. See 5 Things. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Maxing and relaxing with the ever-chilled Michael Redmond as Antony Murray, Paul F Taylor, Charlie Ross and Tommy Mackay preach to the converted. Part of the West End Festival. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Stu and Garry improvise their way through your hangover this Sunday lunchtime. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). The comedy cocktail tonight includes Ro Campbell, Mark Bratchpiece, Stephen Callaghan and Richard Melvin with host Rebecca Donohue.

Monday 27

Glasgow ✽✽ The Impenetrable Click The 13th Note Café/Bar, 50–60 King

Street, 553 1638. 8pm. £3 (£2). A night of experimental comedy, poetry and music with Scottish/American powerhouse Sarah Cassidy, Will Setchell, Alan Scott and Geoff Gawler.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2 (£1). Ben Verth introduces the new talent night with the

occasional old-timer dropping by to polish their act. Fit O’ The Giggles Out With the Old City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125. 8.30–10.30pm. £3 (£2). The new material night (formerly known as Absolute Beginners) with weekly host Keara Murphy. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Sympathy is laughter’s best friend, so be nice to the new talent, and old timers Davey Connor and Ro Campbell.

Tuesday 28

Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. An evening of up-and-coming talent featuring old hands Rob Kane and Ro Campbell. Edinburgh Breaking News The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Topical gags from the likes of Susan Morrison and Vladimir McTavish. We Happy Few Presents . . . The Banshee Labyrinth, 29–35 Niddry Street, 558 8209. 8.30pm. £3. Sketches and stand-up from Ben Verth, Mickey Anderson, Hitch Hanrahan, Adam Mitchell, Clarisse Loughery, Niall McCamley and James Stewart.

Wednesday 29 Glasgow Best of Irish Comedy The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879.

REVIEW DVD STEWART LEE’S COMEDY VEHICLE (2entertain) ●●●●●

The second series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle will do very little to alter the entrenched opinions on both sides of his critical fence. Those detractors will switch off in their droves at the uncompromising, awkward and confrontational style and content while, conversely, his devotees will avoid switching off in their droves due to the uncompromising, awkward and confrontational style and content. More so than ever before, Lee’s act is as much

about the mechanics of stand-up as it is about the comedy itself. At pains to cocoon himself further from just about every mainstream act on the contemporary British comedy scene, he actually goes some way in reconfiguring what observational comedy could be: they are surely given yet rarely

acknowledged facts that receipts are ‘proof of purchase’ and that the Scottish lay eggs?

Aside from a closing sequence at the end of each

episode, Lee has dumped the clunky sketchy bits from season one and replaced them with superb inserts featuring a noirish Armando Iannucci challenging Lee on where he’s going wrong and what he should do to make his show funnier. All of which is acted out with the acrid tones of a Daily Mail editorial in the face of Lee’s increasing irritation.

The DVD extras tor the six episodes include a rather splendid acoustic number about Russell Brand’s wedding (called ‘Russell Brand’s Wedding’) and an extended version of the sequence with comics legend Alan Moore which speculates furiously on whether Winston Churchill was not Britain’s wartime leader, but actually a cigar-puffing pig in a hat. (Brian Donaldson)

56 THE LIST 23 Jun–21 Jul 2011

8.30pm. £7 (£6; members £3). The smiling Irish eyes tonight are Kevin Hayes and Andrew Ryan with Stand resident Michael Redmond hosting. FREE The West End Comedy Basement Tennent’s Basement Bar, 191 Byres Road, 339 7203. 8.30pm. Musical laughs from Ross Main with John Purves, Andrew Learmonth and Billy Kirkwood. Edinburgh Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Tonight’s national representatives include Sandy Nelson, Jojo Sutherland, Daniel Webster and Ben Verth. Raymond Mearns is host.

Thursday 30

Glasgow The Laughing Crow Crow Tavern, 118 Kirkintilloch Road, Bishopbriggs, 0781 284 3120 8.30pm. £6. Des Clarke shares sharp observations with Jojo Sutherland and Sandy Nelson. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Bruce Devlin comperes this evening, in the fine old company of Sandy Nelson, Andrew Ryan and Julia Sutherland. Edinburgh Comedy Unplugged: Open Mic Competition Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 7.45pm. £5. Brave new comics face the wrath of Edinburgh’s hecklers to see who’s the best at standing up and being funny. Fit O’ The Giggles @ Constitution Constitution Bar, 48 Constitution Street, Leith, 538 9374. 8.30–10.30pm. £5. Four different jokers presided over by the majestic Keara Murphy. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Check out the comedy musings of Markus Birdman, Kevin Hayes, Jeff Kreisler, Gordon Alexander and host Susan Morrison.

Friday 1

Glasgow ✽✽ Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building,

11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. Needle-sharp ponderings from former teacher Mike Milligan, with Mikey Adams and Tom Stade. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 30 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Cheery Scouse-isms from R David, with Stuart Mitchell, Wayne Deakin and Brian Higgins.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £4–£7. See Fri 24. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 9pm. £10–£13. Raucous rants from Raymond Mearns, with affable Mat Reed and camp fun from Topping & Butch. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 30 for line-up.

Saturday 2

Glasgow ✽✽ Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building,

11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. See Fri 1. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 1. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 30 for line-up.