Comedy HITLIST THE BEST COMEDY EVENTS
Jimmy Carr More shocking Laughter Therapy from the man who may remind more senior fans of an evil Derek Nimmo. Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Thu 25 Aug; Perth Theatre, Fri 26 & Sat 27 Aug.
Simon Munnery After another successful leftfield Fringe with Hats off for the 101ers, the punk(ish) comic takes his revelry to the very patient people of the west. The Stand, Glasgow, Sat 27 Aug. Des Clarke We described his Fringe show, Des Comedy Jam (get it?) as containing ‘a stream of hilarious patter’. Jongleurs, Glasgow, Fri 2 & Sat 3 Sep; Jongleurs, Edinburgh, Fri 16 & Sat 17 Sep.
Keir McAllister The man who has come very close to scooping the Scottish Comedian of the Year Award on a couple of occasions heads up this healthy- looking Fit O’ The Giggles Paisley bash which also features Stu Who? and Keara Murphy. Hamishes’ Hoose, Paisley, Sat 3 Sep. John Robins A rising star of the old comedy game, we said this about his Fringe show: ‘a fluent storyteller . . . always ready with a sharply-timed bathetic prod.’ Those are good things. The Stand, Edinburgh, Mon 5 Sep; The Stand, Glasgow, Tue 6 Sep; Highlight, Glasgow, Fri 16 & Sat 17 Sep.
Shazia Mirza This busybody (her Fringe show title word not ours) hangs around the capital for a spot of Wicked Wenches action before heading west. The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 6 Sep; The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 7–Sat 10 Sep.
Raymond Mearns He may have thought he was getting a lie-down after his Fringe run about stress, but the guy who has worked with Ken Loach and Limmy instead hits the weekend crowds. Highlight, Glasgow, Fri 9 & Sat 10 Sep.
Jason Byrne The manic Irish one takes flight from the capital to drag Cirque du Byrne over to the folks of Tayside, Fife and the west. Perth Theatre, Fri 9 Sep; Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Sat 10 Sep; King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 11 Sep.
92 THE LIST 25 Aug–22 Sep 2011
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 25
Glasgow Bruce Morton’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £9 (£10; members £4). Bruce Morton introduces a handpicked selection of Fringe acts with Gavin Webster explaining exactly how he feels about young people. More laughs to be had from Bennett Arron and Tom Allen.
Dunfermline ✽✽ Jimmy Carr: Laughter Therapy Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, 01383 740384. 8pm. £25. Razor sharp gags and mobile eyebrows from that bloke off the telly.
Friday 26
Glasgow Peter Powers Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £11–£14. Hypnotist act from the beguiling Powers, who has been called ‘the Ali G of stage hypnosis’. Tonight’s show is a ‘Family Fun Night’. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. Warm stories of an interesting life with David Ward tonight, alongside Phil Walker and Roger D. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Lashings of satirical wit with Patrick Rolink, alongside fabulous duo Topping & Butch and Geoff Boyz. Bruce Morton’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £5). Seymour Mace joins Bruce to riff on finding happiness and Dave Fulton tells a host of apparently true tall tales.
Perth ✽✽ Jimmy Carr: Laughter Therapy Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 8pm. £25.50. See Thu 25.
Saturday 27
Glasgow Peter Powers Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. 7.30pm & midnight. £11–£14. See Fri 26. Tonight’s 7.30pm show is safe for teens; the later show is over 18s only. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 8.30pm. £12–£15. See Fri 26. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 26.
✽✽ Bruce Morton’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. Bruce chats with bastion of surreal comedy, Simon Munnery, who’s been wowing Edinburgh audiences with his one-man musical about the R101 airship disaster of 1930.
Paisley Fit O’ The Giggles @ Hamishes’ Hoose Hamishes’ Hoose, 42 Old Sneddon Street, 561 7105. 9pm. £5. Alongside a promising newbie, three professional humour merchants do their darnedest to gently tickle your funny bone.
Perth ✽✽ Jimmy Carr: Laughter Therapy Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 8pm. £25.50. See Thu 25. Sunday 28
Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Edinburgh lends Michael last year’s Take the Mic prize winner John Scott for a night, as long as he promises to return him.
Tuesday 30 Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. New acts, new material and a rammed room full of optimism and people who don’t like paying more than £2 for a cracking night of comedy.
Thursday 1
Glasgow Fit O’The Giggles @ The Inn The Inn, 2 Station Road, Bearsden, 942 6752. 8.30–10.30pm. £5 (£3). A new monthly gig from the Fit O’The Giggles team, headed up by regular compere Keara Murphy. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). The weekend starts right here, right now, with a rip-roaring line-up of top headliners, splendid support acts and intriguing newbies determined to leave no aisle unrolled-in. With the laid-back stylings of Mikey Adams, intelligent one-liners from New Zealand’s Benjamin Crellin and Brian Scott McFadden, all hosted by Susan Morrison. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). What do you mean you had enough comedy last month? Entertaining tonight are dry, but engaging Carl Hutchinson, John Ross and Nick Wilty, under the watchful eye of host Bruce Devlin.
Friday 2
Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 1 for line-up.
✽✽ Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20
Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Killer barbs with more than a hint of genius from Glasgow’s Scott Agnew, plus Anthony King, Des Clarke and Colin Cole. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, UGC Building, 11 Renfrew Street, 0844 844 0044. 10.30pm. £12–£15. Geoff Boyz delivers fast, funny stand-up and impressions, with Mike Wilkinson’s down-to-earth Northern charm and Manchester-based Canadian Marty McLean.
Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £4–£7. Ben Verth presents a weekend packed full of top local and visiting comedians to tickle your funny bone in an entirely appropriate way. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 960. 8.30pm. £12–£15. The weekly comedy night returns to Edinburgh with a bang featuring more up-and-coming acts and established headliners than you can shake a stick at. Jane Godley has a brand of forthright humour that’s entirely her own and is joined by Chris Henry, Joe Rowntree and John Gavin. Foster’s Comedy Live @ highlight Highlight, Omni Centre, Greenside Place, 0844 844 0044. 9pm. £10–£13. Well-enunciated comedy from David Whitney with Joe Heenan. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 1 for line-up.