Comedy
5 THINGS
YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT . . . JEFF DUNHAM 1 Born in Dallas in 1962, Jeff Dunham got into the ventriloquist game at the age of eight having been given a dummy at Christmas, and later performed at birthday parties and Cub Scout banquets. 2 He first tasted serious fame when he appeared on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show in 1990 but the spread of the internet has been his saviour with his ‘skits’ involving Achmed the Dead Terrorist being watched by countless millions. In the face of accusations of Islamophobia, Dunham insists that Achmed is not Muslim: ‘he’s nondescript; he’s from over there somewhere’. Might be worth noting that back in 2002, the character was originally called Dead Osama.
3 Dunham appeared in 2010 screwball comedy Dinner for Schmucks alongside, let’s face it, much cooler comics Steve Carrell, Chris O’Dowd, Jemaine Clement, Kristen Schaal and Zach Galifianakis. Dunham plays, get this, a ventriloquist. He created a new character for the film in the busty shape of Diane, his only female doll.
4 When asked why he hasn’t got more females in his armoury, he once replied: ‘I can think like a terrorist, I can think like a white trash guy, I can even try and think like an African American. But I can’t figure out how a woman thinks.’ 5 As you can imagine, critics of his work (he’s a ventriloquist and a Christian conservative) are almost as long as the queues to his shows. Perhaps the most potent slaying was from JP Williams, producer behind the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which appeals primarily to the Middle America that adores Dunham: ‘He’s got a great gift. And his gift is that he makes stuff talk and he keeps his mouth pretty much closed when he does it.’ Ouch. (Brian Donaldson) ■ SECC, Glasgow, Tue 24 Apr.
62 THE LIST 29 Mar–26 Apr 2012
Comedy Picks DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 8pm. £8 (£6). A pick’n’mix of acts from the festival. ✽✽ Dara O’Briain: Craic Dealer SECC, Finnieston Quay, 0844 395 4000. 8pm. £21. See Fri 30. David Kay: Sconetastic Òran Mór, 731-735 Great Western Road, 357 6200. 8pm. £13.50. Comedic ramblings. From Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay’s Smutty Songs Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. 8pm. £14.50. Comical spoofs of popular songs. The Legendary Arnold Brown Comedy Interviews Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8pm. £14.50. See Fri 30. Man vs Woman Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8pm. £8 (£6). Raymond Friel’s fast-paced sketch show. £5 Festival Funnies Maggie May’s, 60 Trongate, 548 1350. 8pm. £5. See Fri 30. Chris Martin Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8.30pm. £9 (£7). Jokes and observations from the ‘other Chris Martin’. Keara Patricia Murphy: Flypaper For Freaks The Griffin, 226 Bath Street, 331 5170. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Keara ponders the nature of freak-magnetism. The Unemployables Cottiers Theatre, 93–95 Hyndland Street, 357 4000. 8.30pm. £10. Joe Heenan brings together four dark, twisted comedians. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). Line-up tba. BBC Scotland Presents Best of Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9.30pm. £3. The best recent newbies, plus some old hands. The Late Show Brel, 39–43 Ashton Lane, 342 4966. 10.15pm. £10. Late night laughs from the Fringe’s Festival Club. Festival Club: Best of the Fest The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 10.30pm. £10 (£8). See Thu 29. Festival Picks Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 10.30pm. £12 (£10). See Fri 30. Late Night Gimp Fight Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 10.30pm. £12.50. See Fri 30. Late Night Laughs DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 10.45pm. £8. The Dram’s fave picks of the festival.
Glasgow Comedy Night The Lee, 100 St James Road, 564 1218. 8.30pm. £5. Monthly night bringing up-and-comers to the fore. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. Des Clarke, Johnny Candon and R David. The Wee Man Presents: Nedator The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 8.30pm. £7 (£5). The Wee Man stars in an action-packed comedy thriller. Edinburgh Saturday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £10. See Fri 30. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £5–£7. See Fri 30. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. See Fri 30. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Fri 30 for line-up.
Sunday 1 Glasgow Comedy Festival Lunchtime Comedy Club Corinthian, 191 Ingram Street, 552 1101. 1pm. £5; including lunch £10. See Fri 30. FREE Stand-Up for Britannia Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, 113–117 Trongate, 553 0840. 3pm. Stand- ups compete for the Stan Laurel Cup. Janey Godley: Too Old for Telly Òran Mór, 731-735 Great Western Road, 357 6200. 5pm & 8pm. £11.50–£13.50. Killer comedy from Lady Godley. Chris Conroy: Definitely Conroy Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841.
7.30pm. £7. Chris draws parallels between his life and Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. An Evening with Bob Mills and John Moloney The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 7.30pm. £10 (£9). Laughs, music and chat from the older generation. Scott Agnew: Project Couldn’t Give a F**k Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8.30pm. £8 (£6). Scott examines situations where no expectations are made of you. Scott Capurro: Islamahomophobia The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9.30pm. £10 (£9). Scott proclaims he is the mightiest of the gays.
Glasgow A Night In Aid of the Greater Shawlands Republic The Bungo, 17–21 Nithsdale Road, 07403 176249. 8pm. £4.99. Bruce Morton, Phil Differ and Andrew Learmonth support the campaign for a free and independent Shawlands. FREE Fresh Meat The Butterfly and the Pig, 153 Bath Street, 221 7711. 8.30pm. Weekly new material night with six new comedians plus headliner. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Improv with Paul Graham and Stuart Murphy. ✽✽ Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Lee Camp, Rob Collins and host Chris Forbes. See preview, page 63, for Camp.
Monday 2
Edinburgh Comedy Variety Show City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125. 8pm. £3 (£2; £1 if booked through lastminute.com). Weekly new material night, hosted by Keara Patricia Murphy. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. Ben Verth introduces the new talent and new material night. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. Weekly showcase for new comics and new gags from the pros.
Tuesday 3
Glasgow Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. Bright young things strut their comedy stuff. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 2. ✽✽ Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Susan Calman introduces Susan Morrison, Fern Brady, Chloe Philip and Luisa Omelian.
Wednesday 4 Glasgow FREE Gong Show Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 07909 822841. 8.30pm. Experienced acts in the first half, newbies against the clock in the second.
RADIO MR BLUE SKY Radio 4, Mon 9 Apr, 11.30am ●●●●●
When a recession hits, even optimists can feel the heat. In the opening episode of Mr Blue Sky’s second series lovable oaf Harvey Easter tries a few tricks to save the pennies. Such as walking to the newsagent rather than having his paper delivered, though taking to purchasing scratchcards seems like a potential pitfall to making ends meet. Especially when this becomes his gateway to a much bigger gamble. And you know when someone in a sitcom puts on a bet they probably shouldn’t that nothing can end well. The first radio sitcom penned by Andrew Collins (he of Collins,
Quantick & Maconie and Collings and Herrin podcast fame), it would take a cad with a heart of marble to hate this. Cast-wise it’s flawless, with Claire Skinner (replacing season one’s Rebecca Front) as the stoical and fussing Jax Easter pioneering the family’s economy drive and cutting down on her frappuccino consumption; the drily funny Rosamund Hanson is permanently bamboozled daughter Charlie planning nuptials with grime DJ boyfriend Kill-R (real name Derek Rosewater) played by Javone Prince and Justin ‘Jeremy Lion’ Edwards as Harvey’s cynical oncologist best buddy Ray.
You know you’re in the company of a warmly cosy comedy when talk of teenage drug-taking sounds quaint and potential marital infidelity feels homely. Then again, if sharp satirical fare to frighten the horses with is your bag, you probably shouldn’t be poking around Radio 4 of a late morning. (Brian Donaldson)