Comedy Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Improv types Stu & Garry represent the nation.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. It’s

Raymond Mearns’ turn to go Behind the Wall at 7.30pm.

Thursday 26

Glasgow Billy and Des’ Geek Comedy Night Plan B Books, 55 Parnie Street, 237 1137. 8pm. £5 (£4). Billy Kirkwood and Des O’Gorman let their geek flag fly. Part of Merchant City Festival.

Fringe Previews Week Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Mon 23, but with Ben Verth and Tommy McKay. The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). With Rev Obadiah Steppenwolfe, Totally Wired, Scott Agnew and host Martin Mor.

Edinburgh Comedy and Soul Night Serenity Cafe, The Tun, 8 Jackson Entry, 111 Holyrood Road, 07813 297498. 7.30pm. £5. Soul singer Lisa Cassidy is joined by Bert Allan, Gareth Much, Liam Cumbers and Jordan Collins for music and laughs to raise cash for Serenity. Comedy Gong Show Semi Finals The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £5 (£4). See Thu 19. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Phil O’Shea, Fin Taylor, Alistair Barrie and Teddy join host Susan Morrison.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. Among

those entertaining Falkirk tonight are Mark Nelson (Behind the Wall, 8pm) and Simon Donald (The Goose, 9pm).

Friday 27

Glasgow Fringe Previews Week Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Mon 23, but with Danny McChrystal and Laura Levites. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 26 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. A handful of top comedians, then dancing afterwards. With Barry Dodds, Rory O’Hanlon, Scott Agnew and Raymond Mearns.

Edinburgh Comedy at the Cav Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 228 3252. 7pm. £12. See Fri 20. Friday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £12 (£10). Jojo Sutherland hosts, with Damien Crow and Eric Davidson. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £5–£7. See Fri 20. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 26 for line-up.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. Tonight

we’re Still Game (Falkirk Town Hall, 8pm) while Vladimir McTavish and Keir McAllister are let loose (Behind the Wall, 8pm).

Saturday 28

Glasgow Janey Godley’s Glasgow Gallivant City Halls, Candleriggs,

353 8000. Noon–1.30pm & 2.30–4pm. £10 (£8). Bus tour with a difference expect

52 THE LIST 19 Jul–2 Aug 2012

to see sights somewhat off the beaten path, games and a lot of laughs with Janey Godley. Part of Merchant City Festival.

The Comic Club Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street, 552 5924. 8pm. £12 (students

£10). The jovial uncle of Scottish comedy, Fred MacAulay, returns to the scene of early crimes alongside Stu Who?, Parrot and Bruce Morton. Part of Merchant City Festival. FREE Wasasa Comedy Night The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. Hosted by the Kasengele Brothers, ‘wasasa’ basically translates as ‘yer naw funny’, however original comedians who steer clear of racism/sexism/homophobia make this a thought-provoking, creative night. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 8.15pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 21.

Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20

Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 27 but with Scott Agnew stepping aside for Kai Humphries. See preview, page 51. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 26 for line-up.

Edinburgh Comedy at the Cav Lava Ignite, 3 West Tollcross, 228 3252. 7pm. £15. See Fri 20. Saturday Night Live The Shack, 119 Rose Street, 226 4311. 8pm. £12 (£10). See Fri 27. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm.

£7. See Fri 20. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 26 for line-up.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. Charlie

Baker (Behind the Wall, 8pm) and improv crew The Suggestibles (Broompark Hall, 8pm) do their thangs.

Sunday 29

Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Bruce Morton, Sarah Cassidy and Gavin Lynch join our Mike. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 22.

Fringe Preview Double Bill: Silky and Vladimir McTavish/Keir

McAllister The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £8 (£7). Sneaky peak of what’s to come in August, with Silky’s Nut Allegory and Vladimir McTavish and Keir McAllister’s Look at the State of Scotland.

Monday 30

Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). Garry Dobson, Stu Murphy and Billy Kirkwood improv your life. John Bishop: Rollercoaster The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. Sold out. Stand-up from the genial and witty Liverpudlian. Edinburgh Comedy Variety Show City Café, 19 Blair Street, 220 0125. 8pm. £3 (£2; £1 if booked in advance through lastminute. com). See Mon 23. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 23. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 23.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. A

bumper penultimate night of FiF with Al Murray (Falkirk Town Hall, 7.30pm), Bridget Christie (The Goose, 7.45pm), Patrick Monahan (Behind the Wall, 8pm) and Gavin Webster (The Goose, 9pm).

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. Scott

Agnew (The Goose, 9pm) and The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek (Behind the Wall, 8pm) provide the laughs tonight.

Tuesday 31

Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 24. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Thu 24, but with Matthew Osborn and host Susie McCabe.

Edinburgh Frankie Boyle: The Last Days of Sodom Edinburgh Playhouse, 18- 22 Greenside Place, 0844 871 3014. 8pm. £31.25. Frankie embarks on his final-ever tour (apparently). The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 23.

Falkirk Funny in Falkirk Various venues, Falkirk, funnyinfalkirk.com. The FiF

finale features Mark Watson (Falkirk Town Hall, 8pm), Stewart Lee (Behind the Wall, 8pm), Lloyd Langford (The Goose, 7.45pm) and Michael Redmond (The Goose, 9pm).

RADIO KEVIN ELDON WILL SEE YOU NOW Radio 4, Mon 31 Jul, 11pm ●●●●●

Kevin Eldon has spent an entire career making his audience feel a little awkward, whether it’s through his unsettling work with Chris Morris in Jam, being a casual Hitler in under-rated sketch show Big Train or occupying various oddball characters in his 2010 Fringe debut, Kevin Eldon is Titting About. Anyone who hears the first 45 seconds of his Radio 4 series might think he’s spectacularly lost it with a pair of awful jokes. But fear not, those gags are deliberately bad and he’s soon being attacked by a swarm of hacked-off bees and delivering a court scene in which everyone present has an indecipherable voice. This four-parter features assistance from other comics who veer around the darker side of fun, such as Julia Davis and Amelia Bullmore, while Justin Edwards made his name as a drunk children’s entertainer (Jeremy Lion) and Rosie Cavaliero was in series two of Cold Feet. It doesn’t get much bleaker than that. One thing you won’t get in this series is a set of catchphrases, which is why we have a song all about catchphrases, concluding that if he had one, Eldon’s would most likely be: ‘I haven’t got a catchphrase.’ But done, obviously, in a squawkily strangulated voice.

If you like your radio satire to have a colder, harder edge about it, then The Archers might be a better place to park your ears; though he does come close to a lampoon when portraying Martin Amis as a bumpkin who can’t spell his own name and Prince Charles as the boy who will never be king. After Matt Berry’s trippily addictive hypnotherapy affair I, Regress, clearly Radio 4’s 11pm slot is the place where the strange kids get to hang out. (Brian Donaldson)

Wednesday 1

Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 25. FREE The Hazzard of Dukes Dukes Bar, 41 Old Dumbarton Road, 339 7821. 8.30pm. Antony Murray hosts a stand-up night, mixing new acts and established headliners to hilarious effect. Billy Kirkwood’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £6 (£5; members £3). The luscious-locked Kirkwood surveys the best Fringe comedy talent.

Edinburgh Frankie Boyle: The Last Days of Sodom Edinburgh Playhouse, 18- 22 Greenside Place, 0844 871 3014. 8pm. £31.25. See Tue 31.

Thursday 2

Glasgow Bruce Devlin’s Pick of the Fringe The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £10 (£8; members £4). Bruce Devlin represents his Fringe favourites.

Edinburgh Frankie Boyle: The Last Days of Sodom Edinburgh Playhouse, 18- 22 Greenside Place, 0844 871 3014. 8pm. £31.25. See Tue 31.