list.co.uk/comedy COMEDY
hybrid. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 16. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Fri 7 for line-up.
Sunday 9 Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Ease your weekend
to a chilled close, with Frederik Andersson, Davey Connor, Chris Grady and Rod Hunter. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 18. Sit Down Stand Up Comedy Club City Café, 19 Blair Street, 07896 628288. 3–5.30pm. £4. See Thu 15. It’s Funtime The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 7pm. £7. See Sat 8.
STAND-UP STEWART FRANCIS Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 3 Nov ●●●●●
Stewart Francis has gone on record as stating that a narrative, storytelling form of comedy is not for him. He wants to give crowds more ‘bang for their buck’ by delivering a barrage of jokes and so it’s quite simple to conclude whether a Francis show is a glorious success or not. And to these ears (as well as some of those trooping out of the Festival Theatre who declared themselves a mite disappointed), there were more zingers per minute in his last full show, Tour de Francis, than during Outstanding in His Field. None of which is to say that Francis can’t have even the most cynical viewer doubled up through the power of his wordcraft and delivery. He also has a real sense of pacing an interval-free set with two segments featuring a cluster of gags that brilliantly and consistently hit the mark before giving the audience some room to find their breath again with equally clever but ultimately less spectacular one-liners.
One skill Francis has appeared to have within his armoury is an ability to broach contentious territory yet somehow comes up smelling of roses. Here he has jokes which are effectively routines about incest which come over as warm and cuddly. Still, he had one antagonist in the room behind me who took a degree of offence at one joke about a degenerative disease, presumably a case of a gag which was too close to home. For Stewart Francis, it’s not exactly a case of heading back to the drawing board as he still has more top-drawer gags than your average one-line comic. But it’s possible he may have set the bar too high for himself. (Brian Donaldson)
✽ Daniel Sloss: The Show Brunton Theatre, Ladywell
Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. 8pm. £14.50 (£10). See Tue 27. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 25, but with Eddie McCabe and Jamie Dalgleish.
Seamill ✽ Tom Stade Comedy Party Seamill Hydro, 01294 822217.
7pm–12.30am. £44.95. Comedy party night with talented jokers from the international circuit.
Monday 10
Glasgow The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). Pop on your vulgar Christmas pullover and head along to a right proper festive treat, with Susan Morrison, Tom Stade, David Longley and Mikey Adams. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 19. The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £12 (£10). A whole troupe of funny people to take your mind off the time of year: Martin Mor, James Kirk, Simon Donald and Jo Caulfield.
Tuesday 11
Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 20. The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 10. Edinburgh Jo Caulfield Presents. . . The Speakeasy Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 8pm. £5 (£4). A diverse bill of artists telling true stories from the haunting to the hilarious. The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 19. The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £12 (£10). See Mon 10.
Wednesday 12
Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8–10.30pm. £3. See Wed 21. The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 10. Edinburgh Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 225 3784. 8.30pm. £3 (£2). See Wed 21. The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £12 (£10). See Mon 10.
Thursday 13
Glasgow The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 10. Edinburgh The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £12 (£10). See Mon 10.
5 THINGS . . .
MARK WATSON
1 For those who haven’t seen him perform in the past five or so years, Watson is no longer Welsh. In that he was never actually Welsh. His accent was purely a stage crutch (or a character tool, if you wish) to overcome his general unease at actually being on stage at all.
2 The never-Welsh Watson was part of the Cambridge Footlights crew at the beginning of the century. Alongside the likes of Tim Key, Sophie Winkleman, Tom Basden and Emily Howes (later to be known as Emily Watson Howes), he appeared in two productions, Non-Sexual Kissing and Far Too Happy, all the while plotting his world domination of the Edinburgh Fringe. 3 And that plan got into full swing in 2004 when he teamed up with Rhod Gilbert (whatever happened to him?) to become the Stereocomics, a reference to the actually-Welsh band (not that we’re suggesting Gilbert isn’t totally Welsh) while launching his first comedy marathon, Mark Watson’s Overambitious 24-Hour Show.
4 He’s had unseemly public spats with a couple of comics who have also knocked each other about (albeit in a Twittery, non-physical way). Stewart Lee expressed disappointment at Watson’s appearance in those cider adverts while Frankie Boyle got a bit upset at comments made by Watson about some of the Glaswegian’s more contentious material. He also mentioned the marketing campaign for a pear-infused alcoholic apple drink. Kissing and making up on all sides has yet to be reported. 5 Even the most assured stand- ups have their tales of stage woe. Watson’s ‘favourite’ is the time early on in his career when he had stuff thrown at him in Maidstone by ‘absolutely feral Kentish people’. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 18 Nov.
15 Nov–13 Dec 2012 THE LIST 59