COMEDY

Edinburgh Sit Down Stand Up Comedy Club Counting House, West Nicolson Street, 07896 628288. 7–10pm. £2–£3. Comedy from the country’s rising stars. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Susan Morrison, Seymour Mace, Romesh Ranganathan and John Gavin spice up your weekend.

Friday 21

Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £4). See Thu 20 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 14. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 20 for line-up.

Saturday 22

Glasgow Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 15. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 20 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 14. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 20 for line-up.

Sunday 23

Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 16, but with Greg Cook and Eleanor Morton. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 16. Sit Down Stand Up Comedy Club City Café, 19 Blair Street, 07896 628288. 3–5.30pm. £4. See Thu 20. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Line-up tba.

Thursday 27 Glasgow University of Strathclyde Stand Up Comedy Class The Admiral, 72a Waterloo Street, 221 7705. 8pm. £3. Young comedy masterminds plus MC Susie McCabe. Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12–£22.50 (£10–£19). With Jo Caulfield, John Gillick, James Kirk (see My Comedy Hero, right) and host Raymond Mearns.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12

(£10). With Tom Stade (see preview, page 85), Vladimir McTavish, Keir McAllister and Bruce Devlin.

Friday 28 Glasgow Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Thu 27.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12

(£10). See Thu 27.

88 THE LIST 13 Dec 2012–24 Jan 2013

Thursday 3

Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Easing you into a new January are Bruce Devlin, Phil Nichol and Marcel Lucont.

Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £8 (£7; members £4). Featuring Neil Dougan, Steven Dick and Susie McCabe.

Friday 4

Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879.

8.30pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 3 for line-up.

Edinburgh The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£9; members £5). See Thu 3 for line-up. Saturday 5

Glasgow Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 15.

The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335

8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 3 for line-up.

Edinburgh The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 3 for line-up. Sunday 6

Glasgow Glasgow Kids Comedy Club The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 3pm. £4. Live comedy for younger fans accompanied by an adult. The Greater Shawlands Republic The Bungo Bar & Kitchen, 17–21 Nithsdale Road, 423 0023. 8pm. £6 for westenders; £5.99 for everyone else. Bruce Morton and Andrew Learmonth are joined by their favourite new acts. FREE Wasasa Comedy Night The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. See Sun 30.

MY COMEDY HERO JAMES KIRK The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 13–Sat 15 Dec; The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 27 Dec–Tue 1 Jan

Telling you about my comedy hero is difficult for me as there is no single person that inspired me to get into comedy. In fact, I never really decided to get into comedy, it just seemed to happen by accident. Looking back on what I watched when I was growing up, then I would have to say that my comedy hero would have been Roy Clarke, who wrote all 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine. That in itself is an incredible feat. Yes, in later years the quality did dip, but after nearly 30 years surely that’s acceptable. There are many things to love and admire about Last of the Summer

Wine. It is still perhaps the only programme to show old people in a positive light. In one episode it could go from a ridiculous slapstick scene to a genuinely moving and almost philosophical monologue at the end. There are few shows that can mix slapstick and philosophy. As a small boy in the 90s, I genuinely loved that show. I can vividly remember watching it and thinking, ‘I can’t wait till I’m a retired widower!’ There are few writers in this world that can make a child wish his whole life away but Roy Clarke is one of those writers. (Interview by Brian Donaldson)

Saturday 29 Glasgow Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Thu 27.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15 (£12).

See Thu 27.

Sunday 30

Glasgow Stand Up & Geez It! The SPACE, 34 Argyll Arcade Chambers, Buchanan Street, 222 2333. 7pm. £3. Music and comedy night featuring fresh local acts. FREE Wasasa Comedy Night The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8pm. Hosted by the Kasengele Brothers. Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12 (£10). See Thu 27. Edinburgh Sit Down Stand Up Comedy Club City Café, 19 Blair Street, 07896 628288. 3–5.30pm. £4. See Sun 16.

Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10).

See Thu 27.

Monday 31

Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Show Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20

Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £45. Hogmanay extravaganza, with a two-course dinner and comedy from Janey Godley, Dougie Dunlop, Patrick Rolink and Des Clarke. Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £22.50 (£19; members £15). See Thu 27.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm.

£22.50 (£19; members £15). See Thu 27.

Tuesday 1

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12

(£10). See Thu 27.

Wednesday 2 Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 19. Midweek Comedy Cabaret The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). With Dan Petherbridge, Eleanor Morton and Mikey Adams.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12

(£10). See Thu 27.

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands

Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 16, but with Marcel Lucont and Viv Gee.

Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 16. Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Chill out with some relaxed comedy featuring Adam Mitchell, Aideen McQueen and Liam Cumbers.

Monday 7 Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). See Mon 17.

Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 17, but with main acts tba.

Tuesday 8

Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 18. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 18, but with main acts tba. Edinburgh Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York