COMEDY

Edinburgh Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). The finest comedy talent from north of the border. With Vladimir McTavish, Graeme Thomas and host Jojo Sutherland.

Thursday 31

Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Making great big comedy waves this weekend are Kevin Gildea, John Hastings, Teddy, Christiane O’Mahoney and, hosting it all, Joe Heenan.

Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Billy Kirkwood is the one taking on hosting duties this weekend, with Ron Vaudry, Stuart Goldsmith (see My Comedy Hero, page 57) and Ed Patrick all sheltering under his considerable wing.

Friday 1

Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 31 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. Bringing the laughs this weekend are Willie White, Wayne Deakin and Geoff Boyz. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 25.

The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10;

members £6). See Thu 31 for line-up.

Saturday 2

Glasgow Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). Gary ‘Not So’ Little is top of the bill, with MC (and State regular) Chris Bloomfield. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 31 for line-up. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 25.

The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See

Thu 31 for line-up.

Sunday 3

Glasgow The Greater Shawlands Republic The Bungo Bar &

Kitchen, 17–21 Nithsdale Road, 423 0023. 8pm. £6 for westenders; £5.99 for everyone else. February’s line- up features Bruce Morton, Andrew Learmonth, Stu Who? and Elaine Malcolmson all with the same goal of Southside independence. Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Neil McFarlane and Viv Gee prepare you spiritually and mentally for work tomorrow.

Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 27.

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272.

8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Lovely Siân Bevan hosts the like of Stuart Goldsmith (see My Comedy Hero, page 57), John McGoldrick and Kieran Nicholson.

STAND-UP MILTON JONES Venue 150 @ EICC, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Feb; Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 17 Feb

There’s clearly a genuine art to getting a set-up and punchline out the way in the shortest time possible. Not for those gagsmiths the long, shaggy tales which go one way then the other, stopping off for a diversion or two and finally, hopefully, landing on a comedy climax. And it seems that these purveyors of quickfire gags actually like to hear that genre themselves. Stewart Francis has made it known that storytelling and autobiographical modes of comedy are quite probably a little bit egotistical and he’d much rather hear (or tell) a finely crafted joke before moving onto the next one. And that approach has done his sales figures little harm.

Milton Jones is another case in point. ‘I’m drawn to brevity,’ he

notes briefly. ‘But there are lots of good comics out there with different styles. Though I probably wouldn’t go and see comedy on a night off. Personally, I am always looking for the next joke. We are all looking for the right words at the right time. Times change so you have to keep writing.’ The times may be changing but it’s all for the better as far as Jones is concerned. Having made a strong impression on the Edinburgh Fringe in the 90s winning the Best Newcomer Award in 1996 and being nominated for the Perrier a year later his career in radio took off before he was tempted back into performing and is now playing to huge crowds across the land. His subtle musings often seemed a little at odds with the Mock the Week big boys club, but he reckons its bearpit days may have gone. ‘I don’t think it’s as combative as it was. It is always seven people trying to fit through a door for two, but that gives it some of its edge. It suits some comics more than others.’ (Brian Donaldson)

56 THE LIST 24 Jan–21 Feb 2013

Monday 4 Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). See Mon 28.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Newbees Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8pm. £2. See Mon 28. Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 28, but with Colin Geddis.

Tuesday 5

Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 29. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 29, but with Colin Geddis. Edinburgh Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Susan Calman is at the helm tonight, along with Marian Pashley, Viv Gee and Elizabeth Hotson.

Wednesday 6

Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 30. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). See above. Edinburgh The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£2). The Stand’s monthly sketch show returns with new skits and character treats featuring the best of fresh Scots comedy.

Thursday 7

Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Raymond Mearns and his bold, brash humour host Bennett Arron, Matt Green and Darren Connell. Edinburgh The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Host Bruce Devlin is joined by Sean Percival and Richard Melvin.

Friday 8

Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). See Thu 7 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15. A sparkling line-up including Mandy Knight, Kevin Gildea and Daliso Chaponda. Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 25. Portobello Comedy Night Portobello Indoor Bowling, 20 Westbank Street, 669 0878. 8.30pm. £6. Bringing the laughs are Vladimir McTavish, Susie McCabe and compere Steven Davidson. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 7 for line-up.

Saturday 9 Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £16. See Fri 8.