list.co.uk/comedy

Bank Holiday Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£9). Celebrate the bank holiday with Michael Redmond, Rev Obadiah, Janey Godley and Simon King. Comedy Night The Pines, 210 Crookston Road, 882 8645. 8.30– 10.30pm. £5. Night of laughs featuring Raymond Mearns, Graham Mackie, Scott Gibson and Gary Little. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 21. Jimmy Carr: Gagging Order The Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, 0844 871 3014. 8pm. £26. The risqué one presents his new show. Bank Holiday Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10 (£9). See Thu 2 for line-up.

Monday 6

Glasgow Improv Wars The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £4 (members £2). See Mon 22. Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 22, but with Stuart Mitchell hosting Pierre Novellie.

Tuesday 7

Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 23. Red Raw The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £2. See Tue 23, but with Stuart Mitchell and Pierre Novellie. Edinburgh Burger, Beer and Comedy Night The White Horse, 266 Canongate, 557 3512. 7.30pm. £6 (comedy only £1). A burger, a beer and some comedy: sweet. FREE Tuesday Night Comedy Jam Belushi’s, 9–13 Market Street, 226 1446. 8–10.30pm. A wheen of acts presented by Rick Molland. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). Resident host Susan Calman is around to keep Tara Flynn, Katie Mulgrew, Natasha Yapp and Elaine Malcolmson in hand.

Wednesday 8

Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 24. Wicked Wenches The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £3). See Tue 7.

Edinburgh Gary Delaney: Purist The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10 (£8). Gary tours his 2010 Fringe show which is jam-packed with jokes, garnished with gags and crammed with cracks. See preview, page 55.

Thursday 9

Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £8 (children £7; members £5). Vladimir McTavish, whisky expert extraordinaire, hosts Ian Cognito, Tara Flynn and Stuart Mitchell. Edinburgh Thursday Notebook Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £3. See Thu 18. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Raymond Mearns does his comedy thing with Neil Delamere, Katie Mulgrew and Robin Grainger tonight.

Friday 10

Glasgow Bill Bailey: Qualmpeddler Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield

Street, 332 1846. 8pm. £25. The master of surreality airs his qualms. See feature, page 54. The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 9 for line-up. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15–£16. Featuring Quincy, Stu Who?, Del Strain and Keith Carter as Nige.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm.

£7. See Fri 19. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 9 for line-up. Saturday 11

Glasgow Bill Bailey: Qualmpeddler Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield

Street, 332 1846. 8pm. £25. See Fri 10. Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £15–£16. See Fri 10. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 20. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Thu 9 for line-up.

REVIEW STORYTELLING JO CAULFIELD PRESENTS . . . THE SPEAKEASY Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Tue 9 Apr ●●●●●

‘They don’t like this kind of thing on a Friday night at Jongleurs.’ It’s a statement that could apply to just about every act on The Speakeasy bill, but it’s spoken by Andrew Learmonth, a comedian who has just revealed the story of his prematurely-born son who lived for less than a week. Learmonth has been trying to air this traumatic moment of his life in public for four years, but the time and the place have never been quite right. The erudite and encouraging atmosphere of The Speakeasy is the perfect home for such confessional and deeply moving material.

Erudite might not be the most appropriate word to describe Fiona Herbert’s soggy dog story of an over-full bladder playing havoc in a festival tent or Grant Stott’s musings on how tough it is to be a woman (based on his experience of dragging it up during the panto season). Or even host Jo Caulfield’s ‘debacle’ of a mini-play which relocates ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ to Edinburgh. But surely more in the erudite vein would be the only professor on the bill? Except, that prof is Richard Wiseman, the former magician who has made a name for himself with books on the paranormal (he generally errs on the side of scepticism), self-help guides (he’s not in favour) and luck (there are psychology principles behind being flukey). Here, he produces some impressive maths grids, shows us the simple technique behind what looked an amazing bout of mass mind-reading and displays a self-deprecatory streak that is eminently appealing.

Edinburgh-based New York musician Lach delivered a memorable tale of childhood manipulation and a Monkees-like song while Irish actress and writer Eva O’Connor proved she is one to watch with a pacy and witty segment of her play about a young Irish girl taking control when she falls pregnant. The whole shebang is managed with seeming ease by host Jo Caulfield whose own story about helping police with their enquiries is a delight. An essential spot on the monthly Edinburgh spoken word calendar, you should find yourself a regular quiet corner in The Speakeasy. (Brian Donaldson) The next Speakeasy is on Tue 14 May.

COMEDY

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £7. See Fri 19. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 9 for line-up.

Sunday 12

Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 21, but with Stuart Mitchell, Rick Molland and Gareth Mutch. Edinburgh FREE Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. See Sun 21. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 21, but with Ian Hawkins.

Monday 13 Edinburgh Red Raw The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £2. See Mon 22, but with Owen McGuire and Paul Currie.

Tuesday 14

Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. See Tue 23.

Edinburgh Jo Caulfield Presents . . . The Speakeasy Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 8pm. £6. Jo Caulfield presents writer Alan Bissett, magician Kevin McMahon, comic Gavin Webster, ukelele player Eleanor Morton, storyteller Fiona Herbert, a playlet by Keara Murphy and a film by Jordan Mills. See review, left. Transatlantic Fury: Lee Camp and Nick Revell The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10. Up-and- coming US stand-up Lee Camp oozes sharp political thoughts left, right and centre and teams up with Nick Revell, our own circuit vet who mixes anger with wit.

Wednesday 15 Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. See Wed 24. Transatlantic Fury: Lee Camp and Nick Revell The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10. See Tue 14.

Edinburgh Melting Pot The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 7.30pm. £5 (£4; members £2.50). Vote for the best of the new sketches and skits from local types.

Thursday 16

Glasgow The Thursday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Raymond Mearns hosts Alistair Barrie, Jacques Barrett and Chloe Philip.

Edinburgh Thursday Notebook Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £3. See Thu 18. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). Billy Kirkwood welcomes Rob Rouse, Paul Currie, Susie McCabe and Bob Graham. Stirling John Cooper Clarke Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, 01786 274000. 8pm. £16.50. The legendary Mancunian punk poet.

18 Apr–16 May 2013 THE LIST 57