COMEDY list.co.uk/comedy
LEE EVANS A physical comic who can fi ll vast stadia with ease
I t’s an incredible 21 years since Lee Evans won the Perrier Award, and here he is back drenching the capital’s stages in the month of August with his high-energy brand of physical comedy. Although the humble art of stand-up was cultivated for a dimly lit and smoky cellar / basement / dungeon, you really do not want to be too up-close and personal with this rubbery Essex-raised lad.
If you had the choice, would you rather be in the front row of a 50-seater cabin or in Row YYY of an enormodome? The latter, thanks. And Evans himself is quite the fan of those vast spaces. ‘When I was starting out, people said that arenas were too big,’ he says. ‘But I think you can still have a great night in an arena. It’s a real event. It’s not just about the comedy, it’s about the music, the lighting, and the set design. All of those things can make
you feel a certain way. I want to reach the very back of the arena with this show: that’s what it’s about. It’s about doing a big, sod-off gig that touches everyone in the venue.’ Although he believes he now has a solid connection with his audience, he won’t ever take them for granted. When you emerge from a Lee Evans show, you know you’ve watched someone hard at work. ‘I aim to put on a show where people say, “I really, really enjoyed that. For three hours, I forgot about all the rubbish going on in the rest of my life.” I want them to come out afterwards saying: “Wow!”’ And, depending on where they were sitting, not wiping someone else’s sweat off their clothes. (Brian Donaldson)
Edinburgh Playhouse, Sun 3 & Mon 4 Aug.
HITLIST THE BEST COMEDY EVENTS
✽ Caitlin Moran The popular newspaper columnist, author and now sitcom writer pops into town to tell us how you build a girl. Expect frank and funny observations. See feature, page 44. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 11 Jul.
✽ Frankie Boyle A single night of this guy’s work in progress is superior to some
comedians’ entire careers. That’s the kind of sweeping statement that Frank would probably hate. True though. The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 13, 20, 27 Jul.
✽ Derren Brown When he’s on form
(which is most of the time) there really isn’t anyone to touch Dezza for pure entertainment. Infamous is his latest bafflingly brilliant stage show. See My Comedy Hero, page 71. King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 14–Sat 19 Jul.
✽ Stewart Francis The Canadian gag machine drops by to his local (sort-of)
for a set full of cracking one-liners and future award-winning jokes (probably). The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 17–Sat 20 Jul.
✽ Funny in Falkirk A stirringly strong line- up for the good people of F’kirk including
Andrew Lawrence, Janey Godley and Phill Jupitus. Various venues, Falkirk, Fri 18–Tue 29 Jul.
P H O T O © S E A M U S R Y A N
Playhouse, Sun 3 & Mon 4 Aug. ✽ Lee Evans See preview, left. Edinburgh ✽ Best of the Fest to
the West Embra goes
to Glesga with Stephen K Amos introducing some hot Fringe acts, including Jason Cook and the Umbilical Brothers (pictured) on 9 Aug with Abandoman and Frisky & Mannish a mere one week later. Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, Sat 9 & Sat 16 Aug.
10 Jul–21 Aug 2014 THE LIST 69