The Studio at Festival Theatre
Sat 4 April 2015

Have you heard?  Not only can we enjoy some of the best comedy from the Gilded Balloon during the The Edinburgh Fringe in August, now they are spoiling us to monthly comedy nights at The Festival Theatre, The Studio!  Each month The Studio play host to four comedians for us Edinburghers to sample some well established and up and coming newbie’s breaking out into giggle scene. This Saturday night we saw Aisling Bea, Ray Bradshaw, Chris Forbes and Joe Hart take the stage.

Our compare for the night (who had to provide his own backstage announcement) was a Mr Ray Bradshaw, a 25-year-old comedian from Glasgow.  A likable guy who instantly started to get to know the audience through friendly chit chat.  He ended up giving therapy to a daughter and mother, a Copenhagen patron openly marked himself 5 out of 10 in the bedroom department and instigated an uncomfortable engagement proposal between a young couple in the audience, but it was all in a light hearted nature.  His warmth and engaging storytelling of a drunken Aussie trying dry his hands under the condom machine, skydiving with a small instructor with a limp who looked like a roll-on deodorant and early memories of an awkward sexual request, were all very amusing.  Having made his comedy debut in September 2008, Bradshaw has rapidly established himself as exciting new act on the comedy realm. A two time Scottish Comedian of The Year finalist, Bradshaw been making a name himself and is much loved as an MC for several promoters.  Easily one of the best comedians of the night, I would be definitely go to see a full show of his material. Although I found it somewhat odd that Bradshaw requested the audience not to heckle the other comedians, only himself, which took some of the interactive enjoyment, which comes naturally with comedy.  The three comedians who proceeded seemed staged and scripted in their delivery, preventing the much loved (but sometimes loathed) rapport between audience and comedian.

First up was Chris Forbes a stand up comedian, actor and writer from North Scotland.  Forbes has starred in and written various TV, radio and stage productions.  As a stand up comedian, Chris covers the UK circuit and has performed in Pint Sized Comedy and The Canadian Comedy Network within The Great International Laugh Off.  In 2012 Chris supported Kevin Bridges on his UK tour and performed at festivals T in the Park and Rockness.  Forbes regaled stories of his childhood in a heavily religious town and suggested religion should be made more fun by creating Top Trumps for religious characters.  We hear stories from his travels and how he got a toe scar in “Vieeetnaaam”.  Among his other travels, he follows the Tartan Amy and their various drunken exploits and hooliganism.  Forbes has a down beat view of Scots and repeats well-rehearsed easy jokes at Scotland’s expense.  He could do better by setting his sights higher instead of base line jokes. They are mildly funny, but also insulting at the same time.  We have heard them all before.  He redeems himself slightly by moving on to tales of his practical joker brother who pretends Forbes has been in a four-year comma after coming to from an appendix operation.

Penultimate act Joe Hart, was placed third in the So You Think You’re Funny? new talent hunt 2014 and semi-finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Award the same year.  A 22 year-old student at Goldsmith’s University, he self claims to be a nerd and gay, or a ‘gurd’ as he likes to call it.  Hart and his fast track comical anecdotes were funny and loveable.  He has a lot of offer with his cheerful delivery, stage presence and an idiosyncratic outlook that creates family relations out of Einstein’s relativity theory and his obsession with space and time.  He yearns to be a gay activitist, but only from the security of his laptop.  Hart is not your typical gay guy, but when people learn of his tendency it is often followed by a flurry of questions, he proclaims, which he amusingly answers afore us, and his reason for being gay? “Because my parents didn’t let me go melon hunting!” or maybe it was just his “lust for cock”!  Hart is only at
the beginning of his comic career however he is one to be watched, he definitely has potential.  He is growing into his own and I would like to see how he progresses over the next few years.

Aisling Bea is an Irish actor, award winning stand-up and writer. In 2012, Bea became the first woman in 20 years to win the esteemed So You Think You’re Funny? competition for new comedians. A year later, her debut solo show, C’est La Bea, sold out in three days at the Edinburgh Fringe and she was nominated for the Foster’s Best Newcomer Award (formerly The Perrier Award).  In December 2014, she was awarded the British Comedy Award for Best Female TV Comedian. Since then she has performed at Live At The Apollo (BBC1) and Channel 4’s Comedy Gala.  Bea also has a few TV appearances in panelist shows under her belt such as 8 Out of Ten Cats (Ch4), Qi (BBC1) with Stephen Fry, Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC2) and Would I Lie To You? (BBC1).  She supported Ardal O’Hanlon on his UK tour at the end of 2013 and in February 2014 performed at the renowned Improv Comedy Club in Los Angeles.

Aisling’s name is pronounced Ash-leeing Bee. She lives in London but is originally from Ireland.
Being Irish supplies the much of the meat for Bea’s set.  Her rural upbringing meant that any one passing by a car or tractor would be met by fast-passed banter, which would explain the way he delivers her routine, in lightning quick patter, that and the fact her mother is a professional jockey.    Bea is blessed with the gift of the gab, she races through stories of her mothers confusion between diabetics, vegetarians, gluten intolerance and lesbians, claiming they are all fussy about what they put in their mouth!  Discussing the nature of confidence and body language in Hollywood and the similarities between actors and rats. Not every punch line sails, but her charisma and charm means the lost jokes are soon forgotten.  The velocity and high energy of her delivery, and the multiplicity of her accents lends to the polished performance.

Overall an entertaining night, however the compare, Ray Bradshaw, stole the show with his friendly open demeanor.

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis

CITIZENS THEATRE: ,

27 March 2015

It should be safe to assume that Iranian-born, British comedian Shappi Khorsandi is filling a token niche for Iranian comics at the moment, where only Omid Djalili perhaps succeeds in filling this Middle Eastern opening within the UK comedy circuit. However, Khorsandi’s multi-cultural vibe would play a secondary role in tonight’s performance at the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow. The show entitled “Because I’m Shappi” (presumably a play on Pharrell Williams’ annoyingly catchy hit ‘Happy’ from last year) was a welcome return for the comedienne who never performed a single gig during 2013. It would be unfair to criticise Khorsandi for this absence after relentlessly exhibiting her blend of absurdity on various tours since the late nineties, coupled with the paltry matter that she was detained from our viewing pleasure, giving birth. The role of the single mother and the way that families interact were central themes which flowed throughout the evening, and one which the audience would lap up.

The opening segment of Khorsandi’s performance was  executed witty reflections of Hen nights and the competitive cliques that materialise between friends from childhood, employment, and academic backgrounds. After a slow start to the second half considering personal issues ranging from flirting in supermarkets to family disorder, Khorsandi began to find her stride. No longer relying on audience responses to fill in small gaps, the comic’s musing of sex after divorce, during pregnancy, and other methods of gratification, had the audience savouring every anecdote and quip about her very personal encounters. Few names were censored; even fewer stories were spared.

After the love-in, attention was drawn towards social networking trolls and the hypocrisy of far right supporters living in the UK. Khorsandi’s intelligent knack for broaching ugly subjects and then slaying them with her sparkling wit is a remarkable lesson in comedic timing and demonstrated exactly why she has become a regular face on our screens. This stroll into shady territory continued in astute opinions concerning immigration and hostilities, using her father as the focal point for both the targeting of, and solution to, racism. Although our entertainer for the evening portrays herself as a screwy aunt teaching herself how to “talk to young people again”, it becomes apparent that there are depths that she has still to absorb – and strengths which led to an increased response from the audience as the night moved to a close.

With another gig across town at The Stand Comedy Club awaiting her, Khorsandi thanked the generous Glasgow crowd for their good spirits before departing. The Magners Comedy Festival may perhaps see better comics across the city tonight, but very few will endear themselves throughout the course of the evening as well as Shappi Khorsandi managed to.

Reviewer : Stephen Watt

Comedian, writer, blogger, podcaster and writer of a weekly column in the metro since 2012. This is Richard Herring’s  11th solo showin 11 years. It lacks any particular theme unlike his earlier offerings on politics (Hitler’s Moustache), religion (Christ on a Bike), death (We’re all going to die) and love (What is love, Anyway?) Herring casts, rather than his customary breakneck speed in previous shows. He seems more comfortable with himself and his role “I’m not a failed rock star, I’m a failed comedian.”

This show is pulled together with ease, Herring’s experience as a performer glowing well throughout, looking backwards and forwards whilst wondering if his best is behind him or yet to come. There’s always a place for daftness and Herring seems to have found his. He’s now bouncing around using his sofa as a trampoline whilst pondering his own mortality. Seriously good fun ★★★★

The Studio @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

7^thMarch

The Gilded Balloon is 30 this year and it’s great to see it expand its offerings outside of the festival.  Edinburgh’s burgeoning comedy seen has seen a host of new comedy night’sspringing up to complement The Stands stalwart presence.  Most of these nights are pub-based, grass roots affairs, but this, at the Festival Theatres new space, The Studio is of a different ilk, welcoming professional circuit comics, rather than comedic bairns and journeymen.Tonight’s bash is ably compered by likable Lancashire lass and faux-ditsy Katie Mulgrew who prises for openings in the audience and unearths  courting couples and tired lifers which provides great continuity throughout the show.  It’s hard to tell if she contributed to Catherine and Rufus’ breakup or sealed their nuptials.

Opening act is affable Irishman and silver fox Michael Redmond.  You might recognise those eyebrows as Father Teds dour Father Stone.   Redmond’s stand up is top drawer and he doesn’t rely on his comedy CV to get the laughs, his Irish lilt and relaxed demeanour draws you in then he’ll hit you with the gag.  He’s not afraid of heckles and woe betide you if you do as he’s wittier than you.  You shall be crushed!  Effortless set and the crowd lap up his deadpan style (apart from the Nippy Fip the heckler).

Glaswegian Scott Gibson follows with a typically bare knuckles set just before the watershed.  He had me ending myself at his observations on the serious matters of:out of fashion sexual acts and what happened to which dog shite?  Oh and switches inside your bum that make you do strange things.  He doesn’t take any prisoners and some of the brutally delivered material made the women sitting next to me shift uncomfortably in her seat but, like the vast majority of the packed house.  I loved him.

Our Mancunian headliner, Justin Moorhouse is familiar to many of us from his role as Young Kenny in Peter Kays Phoenix Nights.In the intervening 15 years he has made a name for himself on the stand-up circuitas well as appearing on Live at the Apollo and even Coronation Street!  He even won Celebrity Mastermind (Specialist subject Les Dennis).  Justin’sself-deprecating material is drawn from hisassumed role as a pessimistic bored husband and father who wishes things were different.  Themes which many people can identify with and his solid material hits the spot although he seemed to wander his way through the last few minutes of his slot, perhaps trying out new material.  We’ll let him off with that as he had us laughing the rest of the time.

A night of quality comedy such as this is rarer than white dog shite.

Reviewer :  David McCaramba

Wednesday’s at the Stand

Doors 7.30pm, Show 8.30pm,

Tickets £6/£4

The Mumble loves the Wee Man, one of Weegielands radgest comedians, he puts the knife into places comedy daren’t go, twists it about a bit, pulls out the entrails & rolls it up into a big, fat doobie. On Wednesday’s, at the Glasgow Stand, he becomes the MC for the ever-variable, ever-funny rap-battles – which comes across a bit like Eminem on ketamine.

Each night, the four semi-finalists get five minutes to do their stuff, warming up the audience & evidently, themselves, for they are very much out of their comfort zone. After each pair have finished, they square-off against each other for two rounds of bullet-spitting hip-hop. The performances vary much in assurity & quality, feeling a bit like when your Uncle Jeff starts dancing at a wedding – but the awkwardness just adds to the comedy.

After the final, the Wee Man judges who the laurels of victory should go to on audience reaction, with tonight’s winner being Chris MacArthur-Boyd, the reigning champion no less, another wee lad who beat local comedy hero, Obie, to the podium. But really, the only winner is comedy, who manages to find warmth & hilarity humour in every crevice of society – even gangsta rap!

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

48 Below (Phoenix Bar Basement),

48A Broughton Street, Edinburgh

20th February

Hosted in the basement of Phoenix Bar, scene of many a drink-addled birthday celebration, the venue has undergone a revamp since my last visit.  Think boudoir-kitsch complete withhipsters, guinness and cocktails, a smattering of ponces, perms and dynasty style ‘doos.  It’s an intensely compact venue so if you like your personal space you will have to adapt.  The close proximity of the crowd certainly makes it a good place for comic teeth-cutting and it’s good to see another venue hosting comedy nights outside the Fringe.

Tonight’s stand out was definitely Gus Lynburn who was a genuinely funny guy full of nervous energy and clearly with a head full of nonsense that he needs to let loose lest he might go a bit mental.  His infectious enthusiasm got the crowd going and a mix of gags and adlibs got the biggest laughs of the night.  He overran his timeslot but was urged to stay on and admirably adlibbed another few funny minutes.

He upstaged cocky headliner Liam Withnail, who let himself down with his frat-boy humour that assumed everyone at the gig was at a university fresher-week event.  If you are going to come on stage boasting about being invited to foreign comedy festivals you better have the material to back up the swagger.  He didn’t – more of a stagger I thought.

There are obviously different comedians every night and part of the fun of a stand-up show is you never know what you are going to get.  There are also shows starting up on Wednesdays.  The venue gets packed so if you want a seat – come early.

Reviewer: David McCaramba

Host: Gareth Mutch (@GarethMutch)

Headline Act: Liam Withnail (@LiamWithnail)

Guests: 

Scot Laird (@ScotWithOneT)

David  Callan (@MrDavidCallan)

Michael Hollingwoth (@HollingworthM)

Gus Lymburn (@GusLymburn)

The Stand (Edinburgh)

25th Jan

Arriving to the smell of haggis & neaps, it was standing room only last night for a Burns supper themed night of comedy at the Edinburgh stand. Saying that, Scotia’s bard hardly got a mention, but each of the comics on offer mentioned him at least once. They were shepherded onto stage by rowdy MC, Susan Morrison, mastermind behind the last Fringe’s ‘Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas,’ who warmed the audience up with a crackling intensity. I really enjoyed her banter with an American couple – a playwright & an astrophysicist – which allowed her to tell the story of John Paul Jones’ humorous attempts to  bomb Leith during the War of American independence. Comedy & history, & well told too.

The first comedian was 24-year-old Gareth Waugh, an astute, sexy & mature performer who is not as socially awkward as he portrays. His witty self confessionals took us from buying those hooded kids who stand outside off licenses booze to show he was cool, to buying his girlfriend lingerie with a morbid sense that everyone thinks he was buying them for himself. The lad has a youthful exuberance which he cuttingly projects through his material.

Next up was Keir McAllister, a very funny & very confident ‘Sue Perkins’ lookalike, whose idea of a Burns night was to celebrate the victims of chip pan fires. He also delved into pros-independence politics with a passion & brilliant patter that Robbie Burns would have been proud of,  then Dundee’s shittest zoo in the world, before finishing his set with a story about coming & farting at the same time – what joy!

Headlining tonight was the Stand’s long-running antidote to a heavy weekend, the uplifting improvisational genius of Stu & Garry. Tonight, these two masters of snappy-minded comedy theatricals played the alphabet game – in which they dialogued through a scene, beginning each line with consecutive letters of the alphabet. The story was a ventriloquist at a children’s party, whose dummy was a crude, foul-mouthed northerner, begging for ‘gottle of methadrone’ & telling the kids it would be easy to bundle them into his van. The second story was a monk & a soul-sucking succubus, which was played out three times; once as normal, once as musical porn & once as panto. All this was really quite hilarious, especially when shouts of ‘shes behind you’ erupted in the panto-version – a moment of true festivity on one of Scotland’s most festive days.

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

Edinburgh Playhouse

Thu 22 Jan 2015

The quirky warm-up comedian with an equally quirky name, Boothby Graffoe, eased the audience into the evening with amusing anecdotes and a hilarious account of his attempts to break into the world of screen writing.

After a short interval, with our giggle boxes satisfyingly massaged, Omid Djalili confidently strode out on to the stage. Unsurprisingly, Iranian-British Omid Djalili is no stranger to Edinburgh. He’s been a fixture on the Festival circuit for the last 22 years. In that time he has won the Time Out Award and EMMA Award for Best Stand Up, and has been nominated for the South Bank Award. In his other career he won the Best Actor Award for his lead performance in ‘The Infidel’ at the Turin Film Festival. All very impressive!

In his new suit and boots, he took us through a flurry of cultural gags, ever so slightly leaning on the on the racial side, but being part Iranian himself, he somehow gets away with it! After an explosive punch line we witness him strutting around the stage, dancing to Bollywood music and swinging the microphone from his pelvis! This is no shy man! He stated he “doesn’t want to offend people” yet continued to mock people from Stratford Upon Avon about Shakespeare’s possible accent, Arabs, ‘Musselburghers’, Pakistanis, Americans and Nigerians! His talent for accents, even Northern Irish, however is remarkable and this aided his amusing observations and anecdotes.

Although he did touch on sensitive issues, he was not afraid to turn the joke on himself – over his short, fat and bald stature, which doesn’t get him as many film star roles as he’d like! He consoled himself however, with the fact that America is the one place where he doesn’t feel fat!

He took a further step onto ethical thin ice with his view that we should not exclude people with disabilities, as to do so is more discriminatory, than to mock them just like everyone else. This gag – by his own admission – divided audience opinion. Omid went on to demonstrate his warm demeanour and down-to-earth character. He won over the female audience members by claiming; ‘women are better than men… at finding things’!

The evening was rounded off by a round of questions posted by the “audience”, although having read about material of his prior tour shows, some of these question would appear to be a little scripted and self aggrandising. He made reference to his three Hollywood films, added in some name-dropping and even sang a selection of songs from the boyband Blue?… Not the strongest part of the set by a long chalk!

At the end there was a shameful plug of his new book – ‘Hopeful’ – which just happened to be on sale in the foyer. The stand-up, writer, actor and trumpet blower ended with the philosophical message that, ‘we should not look at people from our ivory towers because everyone struggles.’

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis

MERRY CRIMBO

Mumble Comedy is putting its feet up for the Festive Season,

But will be returning with a bellyfull of laughter in the New Year!