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drinks Monday 1 September 08 Edinburgh Reunion in London
Topping And Butch Hit Leicester Square 26-27 September 08
Glasgow Comedy Festival
10-26 March 05
Different city, same weather. Edinburgh correspondent Lea Harris trades a blustery Edinburgh day for a ‘dreich’ (Scottish for bloody awful) morning in Glasgow for the launch of the Miller Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
2005's Comedy Festival is launched in Glasgow's opulent City Chambers - built in the 1800s from tobacco and slavery.
It's grand. There are mosaic-domed ceilings made from 1.5 million tiles, and ionic pillars of grey Aberdeen and hand-polished red granites topped with green marble. Twin staircases are freestone and Carrara marble. The venue is panelled with Australian satinwood, the ceiling a confection of wedding-cake plasterwork. And not a bottle of champagne in sight.
Mind you, it is 10am, and the press look suitably dishevelled - fresh from school runs and sleep. It's organised by Podge Publicity's Paddy Cuthbert, debonaire in sand-coloured needlecord suit. Lawrie Dalziel, the new manager of the Stand Comedy Club arrives from Edinburgh. Tommy Sheppard (director of the Stand Out Comedy Agency) looks dapper in tweed suit, pink shirt and red flying-scarf. He encourages people to sit in the front row on the basis that no-one is going to pick on them.
Since the first festival in 2003, the number of tickets for sale have doubled to a staggering 50,000 with 200 shows over 17 days, according to Tommy Sheppard. It's no mean achievement - and will keep Edinburgh on its toes.
Councillor Alex Mosson (Glasgow City Council) notes that the Festival fills in the gaps between other successful events - like Celtic Connection: ‘Book tickets early, it’ll be a sell-out again.’
Linda Allan from Miller Glasgow International Comedy Festival 2005 (MGICF) summarises the festival. The line-up includes dour-faced Jack Dee, satirical Paul Merton, caustic Joan Rivers, and Julian Clary - 'something for everyone', she notes.
'There are workshops for emerging talent, resulting in a showcase gig.' There are also masterclasses in comedy writing, novelty venues like an open-top bus and comedy pub-crawls. The kids aren’t left out - with entertaining and educational shows that parents will appreciate too.
John Gemmell (sponsor - Miller) praises Glasgow's humour. In the fortnight before the festival, there 15 gigs in local pubs leading up to the big event.
John Gemmell recalls time fondly spent on many a Friday night with Karen Dunbar - provoking predictably dirty laughs from the press. Karen Dunbar, the Tracey Emin of comedy, grins. She apologises that she doesn’t remember their nights together, possibly due to drinking too much of his product - cue more ribald laughter. Karen Dunbar's all for the healthy competition between Edinburgh and Glasgow: she lowers her eyes and smiles, 'Come in tae mae!'
Karen Dunbar's witty, sharp and off the cuff. Sadly she's on for just one night - 25 March, 10pm at the Kings Theatre.
Full details of what's on are at www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com
END
(c) Lea Harris 2005
Glasgow Jan/Mar 05
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
