On March 8th the Glasgow International Comedy Festival kicks off and it is an ideal opportunity to see exceptional comedians without having to bankrupt yourself with a trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. While the programme is jam-packed with excellent acts I've selected a few of my absolute must-sees this festival.
Scott Agnew - Spunk On Our Lady's Face
Having seen Agnew at The Stand last summer (and having to then explain to my mother what a banjo string was) I'm desperate to see his new stand up show. Titled, er, Spunk On Our Ladies Face it probably isn't for anyone overly sensitive or easily offended. Agnew is also performing at Spoon cafe every Sunday of the festival with Scott Agnew's Afternoon Blether which features different guests each week.
Rachel Parris - Work In Progress
This is a work in progress show and while I have absolutely no idea what it is about, this is one of the few comedy shows I'm comfortable recommending blind. Having seen Parris do a mix of musical comedy, stand up, improv and sketch I'm pretty confident with whatever she has in store. Rachel Parris has recently gone viral with several of her segments from BBC Two's The Mash Report such as this brilliant piece on sexual harrassment.
Jamie MacDonald- Designated Driver
Known as 'that blind comedian' Jamie MacDonald is a master storyteller. I saw him perform a five minute segment of this show and immediately bought tickets for this show at The Stand because I haven't laughed that hard in quite some time!
A regular on the Glasgow comedy scene Ashley Storrie might be best known for her viral videos such as 'If The Handmaid's Tale Was Scottish'. Adulting is her brand new show about how nobody is really grown up, they're all just pretending. Due to demand, a second date has been added on April 8th at The Stand.
Stuart Mitchell is a comedian that I keep seeing short segments of either on Youtube or at comedy nights and I'm very excited to finally see a full show of his. Yet another Glaswegian comedian (you might notice a running theme..) Mitchell is known for his clever one liners, sharp wit and knack for storytelling.
Janey Godley- Revelations of Godley
Janey Godley has a backstory that you couldn't make up and manages to tackle hard hitting subjects while somehow making them 'pee your pants' hilarious. The first two dates have sold out but a third has been added due to demand.
In 2013 Limmy spent a lot of time creating 6 second vines. This is a back to back screening of all of those vines. There's no doubt it's going to be a bizarre evening.
The full programme is available on the Glasgow International Comedy Festival website.
Videos