Jimmy Carr among stars for Glasgow comedy festival

Organisers of Glasgow’s comedy festival claim it is now the biggest event of its kind in Europe - as Jimmy Carr, Harry Hill and Al Murray were all confirmed in this year’s line-up.

• Tattoo parlour and underground station will host shows.

• Scottish stars such as Jerry Sadowitz, Dorothy Paul, and Susan Calman are billed.

Promoters believe only the comedy element of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has more shows than their event, which will grow to include 46 venues during the two-week festival in March.

Shows will be staged in a tattoo parlour, an underground station, a library and a whisky shop as part of a major expansion of the event, which was launched 10 years ago.

TV stars Paul Merton and Chris Addison will also be among this year’s main attractions, along with Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourites Richard Herring, Josie Long, Phill Jupitus, Mark Thomas and The Rubberbandits.

Three rising stars of the US comedy scene - Liza Treyger, Kyle Kinane and Dwayne Kennedy - will be making their UK debuts in Glasgow in March thanks to backing from the festival’s main sponsor, United Airlines.

Scottish stars appearing in the festival Jerry Sadowitz, Dorothy Paul, Susan Calman, Craig Hill, Daniel Sloss, Karen Dunbar and Michelle McManus.

Other venues being deployed this year range from cafes, a pubs, a student union and a cinema to the vast Clyde Auditorium and the neighbouring Tall Ship on the Clyde.

Unusual

More than 400 shows are part of the festival for the first time - four times as many as the first festival - while organisers are aiming to sell more than 75,000 tickets this year.

Comedy promoter Tommy Sheppard, director of the event since its inception, said it was now worth more than £3.4 million to the city’s economy and was the second biggest event for the city after the Celtic Connections music festival.

Among the more unusual events are a debate looking at the possible impact of Scottish independence on the country’s comedy scene, featuring national poet Liz Lochead and funnyman Bruce Morton, a gig by former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane, and a show based on how to write an episode of crime drama Taggart.

Fred MacAulay will be performing a special show to mark 25 years on the comedy circuit.

Mr Sheppard said: “There is nothing on the scale if this anywhere in Europe, with the obvious exception of Edinburgh, but comedy is part of a much bigger picture there. We are a completely stand-alone festival and are now much bigger than others in Newcastle, London, Belfast and Kilkenny, in Ireland.

Big push

“We’ve more shows than ever before this year, up around 10 per cent on last year, and although the bulk of our audience is from Glasgow, we’re making a big push to attract people from London this year. We’re actually employing someone to sell the festival outside Scotland.

“If we’re not the biggest event in the city yet, we’re certainly in second place behind Celtic Connections.”

Council leader Gordon Matheson said: “The Glasgow International Comedy Festival has gone from strength to strength - growing from humble beginnings to become one of the most anticipated events on the city’s calendar.

“Year-on-year it has attracted increasing numbers of visitors and has brought some of the greatest comedy performers in the world to our city.

“Not only does this generate significant economic benefits for Glasgow’s economy, it also demonstrates the city’s ability to successfully host major international events.”

Paul Bush, chief executive of EventScotland, added: “Scotland is the perfect stage for major cultural events and the Glasgow International Comedy Festival is one of the most revered gatherings of comedic talent in the world.”