Glasgow Comedy Festival Q&As: Alun Cochrane, Doug Stanhope and Bruce Morton

Three of the leading lights at this year’s Glasgow Comedy Festival tell us what to expect in their stand-up routine...

ALUN COCHRANE

How did you get into stand-up?

I did every other type of performing I could, including juggling to promote mortgage products, acting and being a Redcoat, but stand-up was always the dream.

Sell yourself in a sentence.

I’m really good, but I hate self-publicising, some other comics seem to have it the other way around.

Worst joke you’ve ever told?

I tend to focus on the good ones, as my mortgage depends on those. I don’t want to end up juggling again do I?

• Alun Cochrane will be performing his show ‘Moments of Alun’ on 10 April at The Stand, Edinburgh.

DOUG STANHOPE

How did you get into stand-up?

People forget that until I came along there was no such thing as stand-up comedy. I always get credit for perfecting it when I in fact created it. Until me, people almost never laughed at all and when they did it was either at passing wind (also my creation) or Ezekiel 23:19.

Sell yourself in a sentence.

Wow. Twitter’s even ruined journalism now.

Worst joke you’ve ever told?

There’s so many kinds of bad but once I talked about ... [at this point Doug told a joke which we’ll have to leave for his late-night stand-up show]

• Doug Stanhope plays the King’s Theatre as part of Glasgow Comedy Festival on Friday 30 March.

BRUCE MORTON

How did you get into stand-up?

Did a five minute bit at a showcase in Edinburgh at The Gilded Balloon and was offered two gigs for the following week.

Sell yourself in a sentence.

I’m not for sale, but you can rent me for 25 minutes.

Worst joke you’ve ever told?

Did you hear about the gloomy Goth who grew his own building blocks of life? He was a cell farmer.

• Bruce Morton plays the Woodend Social Club, Glasgow on 14 April and The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh on 25 April.

More information on the Glagsow Comedy Festival