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The Stand Comedy Club Fringe 2010 press release
Fringe Comedy Programme Launched
34 SHOWS NOW ON SALE
With comedy influences from five continents and a record number of female stand-ups, Edinburgh's Stand Comedy Club today launches its most diverse festival fringe programme ever. The staunchly independent venue, celebrating its fifteenth year on the fringe, is known for keeping commercialism at bay and promoting new and challenging comedy. This year it consolidates that reputation with 34 shows every day on four stages.
The Stand has always stood for variety, but now it's beginning to resemble a comedy United Nations. Top Scandinavian comics Magnus Betnér (Sweden) and Dag Sørås (Norway) make their fringe debuts with hard-hitting no compromise comedy. Laid back Canadian Tony Law muses lyrically about life whilst rising Aussie star Nick Sun gives the view from down under. The self proclaimed only gay Bengali GP in the village Paul Sinha offers a British Asian perspective on the world, and Londoner Andi Osho draws heavily on her Nigerian roots in AfroBlighty.
Here come the girls
In what has just got to be a record for any venue more than 30% of all the Stand's solo shows are by female performers. Sarah Millican and Bridget Christie join the club's line-up for the first time whilst Jo Caulfield, Ava Vidal and Jojo Sutherland make a welcome return. Circuit stalwarts Susan Morrison, Tiffany Stevenson and Susan Murray all depart from their usual club sets with full length shows which will confound the misogynists.
Comedy with a point
After the most interesting general election in a while, political comedy may be about to see a renaissance. Timely then that the crucible of fringe satire, Political Animal, should find a new home at the Stand, a venue which has always believed is having something to say. Andy Zaltzman does the honours every weeknight introducing a range of stand-ups with a point to make. And if you like comedy that exercises the grey matter as well as your face check out cerebral musings from Addy van der Borgh or Mike Wozniak too. Others with the emphasis on dexterous wordplay and skilful observation include the irrepressible James Dowdeswell and the highly convivial Michael Fabbri.
Caledonian Capers
Of course the Stand's world menu doesn't mean the locals are squeezed out. On the contrary, Caledonian comics are well represented with solo shows from Vladimir McTavish, Susan Morrison, Stephen Carlin and Jojo Sutherland. There are also ensemble packages from the Capital's Silence of the Trams team and the Glasgow based sketch troupe How do I Get up There, and the ever popular showcase Best of Scottish Comedy.
New work from old masters
Kevin Eldon has been involved with the best comedy for a generation but, strangely enough has never done his own fringe show. Until now. John Moloney on the other hand has done loads of fringe shows, but not for a long time. Catch them both at the Stand this summer.
Fringe favourites who define the festival are back too. Simon Munnery celebrates his silver jubilee, Stewart Lee returns with a brand new show and Phil Nichol's comic creation Bobby Spade gets a second outing.
Add on the fringe veterans in the making like Alun Cochrane, Carey Marx and Jason Cook, and it's a stonking programme with strength in depth.
Biggest value
You get more comedy for your money at The Stand. Over the years the biggest names have deserted the larger venues and headed towards this intimate club, and each time their ticket price has dropped. This is a venue that deliberately spends less on hype and hullaballoo that the rest, and aims to offer the best value for money on the fringe. Ticket prices are on average 20% cheaper here for solo shows, but the best value is in the package deals the club offers.
Start the day with the ever popular chat show Devlins's Daily for just a fiver. Pep up teatime with the Best of Irish Comedy with four Celtic comics for a tenner. And every weekend finish your fringe day with the Late Show which offers five or six stand-ups in a two hour show for thirteen quid.
Not content with lower prices the club goes all the way every Saturday and Sunday lunchtime and offers Free & Easy, the only fringe show where it's free to get in and no-one asks you for money on the way out - beat that for value.
On sale now
The club has taken the unusual step of announcing its line-up a full month before the launch of the official fringe programme, after some of the largest venues went on sale earlier in the year. Over 80,000 tickets for more than 800 performances are on sale now at www.thestand.co.uk/fringe
Director Tommy Sheppard says "We would have much preferred to have waited until the overall fringe programme is launched in June, but regrettably some of the mega-venues have already put shows on sale and we can't afford to wait. The fringe comedy programme is already a bit of a David and Goliath situation so we've got to take our slingshots where we can."
Ends
Notes.
1. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from Friday 6th to Monday 30th August 2010
2. More information on all shows, including publicity images for each, now available on the fringe 2010 section of our website - thestand.co.uk
3. The Stand Comedy Club operates seven nights per week in Edinburgh and Glasgow, this is the venue's 15th year on the Fringe.