Comedy of the week ft. Kyle Kinane, Harriet Dyer, James Meehan and David Trent

Kyle Kinane | Mon 24 Jul | The Deaf Institute | 7pm | £16.50
US stand up Kyle Kinane is the kind of stand up you could listen to for hours. Not just because of his gruff Chicago voice but his stories are enchanting, whimsical and horrifyingly down to earth. Last year he played to a room full of enraptured Mancs at The Pub/Zoo and we implore you to go see him again at The Deaf Institute, and even more so if you missed out. Only doing a handful of dates in the UK on a Euro tour before he jets off back to America make sure you catch him whilst you can.
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Barking Tales | Wed 26 Jul | Zombie Shack | 7pm | FREE
Harriet Dyer’s night of inclusive and cathartic stand up has its last outing before Harriet shoots off to solve the riddle of her own mind in new show ‘Dyer-gnosis Murder’. Barking Tales differs from the usual comedy night in two ways, first up it is helmed by the inimitable Dyer who is a loose limbed whirlwind of a performer you’ll love being swept up with and secondly the ‘tales’ come from real life experiences of comics sharing problems they or their close friends and relatives might have with mental illness to remove the stigma of openly sharing such stories.
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Ad ‘Dougie’ Douglas | Fri 28 Jul | The Kings Arms | 7.30pm | £5-6
Working class character comedy comes in two forms, there is the outlandish charicatures like those of Simon Brodkin and his Lee Nelson creation and then there are subtler more nuanced portrayals of a ‘character’ we might all be familiar with. Highly rated young actor James Harkness plays Ad ‘Dougie’ Douglas as a talkative, clueless young man who is at once forgettable and entirely recognizable. Here he attempts to throw a party for his best mate ‘Clarky’. His creation is lathered with pathos and this should be a show that makes you feel as much as it makes you laugh.
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David Trent and James Meehan | Sun 30 Jul | Gullivers | 7.30pm | £6
As the Edinburgh Fringe draws ever nearer comedians get their last throw of the dice in with Gullivers hosting a double bill from Edinburgh heroes David Trent and James Meehan. The latter will be shedding his Gein’s Family Giftshop P.E. kit to go through an hour on his inability to get a good night’s sleep due to struggles with depression. A smart and honest comic Meehan is fast becoming one of this city’s favourite stand ups and an important voice for mental health awareness in comedy. Trent meanwhile will lead another multimedia onslaught on the Scottish capital with new show ‘Here’s Your Future’ as he brings his powerpoint, clicker and insatiable hunger for the truth. A unique experience.
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