Ian Macpherson ventures
out.
DiScomBoBuLate
As the Arches will be
closed in January and February for building work the next
DiScOmBoBULaTe will be Tuesday, 23rd March 2010
THE ARCHES, GLASGOW 8 - 10pm
It will be part of the Glasgow Comedy Festival. We'll let
you know soon who the final line-up of readers and
performers will be.
Hosted by the 'splendidly
dry'
Ian Macpherson
'Proper
Live Lit - puts England to shame.' Luke
Wright
Tickets £4/£2 on door - 8pm start - doors open
7.30pm
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Gig review: Discombobulate Published date 03 September 2009
By Brian Donaldson
DISCOMBOBULATE ****
THE ARCHES, GLASGOW
MISCHIEF-MAKING is at the
heart of the monthly spoken word experience Discombobulate,
and never was that more apparent than during the opening
comments from the wry and estimable compere Ian Macpherson.
Having sent out a spoof press release to announce that the
Rebus-hating and Potter-baiting James Kelman would be
appearing to read from his new children's book ("about a
serial killer who targets middle-class child readers who
appear to like books"), he proudly reads a diary piece from
one broadsheet whose online wing fell hook, line and sinker
for the gag.
There's mischief too from Iain Heggie with his tale of a
babysitter who finds a sex aid among the kids' toys; from
Ewan Morrison who lampoons 1990s art poseurs; from Magi
Gibson with her windswept tales of wild women; and from
headliner Luke Wright who blazes a rapid poetic trail
through the hell of touring and overweight children
shedding their poundage.
But when Discombobulate does serious, it goes live and
direct for the jugular. Alan Bissett performed an agile
interpretation of domestic abuse while Suzanne Egerton read
a tale with a twist about child cruelty. Ian Macpherson
made gags aplenty about the heavy beard lying upon
playwright Douglas Maxwell's face before he went on stage,
but once Maxwell had performed his compelling and
soul-altering short drama based on the true story of a
hospital facility in Stafford which provided supervised
conditions for self-harmers, Macpherson wisely and
respectfully didn't even attempt to stick some levity into
the reflective mood that had descended.
Source: The Scotsman
Location: Edinburgh
SCOTSMAN
REVIEW
Comedy Review:
Discombobulate
Published Date: 12 February 2009 By BRIAN DONALDSON
DISCOMBOBULATE ****
CCA, GLASGOW
"TO THROW into a state of confusion". This dictionary
definition of discombobulate certainly covers the punters
who trailed in after the allotted kick-off time of this
monthly show, in which authors, musicians, playwrights,
comedians and poets are invited to flex their love of
language. Few artistic endeavours are in need of
interruption less than spoken word events, but the hardy
souls performing at the CCA ignored the shuffle and clatter
of latecomers, ploughing on to prove a uniformly excellent
line-up.
Being the season of hearts and flowers and cocoa solids,
large chunks of the material were devoted to love, albeit
drenched in many of its seedier shades, none more so than
the grand finale set from the hirsute Aidan Moffat. Sitting
behind his keyboard/drum machine, the former Arab Strapper
regaled us with odes to Fern and Phil (from This Morning)
and Danny and Sandy (from Grease), diatribes against bigots
and psychics, and witful passages about Amsterdam and
genitalia. That our splendidly dry host Ian Macpherson
forgot to announce himself at the start, and appeared to
have little idea who Moffat was, merely added to the sense
of fuzziness.
Clear as crystal is that Moffat's fellow Falkirker Alan
Bissett has talent to burn. Not only does he write novels
that have people uttering words like "virtuoso" and
"genius", he clearly puts as much stock in performing his
words as he does in getting them down on the page in the
first place. His Dead Poets Society tale of a teacher
preparing his class for Burns Night was neatly
counterpointed by Kirstin Innes, who preceded him with a
vibrant evocation of fourth-years struggling with the
anxiety of Scottish country dancing and the difficult
futures that lie before them.
The picture was completed by Iain Heggie's monologue of
prejudice and pennies, Anneliese Mackintosh's prose of
food, sex and betrayal, Magi Gibson's poems about wild love
and a pair of acoustic numbers by unCanadian young folkies
Maple Leaves. And all of this somehow came in at less than
a fiver. Next month, you can get even more for your money
by showing up on time.
Born in February 2008,
DiScomBoBuLate is the brainchild of poet
Magi Gibson and writer/comedian
Ian Macpherson.
The evenings present regular slots from novelist Alan
Bissett, as well as featuring guest appearances by Liz
Lochhead, AL Kennedy, Ewan Morrison, Douglas Maxwell,
Kirstin Innes, Anneliese Mackintosh, Aidan Moffat, Alasdair
Gray and Arnold Brown.
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Copyright for any material on this site remains with the
individual writers.
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