Glasgow's two rival comedy fests

The organisers of a Glasgow comedy festival are to take stand-up out into some of the city's most deprived areas.

Glasgow City Council has agreed to put £40,000 into the event planned by the director of the city's The Stand comedy club.

And some of the shows held during the nine-day event, set to take place in March next year, will be staged outside the city centre to ensure comedy goes to a wider audience than usual.

Stand director Tommy Sheppard told actors' newspaper The Stage: "We'll make sure that people in housing schemes and areas outside where the traditional venues are see some of the festival.

"I would hope that in years to come the Glasgow comedy festival will be a major event that people visit from all over the country."

But, as typically for the Scottish comedy circuit, the festival is part of a rift splitting the industry.

For rival comedy promoter James Campbell, who runs a number of smaller venues in Glasgow, is also organising a festival

The Great Glasgow Carlsberg Comedy festival will take place from June 12 to 16 this year, with Ross Noble, Dan Antopolski and Simon Munnery lined up for the debut event.

However, the council turned down Cambell's bid for funding and said it hoped the two festivals would merge next year.

Writing on his website, Campbell said: "So we appear to be in a situation where Glasgow has two comedy festivals: one involving The Stand and one involving every comedy club in Glasgow apart from The Stand. Bizarre."

Published: 1 Mar 2002