Glasgow festival's plea as debate looks one-sided

Organisers of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival are appealing for a pro-union comedian to argue against Scottish independence, after the Better Together campaign unexpectedly backed out of a comedy debate.

The Mibbes Aye, Mibbes Naw show at the Stand comedy club in Glasgow on Saturday was meant to feature four panellists, a comedian and politician from both sides of the referendum.

But after the 'No' side pulled out, the festival is now 'desperately seeking' replacements over the next 24 hours.

Better Together refute claims that they couldn't find a comedian to debate with stand-up Keir McAllister and Marco Biagi MSP, maintaining that the act they had lined up will now appear at their Eddie Izzard-hosted fundraiser at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre on April 4, six days later instead.

However, they declined to name the comic involved

David Ross, press officer for the Better Together campaign, told Chortle: 'We are running our own comedy event so that is our priority … We did have someone for them but we have decided that this person will now be appearing at our Eddie Izzard event'.

When asked if Better Together were actively seeking a replacement for the Mibbes Aye, Mibbes Naw show and why the unnamed comic couldn't appear at both, Ross simply reiterated that 'we are fully focused on the Eddie event, so we are putting all our efforts into that.'

Festival organiser and owner of the Stand, Tommy Sheppard, described the decision to 'snub Glasgow's Comedy Festival' when 'they're bringing Eddie Izzard up from London to raise money for them' as 'disappointing'.

'I really don't know why [the unnamed comic] couldn't do both – they are in different cities a week apart. Or why not send someone else?'

Sheppard, who is pro-independence, added that he would 'love Izzard to do the debate – he would be most welcome'.

McAllister echoed his sentiment. 'I would be overjoyed if Eddie took part as I'm a huge fan. As for withdrawing their comic in the first place, pathetic excuse. Why can't they do both? A debate is not a broadcast and surely would serve both outlooks.'

Sheppard, who launched the appeal for a replacement on Twitter, confirmed that 'a couple of' comedians, such as visiting Australian John Robertson, had offered to step in as a replacement. But 'we're trying to get somebody who is a genuine No campaigner or at least a supporter.’

So far Izzard and Marcus Brigstocke are the only high-profile comedians to have come out in favour of the union – and no Scottish comedy stars have spoken out. Billy Connolly says he wants to keep out of the debate; and Kevin Bridges declined an invitation to go to a pro-Union party at Downing Street, and has previously said he was inclined to vote Yes, saying: ‘Scotland’s clearly a different country politically and culturally’.

Last year, Susan Calman declined to be drawn on her voting intentions while guesting on Radio 4’s News Quiz, and said that any mention of independence attracted an onslaught of ‘name-calling, swearing and death threats’ online.

Perhaps it is for that reason that Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre posts the rare disclaimer on its website that Izzard’s Scotland, Please Don’t Go benefit ‘is a commercial hire’ rather than an event it programmed itself.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, Mibbes Aye, Mibbes Naw was designed as a humorous Question Time-style event, chaired by Sunday Herald journalist Iain Macwhirter. Sheappard said: ‘It was never meant to be a serious debate, it was only meant to be a bit light-hearted.'

Insisting that the show would go ahead with a different format if necessary, he added: 'It was always going to be a bit tongue in cheek. But if we can't get anyone we may as well turn it into a complete spoof themed around the referendum. We've got more than 80 people have bought a ticket so far, so that's quite a bit of interest and I don't want to disappoint them. I'll be contacting them to explain the situation if we can't find a replacement.

'The brief was for both sides to find an official spokesperson and an entertainer, but they should both be humorous and witty in their presentation.

'I'd be delighted if [Better Together] changed their mind and try to send someone along. It doesn't have to be a comedian but it should be a performer of some kind. We didn't want two politicians. Maybe they couldn't find a comedian. We'll take any entertainer.'

Last year, Rory Bremner called for more humour to be injected into the referendum debate. His own show at the festival, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Referendum, is one of several in the programme with an explicit Independence theme, along with McAllister's double-act with Vladimir McTavish, in which they Look at the State of Scotland, and Viv Gee and John Scott's Anything's Better Than These C**ts.

Meanwhile, Independence supporters have organised their own comedy event in Edinburgh, hosted by broadcaster and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli. The Yes Comedy and Ceilidh will take place in Edinburgh's Stockbridge House on Saturday, April 5

- by Jay Richardson

Published: 25 Mar 2014