18/03/2011

Synopsis

Janice Forsyth keeps company with some of the comedians at this year's Magner's Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Self-professed "rock 'n' roll ventriloquist" and darling of New York's bohemian scene Carla Rhodes even got named checked recently by US talk show giant David Letterman! Now the Kentucky-born comedian comes to Glasgow with her show "The Continuing Story of Carla Rhodes", her cast of puppet companions and some "rawkin'" live music. Inspired herself by the late Shari "Lamb Chop" Lewis, Rhodes puts a modern day spin on the old school art of ventriloquism and is making it her mission to inspire like-minded people to step forward and proclaim "I love puppets and I'm proud!"

Born a Catholic, married a Protestant, and moved to Thatcher's Britain. For Northern Irish comedian Michael Smiley "the troubles" extend beyond the political to the personal. And he's willing to share them with you by taking you on a voyage of discovery in his show "Immigrant". Growing up in Belfast storytelling's in his blood as he shares anecdotes by turns both surreal and seriously funny, based on his own upbringing and now that of his children. Also a familiar face on the big and small screen, Smiley's steadily carved out an award-winning acting career in roles both comedic and dramatic. Not bad for the immigrant boy from Belfast.

Spiky-haired comedy demon from Western Australia, John Robertson, returns to Scotland to make a fresh assault on his fans with "Dragon Punch! (Confessions of a Game-playing, TV-watching Madman Permanently Marooned in the Age of Mobile Goddamn Everything)". Clutching his ubiquitous ukulele the high-energy puppeteer from Perth puts the manic into mayhem and is fast creating a cult web following for his audacious "Australian Idol" audition as well as appealing to anime fans under 25... A versatile performer, speaker and emcee, Robertson's also a prolific writer catching the attention of the Equity Guild Award with his first dramatic play. Adept at impressions, improv and rapid-fire one-liners be ready for anything from this multi-talented Antipodean stand-up.