Comedy At The Brunton: Phil Differ & Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

An Evening with Phil Differ

Saturday 19 March 8pm

Comedy writer, producer, director and comedian Phil Differ presents an evening of two halves. In the first, stand up comedy and in the second, showbiz tales from a career spanning thirty five years. In his own inimitable laid back style, Phil reminisces on his misspent youth and discusses the problems of being a middle-aged man trapped in a 20 year old’s body. He reveals how you go from being a failed accounts clerk with British Telecom to becoming Senior Producer in BBC Scotland's Comedy Unit and part of the team responsible for such television shows as Naked Video, City Lights, Rab C. Nesbitt, Scotch and Wry and Only an Excuse?

Phil reveals all: What it is like working with comedy icons like Rikki Fulton? Who is the funniest of all the performers he has encountered? What might be the pitfalls of filming in Cumbernauld Town Centre with Robbie Coltrane dressed as the Pope?

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

Thursday 31 March 7.30pm

No two nights are ever the same as The Showstoppers take audience suggestions and then spin a brand new comedy musical out of thin air - stories, characters, tunes, lyrics, dances, harmonies and all - with unpredictable and hilarious results.

Having grown since 2008 to become the UK’s most acclaimed and in demand musical improvisers, The Showstoppers have become a must see staple of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With four West End seasons and an acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series to their name, they have also taken their ingenious blend of comedy, musical theatre and spontaneity around the globe, picking up accolades and awards including The Times Best of the Fringe, Mervyn Stutter’s Spirit Of The Fringe Award and nominations for Chortle Best Music Or Variety Act, MTM Best Production Award and MTM Judges’ Discretionary Award.

The rotating cast features some of the brightest minds in the world of comedy and musical theatre. The company includes:

·         Co-founder Adam Meggido, an award winning writer/composer who has improvised at the National, The Royal Court Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and currently holds the world record for the directing the longest impro show - 55 hours without a break.

·         Dylan Emery, the other co-founder, has been improvising for more than 15 years – including at the National/Royal Court/Shakespeare’s Globe. He created veteran comedy impro group Grand Theft Impro, and the UK’s premier website devoted to the form thecrunchyfrogcollective.com.

·         Pippa Evans is an Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominee and has had great success on TV, Radio and stage – she is a regular on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, BBC2’s Fast and Loose, performs regularly with the Comedy Store Players and has had many years of success with her hit character act Loretta Maine.

·         Ruth Bratt is an improv Fringe regular for the last 11 years whose recent TV credits include Ricky Gervais’ Derek, Sarah Millican’s Support Group and Vic Reeves’ The Ministry Of Curious Stuff.

·         Sarah-Louise Young won the Best Musical Variety Act in the London Cabaret Awards and was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer. She has performed her critically acclaimed Cabaret Whore show across the world.

All tickets are available from The Brunton on 0131 665 2240 or www.thebrunton.co.uk