Written by: John Scott
Published: Sunday 21st August 2011

John Scott (pictured) talks about Scottish stand-up comedy...

Billy Connolly. Is that where a Scottish comedian writing about Scottish comedy should start? Certainly for this comedian, at the tender age of 7, Billy Connolly was my first introduction to the art of stand-up. I still personally hold him in very high regard and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have then went on to discover Richard Pryor, Eddie Izzard, Bill Hicks or even Michael McIntyre. All of whom I've enjoyed equally as much. In fact I'm quite aware that if it wasn't for Connolly I probably would never have become a stand-up. But is he the only real superstar of Scottish comedy? Well that depends on your perspective of what a Scottish comedy superstar is. From my stand point I've been listening to, watching and working alongside Scottish comedy superstars for years... and many of them you'll never have heard of.

When I was a young child I was taken annually to the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh to see the pantomime. There were two stars of these shows who would be rotated between the Glasgow Empire and Edinburgh each year. They were Riki Fulton and Stanley Baxter and their shows were as Scottish as they were funny.

Fulton became a national institution when every year his comedy sketch show Scotch and Wry was broadcast on Hogmanay in Scotland. It was only ever broadcast nationally once in 1983. But then again, those south of the border have never really known how to celebrate a new year. For millions of Scots it was essential viewing.

Then there's Stanley Baxter a talented impressionist, actor and comedian who's act included a frighteningly convincing portrayal of the Queen. But it was in Scotland that he developed Parliamo Glasgow. A send up where he took the Glasgow patois and developed it to comic effect. An example would be the Scots word 'Snaffy' as in 'Snaffy cold day' (It's an awfully cold day). Brilliant! But especially if you're Scottish.

Outside the panto circuit there was to be found another pioneer, not just of Scots comedy, but of the art of stand-up itself, Mr Chic Murray. Chic was never too well known outside Scotland. He was to make an appearance at the Royal Command performance, but it was cancelled due to the Suez Canal crisis. Yet despite his low profile outside the nation he was voted Comedians Comedian in 2005.

Chics humour would often take a surreal angle. One of his 'jokes' goes "I went into a shop to buy some tartan paint. The man said, 'we've only got blue paint'... I said 'that's fine I've got my bike outside'." I imagine 30 years later Reeves and Mortimer would be delighted with such a line.

But these are just a few of the more famous names from the Scots comedy cannon. In more recent years I've had the privilege of working alongside a whole new generation of Scots comics. I'll never forget the first time I was on a bill appearing alongside one of my comedy heroes Mr Bruce Morton (pictured). Prior taking up comedy I'd enjoyed many a night watching Bruce on the Scots comedy show The Funny Farm or on his solo Channel 4 specials.

Bruce was a big influence on me as regards what you could make comedy about. He was the first person I saw to make a joke that referenced a very modern piece of Scots culture, but it was also a joke that wouldn't be well understood outside Scots cities never mind elsewhere in the UK.

Here it is (as best I can remember): "I like to look at words in the dictionary. I recently looked up Poltergeist. And the definition was... 'an uncouth Ghost'. What? Is that a ghost that goes... Woooooaaaah. Ya Bass."

(If you don't understand this, mail me and I'll explain.)

And finally there's the guys from my generation whom I work alongside throughout the year. Vladimir Mctavish, Joe Heenan, Des Clarke, Des McLean, Mark Nelson and the greatest improviser I've ever seen, Mr Raymond Mearns. People don't know these guys as household names, but catch them live and you'll be shaking with laughter.

I remember one night watching Raymond working on the hoof and he was talking to two young student doctors from Northern Ireland. One of them told Raymond that we was thinking of moving from medicine to psychiatry, to which Raymond replied: "That's a good idea, because a couple of years ago in Northern Ireland people would have turned up at the hospital going, 'Doctor help me I've been blown to bits'. But now thanks to the peace process they'll need you because they'll be going, 'Doctor you've got to help me, I'm really depressed. I've got a house full of guns and I can't use them.'"

And he made that up on the spot! As well as the deftness of touch in that joke there's another element within it that's very typical of the Scots humour and that's the slight shades of darkness. This edginess is very prevalent within Scots stand-up. Personally I think it comes from the tough living and poverty that exists in this country, either that or we're all trying to outdo each other in the risky jokes stakes. Maybe a bit of both.

There's loads of people who work within Scots comedy who never really bother with traveling outside the country. And their comedy is very much directed at a local audience. I kind of like this. As long as your audience get the references then I think there's something nice about the entertainment being specifically for and about you. It gives a nice level of localised inclusion. A big bit of comedy is about empathy and I like to think Scots comedy in all its heritage has covered that rather well.

You can see John performing his show 'Totally Made Up - Totally Free' until the 28th August at the Beehive Inn at 5pm. Listing