Bill Bailey

SECC, Glasgow, Wed 7–Fri 9 Nov

STAND-UP

It seems clear that Bill Bailey has never minded looking somewhat foolish in the pursuit of his chosen career path. Back in the early days when he was a mere West Country boy trying to earn a modest showbusiness crust, he spent a substantial part of his time dressed in lycra and touring with a Welsh experimental theatre company, broken up by stints in a jazz trio. All of which conjures up images of terror, but his lack of shame even transferred itself to taking on the role of Manny in Black Books.

Having been robbed of the 1996 Perrier Award by Dylan Moran (more or less the victor’s words, not just mine), rather than never look into the face of his foe til the day he died, Bailey opted to accept work from Moran for the bookshop sitcom he created with Graham Linehan. And what was the hapless Manny required to do? Be bullied on a constant basis by his grumpy boss.

Now, of course, Bailey has integrity running through his lovely long hair. From that Perrier-nominated Cosmic Jam, he has been Part Troll and lost in Bewilderness. Now, he is getting all seasonal, kind of, with Tinselworm. Kicking off his national tour with three dates at Glasgow’s SECC, it’s reasonable to expect musical expertise with jokes and a flurry of well thought-out surrealist silliness.