After the procession is over, and the last torch thrown into the burning galley then continue your night’s entertainment by heading to the Garrison Theatre.

Sandy will be accompanied by two other professional comedians, Mark Nelson, Scottish Comedian of the Year 2006 and frequent performer at the Stand Comedy Club (you can view a video of Mark Nelson on YouTube), and Raymond Mearns, actor, comedian and compere, at the Stand in Glasgow.

Both Sandy and Raymond are regular contributors to Radio Scotland’s Fred Macauley Show. Raymond appeared in the BAFTA award winning short Home, directed by Morag McKinnon, and It’s A Free World and Ae Fond Kiss both directed by Ken Loach. In 2008 he appeared in Rab C Nesbitt’s Christmas Special and played Happy Boab in the BBC Scotland sitcom Legit.

Raymond is due to appear in all six episodes of this year’s Limmy’s Show and in One Night in Emergency, both for BBC Scotland. Also look out for his role in the national TV advert for ‘Cheesestrings!’

So instead of dancing the night away among the Vikings and cartoon characters of Lerwick’s squads, laugh your way by taking a rare opportunity to enjoy some of Scotland’s top funny men at The Garrison Theatre on the last Tuesday in January – 26th.

The show begins at 9pm with doors open from 8.30pm. Tickets can be bought from Shetland Box Office, at Islesburgh Community Centre, 01595 745555 and are priced £10. Please note the recommended audience age is 16 and up!

Clickimin Comedy poster

As part of Creative Connections 2009 Shetland Arts is staging “Clickimin Comedy”, a stand up comedy night on Friday 7th August at 8.30pm in the Clickimin Centre, Lerwick.

The line up comprises visiting comedians Michael Redmond, Steven Dick and Eilidh MacAskill together with local comedian Les Sinclair and compère Sandy Nelson.

Nelson, himself a stand up comedian and comedy actor who has appeared in shows such as ‘Still Game’ and films including ‘Braveheart’ said “It’s great to see so much interest in Stand Up Comedy in Shetland. The last two gigs I did up here, ‘Stand Up At Sound’ and ‘Stand Up Helly Aa’, were a hoot and the audience loved them, so it’s great to be stepping it up a little by bringing such a legend of the stand up circuit as Michael Redmond. I mean he was in Father Ted! I’m so looking forward to it.”

Michael Redmond

Michael Redmond

Not many people who have been struck by lightning and lived to tell the tale. While this may not have actually happened to Michael Redmond himself, it is a fate that befell his character Father Stone – one of the more memorable creations of Channel 4′s classic comedy series ‘Father Ted’.

A skilled writer and performer, Michael started his career scripting comedy for Irish radio and television. He moved to London in 1987 and quickly established himself as a firm favourite on the comedy circuit, headlining at clubs throughout the UK and later developing his own one-man standup shows. A regular at major comedy festivals, Michael has performed a number of successful solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, including ‘Eamon, Older Brother of Jesus’, which was later developed as a series for BBC Radio 4. He now lives in Edinburgh and hosts a regular Sunday-night gig at The Stand comedy club there.

In addition to his live and radio performances, Michael has appeared on a number of high profile TV shows, including ‘Comedy Nation’, ‘Friday Night Live’, ‘The Stand Up Show’, ‘Clive Anderson Talks Back’, ‘Just for Laughs’ and ‘Father Ted’.

• “Excellent, deadpan dry wit” – Guardian
• “hilarious…. a great comedian” – Scotsman
• Michael Redmond – Friday Night Live (YouTube)

Steven Dick

Steven Dick

Steven Dick is one of Scotland’s most entertaining and in demand comedy magicians. He frequently performs at Scotland’s main comedy clubs and is a regular act and compère at The Stand in Glasgow and Edinburgh. He has performed for five consecutive years at the Edinburgh Fringe, and two years at the Glasgow Comedy Festival.

As well as his live shows which incorporate stand up comedy and slight of hand magic, he is an active comedy writer having had material broadcast on TV shows including ‘Have I got News for You’,’ Mock The Week’, ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’, ‘They Think It’s All Over’, ‘The Craig Hill Show’, ‘The Karen Dunbar Show’ and ‘Chewin’ The Fat’

• “Some expertly timed sleight of hand tricks that truly sparkle. With this kind of polished timing and winning enthusiasm Dick is a born performer who will appeal to audiences across the board. Marvellous.” – Scotsman
• “It’s impossible not to laugh” – Daily Record
• “This is one performer whose hype you can believe” – Sunday Times

Eilidh MacAskill

Eilidh MacAskill

Glasgow based Eilidh MacAskill will be supporting with her witty blend of song, stand-up, storytelling and ukelele playing.

Recently Eilidh set herself the challenge of playing at least one ukelele concert per day for a year under the ‘Eilidh’s Daily Ukelele Ceilidh’ moniker, performing in taxis, clubs, village halls, galleries, comedy clubs and on TV and radio. Eilidh has travelled from London to New York to Nova Scotia to Inverurie performing her songs, stand-up and stories with her trusty tiny guitar.

Eilidh is also part of the ‘Fish & Game’ performance group who create works ranging from studio shows, mock symposia to country fete style events as well as a Scottish tour with their hilarious take on Scottishness and Happiness, Otter Pie.

• “Like a ginger Julie Andrews” – Scotland on Sunday
• “Scotland’s most prolific ukulele proponent” – The Evening Times

Les Sinclair

Shetland based comedian Les Sinclair first trod the boards at Shetland Arts Stand Up At Sound event last year. Since then Les has gone on to perform locally at events such as stand ‘Up Helly Aa’ and comedy clubs around mainland UK.

Bryan Peterson from Shetland Arts added, “Michael, Steven and Eilidh are really looking forward to visiting Shetland. They’re going to stay on for a holiday in the isles before heading to their shows at the Edinburgh Fringe”

Tickets £12 /£10 – now on sale at Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745555.