The great thing about the GICF Comedy Gala is that it exposes you to comedians you wouldn't normally see.
Each of the hand-picked comedians gets five minutes to show off their talents in a sampler of their work. And boy, what a feast it was.
On hosting duties was last year's recipient of the Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award, Susie Mccabe. First up was Zoe Lyons, who was probably the most famous act on the bill. She was followed by Chris Thorburn, Viv Gee, Ayo Adenekan and Kim Blythe. Rounding off the first half with a beat-heavy, blistering impromptu rap involving objects from the pockets of the first two rows was MC Hammersmith. He was my favourite from this group.
At this point, the event organisers surprised Viv Gee with a special one-off award issued by the Lord Provost of Glasgow in recognition of outstanding Glaswegians during its 850th year. She received a bespoke trophy (a plate) in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the comedy community in Glasgow.
After the interval, Susie introduced Kate Hammer, Stephen Buchanan, Alana Jackson and Connor Burns before finishing off the comedy with a set of her own. Connor was my fave from this half, even though I'd heard him deliver the material only a few weeks ago.
Then, all that remained was for Festival Director Krista MacDonald and Elaine C Smith to announce who had won this year's Billy Connolly award. 2025’s Shortlist included Craig Hill, Kim Blythe, Marjolein Robertson, Paul Black, Rosco McClelland, Scott Agnew and Viv Gee. I was surprised that only two of the acts performed, although my wife noticed Paul Black appearing from backstage at the interval. I wonder how many of the others were present to hear Rosco McClelland win the award. He seemed flabbergasted to have won, finding it difficult to express how much it meant to him to have Billy Connolly, his comedy hero, pick him.
A friend and former colleague was also in the crowd. We both agreed it was a great afternoon and hoped to attend again next year. It's a great way to celebrate comedy in Glasgow.
Ticket Price: £24.10 x 2 plus £3.95 Transacton Fee from ATG Tickets.
