Although Geoff and I have been to The Stand Comedy Club during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in previous years, we hadn’t really kept an eye on what is going on for the rest of the year. Recently we have been taking more and more time to discover the great programme on offer we keep finding gems. I have recently discovered SiStars or DoubleXX, the first Tuesday of every month is an all woman show.

On the 4^th April the line up was Susan Calman as compere, The F-Team a three-woman sketch troup, Sarah Millican and headliner Ava Vidal

Susan Calman may be short in stature but she packs a bit of a punch, although I don’t think I've seen her before she did appear very familiar. She tells us about playing ‘Fame’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ with her 4 cats and describes the fun of using the fingers of rubber gloves as leggings and the cat's inability to do jazz hands.  She has the ability to egg the audience on, warming them up for the rest of the acts. Susan’s first gig was in the Glasgow Stand in January 2005 she seems to have much more experience than just over a year. I look forward to seeing her do a longer set and will be looking out for her during the Fringe and again at the Stand.

Well the old adage the show must go on holds out for The F-Team, one member was ill another, appearing in a stage production on the other side of Edinburgh. The three young ladies we saw worked from scripts, whether the remaining original member of the team did not want us to know who she was, or to keep everyone the same they all worked from scripts. The quick fire sketches varied from simple two liners through more complicated routines with one or two running gags. The F-Team are well worth keeping an eye out for in the future.

Sarah Millican was the runner-up in ‘So you think you’re funny 2005’. Why Sarah was only runner up I don’t understand, as I thought she was great. Her droll, deadpan humour seemed to hit home with every female in the room and several of the males as well.  Basically celebrating her divorce, moving back home with the parents and her impending 30th birthday. She was very well received on the whole and the audience seemed to love her.  I hope she will be performing at the fringe as I would like to see her again.

What can I say about Ava Vidal that we didn’t say after seeing her at the Stand on 1^st April. Although it is only two nights since I saw her, and most of her act was the same, the audience reactions were very different and as the headline act she had more time than on Saturday. The extra material she managed to pack in was great and knowing she is coming up to Edinburgh for the Fringe, I hope to see her again.  I hadn’t realised at the time, but Ava was unwell during the gig it was only talking to her after the gig on the night that became aware of this.  So, get well soon Ava!!

As a lone female going to the Stand I felt very comfortable, the staff as usual make everyone welcome and the audience all chat with each other. It is nice to know that single females are able to go out for a great evenings entertainment in such a relaxed environment.