Latest news with #TheComedyUnit
Daily Record
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scots comedy legend Karen Dunbar heading to Lanarkshire for series of shows
This is a brand-new show for 2025, and it sees Karen sharing stories from her life and talking about her career, with – as you would expect from a stalwart of the Scottish comedy scene – a heap of humour and jokes. Comedian, actor, writer, DJ, and star of Chewin' The Fat, Karen Dunbar is set to embark on a brand-new tour which includes several shows in North and South Lanarkshire. This is a brand-new show for 2025, and it sees Karen sharing stories from her life and talking about her career, with – as you would expect from a stalwart of the Scottish comedy scene – a heap of humour and jokes. This is Karen's fourth tour with Aberdeen-based promoters, Breakneck Comedy, since 2023, and as Breakneck Comedy founder, Naz Hussain, explains, it's their most ambitious to date. He said: 'This is the biggest tour we've ever organised, and I'm delighted that we're working with Karen for it. This is a big year for Breakneck Comedy – it's our fifteenth anniversary and to be able to deliver such a huge tour for such a well-loved Scottish act is the icing on the cake. 'Anyone who's been to one of Karen's shows before will know that it's a great night of laughs, jokes, stories, and anecdotes from her career, covering everything from her time on Chewin' The Fat, right through to her latest adventures as a DJ. 'This is a brand-new show for 2025, and the fact that Karen has so many fresh new stories to share is testament to her talent as a comedian, and her amazing career.' Karen began her career as a DJ and karaoke host before she attended The Comedy Unit's open auditions in 1997 where she was cast in the BBC Scotland comedy sketch show Chewin' the Fat. Karen played a host of instantly recognisable characters including the Lonely Shopkeeper and the Depressed Taxi Caller. She starred in The Karen Dunbar Show, which received two Golden Rose nominations for Best Comedy Show and Karen herself two personal nominations for Best Comedy Performance. As a comedy actress, she has also tackled serious roles, most including a performance in the poetic monologue A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by Denise Mina from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem of the same name. In 2014, she was lead compère at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony held in Glasgow alongside John Barrowman and Des Clarke. Karen sang and performed a showcase of Scottish culture, inventions and places during the broadcast, which reached a global audience of 1.5 billion people. Breakneck Comedy is renowned for bringing top comedians and performers to towns and venues that might not be on the usual tour schedule. 'I love bringing big names to towns that some promoters might overlook,' said Naz. 'It's really exciting to be able to put on shows all over Scotland and make it easier for people to be able to enjoy a great night of comedy and entertainment without them having to worry about catching a train home from the city.' Karen will be playing Motherwell's South Dalziel Historic Building on Friday, September 19, at 8.30pm; East Kilbride Village Hall Friday, October 3, at 8pm; Airdrie Town Hall on Saturday, October 4, at 6pm; the Hamilton Function Rooms on Friday, October 17, at 8.30pm and Carluke Masonic Hall on Saturday, November 15, at 8.30pm. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Daily Record
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Chewin the Fat star Karen Dunbar announces West Lothian show as part of Scottish tour
This is a brand-new show for 2025, and it sees Karen sharing stories from her life and talking about her career, with – as you would expect from a stalwart of the Scottish comedy scene – a heap of humour and jokes. Comedian, actor, writer, DJ, and star of Chewin' The Fat, Karen Dunbar is set to embark on a brand-new tour which includes a West Lothian show. This is a brand-new show for 2025, and it sees Karen sharing stories from her life and talking about her career, with – as you would expect from a stalwart of the Scottish comedy scene – a heap of humour and jokes. This is Karen's fourth tour with Aberdeen-based promoters, Breakneck Comedy, since 2023, and as Breakneck Comedy founder, Naz Hussain, explains, it's their most ambitious to date. He said: 'This is the biggest tour we've ever organised, and I'm delighted that we're working with Karen for it. This is a big year for Breakneck Comedy – it's our fifteenth anniversary and to be able to deliver such a huge tour for such a well-loved Scottish act is the icing on the cake. 'Anyone who's been to one of Karen's shows before will know that it's a great night of laughs, jokes, stories, and anecdotes from her career, covering everything from her time on Chewin' The Fat, right through to her latest adventures as a DJ. 'This is a brand-new show for 2025, and the fact that Karen has so many fresh new stories to share is testament to her talent as a comedian, and her amazing career.' Karen began her career as a DJ and karaoke host before she attended The Comedy Unit's open auditions in 1997 where she was cast in the BBC Scotland comedy sketch show Chewin' the Fat. Karen played a host of instantly recognisable characters including the Lonely Shopkeeper and the Depressed Taxi Caller. She starred in The Karen Dunbar Show, which received two Golden Rose nominations for Best Comedy Show and Karen herself two personal nominations for Best Comedy Performance. As a comedy actress, she has also tackled serious roles, most including a performance in the poetic monologue A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by Denise Mina from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem of the same name. In 2014, she was lead compère at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony held in Glasgow alongside John Barrowman and Des Clarke. Karen sang and performed a showcase of Scottish culture, inventions and places during the broadcast, which reached a global audience of 1.5 billion people. Breakneck Comedy is renowned for bringing top comedians and performers to towns and venues that might not be on the usual tour schedule. 'I love bringing big names to towns that some promoters might overlook,' said Naz. 'It's really exciting to be able to put on shows all over Scotland and make it easier for people to be able to enjoy a great night of comedy and entertainment without them having to worry about catching a train home from the city.' Karen will be playing Livingston's Howden Park Centre on Saturday, September 27, at 6pm.
Glasgow Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
The Chief: Filming for series two of Scottish sitcom begins
Jack Docherty will be returning as Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson in the four-part comedy, produced by The Comedy Unit for BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer. Filming is currently underway in Glasgow for the new series, which continues to offer a comedic take on the professional and personal life of the self-proclaimed 'GOAT – Greatest Of All Time – of law enforcement'. READ MORE: TRNSMT 2025: Stage times revealed for this weekend's festival takeover in Glasgow Jack said: 'I can't wait to once again don the uniform of Scotland's finest crime-fighting legend, law-enforcer, justice dispenser, hero, icon. "It's a privilege to play a character as modest and handsome as Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson. 'This series, I'm delighted that Dougray Scott will be guest-starring. The Scottish public has longed to see these two giants of acting together on screen. "Well, the wait is over. We're going toe to toe. Finally. Like DeNiro and Pacino in The Heat.' Hollywood actor Dougray Scott – known for his roles in Mission: Impossible 2, Taken, and the crime drama Crime – will make a special cameo appearance in the new series, playing himself as he works on a personal project with the Chief. READ MORE: Plush steak restaurant unveils brand-new look after major refurb Scott said: 'I am very much looking forward to spending time with The Chief. He's a legend in his own lunchtime, a justice seeker of gargantuan proportions and outrageously funny…without realising it. "I may have worked in Hollywood with A-listers, but starring alongside The Chief might be one of my most challenging roles to date. "Joking aside, it's going to be great to work alongside Jack Docherty – I just hope I can keep a straight face!' Returning cast members include Lorraine McIntosh as Miekelson's estranged wife Barbara, Eilidh Loan as his rebellious daughter Ellen, and police team members played by Carmen Pieraccini, Dylan Borre, and Lana Pheutan. Sanjeev Kohli joins the ensemble as an MSP from a new government, bringing fresh political pressure to the Chief's increasingly chaotic workload. READ MORE: Oasis fans face strict security at Murrayfield as full list of banned items revealed The series is produced by Rab Christie and directed by Iain Davidson for The Comedy Unit. Gavin Smith returns as executive producer and commissioner for BBC Scotland. The series continues to blend workplace satire with family comedy, as Miekelson juggles the demands of policing, politics, and a dysfunctional home life, all with his signature bluster and inflated self-importance. A broadcast date has yet to be announced, but the return of The Chief promises more irreverent humour and over-the-top antics that made the first series a favourite with audiences.
