By Doug Kennedy BBC News Online Scotland

A member of bar staff gets roped into the act

A dozen amateur comedians put their material to the test in an open mike audition held by the Jongleurs comedy club in a city centre bar.

Glasgow, by its own account, smiles better, but among comedians the city has an age old reputation of being a tough place to please a crowd.

However, the prospect of national exposure brought out a wide variety of acts ranging from a skipping poet to a Scottish porn star.

The Stand and Deliver series of auditions has held heats around the UK working towards the final in Edinburgh in August.

At stake for the winner of the Spike Award for New Talent, supported by the family of Spike Milligan, is �1,000 and a contract for the Jongleurs circuit.

It's a hobby as far as I'm concerned, I work in Barlinnie Prison, so we'll just see what happens David Gibson

But for David Gibson, 30, a prison case worker from Glasgow, comedy is simply something he enjoys doing.

Mr Gibson plays the character of porn star Archie Fud, who works for Och Aye the Blue movies.

"I'd always went along to comedy and I thought I'd try this, I'd had this idea in my head for a couple of years," he told News Online.

"I went to the Strathclyde Uni stand up course and I took it from there basically.

"It's a hobby as far as I'm concerned, I work in Barlinnie Prison, so we'll just see what happens."

Nerves were in evidence from some obvious first timers and some of the material maybe raised a few eyebrows among lunching pub customers.

Stand up can be a lonely job

For those more used to the comedy circuit it was a chance to continue getting out there and pushing for more and more exposure.

"I'm maybe going to go full time in a wee while, but if I could get to the final of this and maybe do well in Edinburgh then it would make it a lot easier for me." said John Scott, 33, a care worker from Edinburgh.

Neil Paynter, from Biggar in Lanarkshire, took to stage reciting an epic poem about what cats like to eat, while taking energetic turns with a skipping rope.

"I like physical stuff, a little bit of slapstick, some poetry," he said.

For Billy Watson, 31, from Falkirk, the desire to perform is something he cannot get away from.

"There's some demon inside that makes me get up and want to express myself," he said.

If you're a good comedian you should be able to perform at any time so it's a test as well Patrick Spencer, Jongleurs

Patrick Spencer, a manager at the Jongleurs venue in Glasgow, said that with the likes of Jo Brand and Graham Norton coming through the clubs they are looking for a high quality of finalist.

"There were a few potentials there, with the right material and a bit of practice," said Mr Spencer.

"If you're a good comedian you should be able to perform at any time so it's a test as well.

"The video of the event goes to Jongleurs head office now and they decide who is strong enough to go through."

The successful audition candidate goes through to qualifying heats in July, with the grand final scheduled for Jongleurs new venue in Edinburgh on 19 August.

The club, at Greenside Place on Leith Street, is expected to be ready for the end of July and will host a festival line-up of alternative comedy, theatre and comedy plays.