Magazine

First Sunday showcase of the year and update on Thankless Child BBC debut

Our first Sunday showcase of the year featured a particularly impressive mix of relatively new performers, who are all no doubt headed for success on the comedy circuit. Our host, the effervescent Annabel Giles (and everyone’s favourite funny yummy mummy quite frankly) presided over a menu of top new talent, effortlessly charming the audience. Alas, with the majority of the audience coupled-up, she was unable to fully utilise her matchmaking skills although she did uncover some first-class theatrical talent in the first row, a young man who had enough admirable vocal confidence for a trained, professional actor to be envious of – and only 18 years of age!

I’m not normally a fan of musical comedians who add different, and not always ‘funny’ lyrics to already-written songs but Sooz Kempner soon quashed my dislike of this with her very funny version of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ – a worthy diatribe on relationships between footballers and their WAGS, oft spoilt “when a hooker comes along”. She also has a stunning voice and provides natural, chatty banter inbetween songs regarding heady nights performing in Ayia Napa.

More musical talent was provided with the exceptionally talented impressionist Kate O’Sullivan performing as Billie Holiday under the guise of Liam Gallagher. You could be forgiven for missing some of her gags as her rendition of Billie is so mesmerising and astoundingly accurate but the jokes (quite a few quips involving Gallagher) are there and they’re funny.

Cara Cummings, our ex-assistant producer who’s recently taken to the circuit) told me after the show that she was nervous to perform back on home-turf, so to speak, but you certainly couldn’t tell, she looked very at home on stage and we all look forward to seeing how her natural, comic style develops. Presenter Eleanor Conway, also relatively new to comedy has a boundless energy, which was perfect for opening the proceedings.

I was particularly intrigued by sketch performers Christmas for Two, aka Sarah Campbell and Amy Hoggart, who lended a quirky and surreal comic daftness to the evening. Both use their expressions to great comic effect and are very enjoyable to watch, Campbell seems very at ease with audiences and even more at ease with her “my little lesbian pony” haircut, a quip which won her many opening guffaws.

Headliner Suzy Bennett never fails to woo an audience and she makes it all look so easy and effortless, we’re just all wondering here when she’s going to woo the universe- it surely is only a matter of time.

Other hot news!! Funny Women Winners ‘Thankless Child’ will be on Dick and Dom this Saturday at 9am on BBC Two!!