Comedy / all-female
Preview: What the Frock! Newcomer Award
Returning for its third year, the What The Frock! Comedy Newcomer Award celebrates up-and-coming female talent on the UK comedy circuit. The inaugural 2013 award was won by Bethan Roberts, followed in 2014 by Dotty Winters, both of whose careers have since taken off thanks, in part, to continued support from WTF! The WTF! award is one of only two in the UK aimed specifically at female entrants, and is also the south-west’s only all-female competition.
Featuring a set from 2013 winner Roberts, the 2015 instalment will once again be hosted by WTF!’s regular compere Cerys Nelmes, who also sits on the judging panel.
So, Cerys, what are you looking out for among your prospective newcomers? “This is my third year of judging the WTF! new comedy talent competition, and every year I like the difference in comedy styles. As a comedian myself, I’m looking for original material and personal style. Audience likeability goes a long way too.”
Where do most fresh new comics need to do most work – on their confidence, technique, audience interaction? “It’s not normally confidence that’s missing, as you must have spade loads of that to get up in front of a room full of strangers in the first place. Every comedy crowd is different, so it’s important to know how to read a room and tailor your material. Also, you need to know how to react to hecklers – thinking on your feet is a massive bonus.”
Is the atmosphere at a WTF! night very different to that at other comedy nights you’ve played? And if so, is that the largely female crowd, or something else? “The atmosphere isn’t a lot different to other comedy nights. We get a lot of regulars known to us by name, and we get a nice amount of men along to the nights, not always accompanying wives or girlfriends.”
What the Frock! Newcomer Award Friday, April 24, Riproar Comedy. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.whatthefrockcomedy.co.uk
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