CityLife

Toby Hadoke's Comedian of the Year Blog

MEIN HOST: Toby Hadoke

WELL, that's it. The heats aren't on any more. It's been a heady journey as we've tried to relaunch the famous CityLife Comedian Of The Year.

The heats have been in a different venue, on a different night, and in a differnt format.

Out have gone the drunken nutters and the time wasters, in has come a vetting procedure and a headline act to provide value for money.

And, inevitable teething problems and differences of opinion aside, it's been pretty damn good.

Each of the heats has been a display of local comedy at its very best.

Watching the up-and-coming talent from this region battle it out in very closely contested rounds has made me immensely proud, and every single one of them deserves a standing ovation for their wit, guts and talent.

Heat Four was perhaps the closest contest of the lot.

Poor old Phil Buckley has had to go on first (the hardest slot in any competition, as the audience adjust themselves to the format of the night) for the third time out of four that he's entered the competition.

His experience and easy stage presence stood him in good stead though, and he gave a rock solid performance.

Peter McCole is also experienced (he came third in last year's competition) and his storytelling style makes him as comfy as a Christmas jumper from your Nan - until his material plunges south of the belly button for quite some considerable time.

It's an odd mix, but he did well, even if a protracted take on one subject limited his scope.

Russell Arathoon, only three months into his comedy career, is a wonderful wordsmith.

His storytelling style weaves the well observed with the whimsically surreal brilliance, the only caveat at the moment being that it comes across as a tad scripted and thus soulless.

He ripped it though, particularly with a few choice lines, but a heckle or a Friday night crowd could see him come undone - great promise though, and very original.

After the interval, George Cottier took to the stage. I have to admit some bias here, as I love George, and his oddball comedy is so skewed and original that I could watch him all day.

He's almost willing the audience not to find him funny, and will never go the easy route to get a laugh.

Some blank faces showed that they didn't quite get what he was about, but that's their fault.

Everyone else lapped it up, even though the laughs were patchier than I've seen him garner on other occasions.

The comedy circuit would be a duller place without George.

Susan Vale is also fab - a mainstay and stalwart of the local circuit, and the most experienced act on the bill, it's impossible to dislike her, even though some of her material would make Derek and Clive blush.

She did well - of course she did, she's great. It took Ben Davis to finally nail what had been - audience wise - a happy but not ecstatic night.

His gentle, left-field and quietly charming routine hit the audience right on the funnybone and he left to a deservedly raucous response.

At times like this I'm glad I'm not a judge.

Everyone in the room, I think, had different winners on the night.

The judges were selected because they know their stuff though, and they were looking beyond last night to a future comedy career, a tough final in front of 500 people, and all sorts of other criteria.

After quite a long session they finally gave me the two names they wanted through - Ben Davis and Phil Buckley. Well done to both.

Now, the good thing about this year is that six acts have been selected by the judges to have another chance.

Soon on this very website you'll be able to vote for your favourite, and that person will be put through to the final, where they will go on first (much to Phil Buckley's relief I'm sure).

They are, from Heat One, youthful and energetic Joe Lycett, Heat Two, charming and befuddled Irishman Andrew Ryan, from Heat Three, barnstorming Chris Brooker, charming Martin Tapley and chirpy Scouser Steve Porter, and from Heat Four, George Cottier.

It's a tough call, so use your vote wisely when their sets are put on this very website shortly.

One thing is certain, this year's final will be a great climax to the Manchester Comedy Festival 2008 - book your tickets now.

On a personal note, a big thanks to judges Marissa Burgess, Paul Home, Ric Michael, Lee Martin and Phil Dunn, the bosses and staff at Remedy for allowing us the extra night, the team from Channel M for putting together a fantastic TV edition of the show and for being both enthusiastic and unobtrusive, the brilliant Gareth Davies and the saintly (a most patient human being alive) Anna Greenwood (both from The Comedy Store), and everyone at the M.E.N. and CityLife for not throttling me when I sent furious e-mails fretting about minutiae (it's only coz I care!).

There's been sweat, tears, disagreement and debate, but mostly there's been laughter.

And that's the biggest thank you of all - to the great Manchester Comedy Circuit, and its fine comedians, who've made this round of heats so good.

Spread the word. This is a great city for comedy. The heats may be over, but the looming final's just turned up the heat.

The CityLife Comedian Of The Year Final takes place on Sunday, October 26.