Not Going Out: Lee Mack will be staying indoors to judge comedian competition
Previous So You Think You’re Funny? winner and TV star Lee Mack is this year’s celebrity judge for the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe award.
Nine of the country’s most promising up-and-coming comics have made it through the previous rounds to the live grand final, which takes place on Thursday August 25 at 8pm at Gilded Balloon’s Debating Hall.
Mack will be this year’s celebrity judge and Jarred Christmas will compere the finale of So You Think You’re Funny?, which is this year "powered" by The Sims 3 and has been running for 24 years.
This year’s winner will not only take away the title but will also receive a cash prize and a trip to perform at Montreal’s esteemed Just For Laughs Festival.
Past So You Think You’re Funny? winners include Peter Kay, David O’Doherty, Rhona Cameron, Lee Mack, Tommy Tiernan, Miles Jupp, Rob Rouse, Dylan Moran and last year’s Scottish winner James Kirk, who went on to feature in STV’s /comedy sketch series.
This year’s finalists are Darren Connell (Glasgow), Lucy Beaumont (Hull), Fern Brady (Sheffield), Andy Clark (Tyne & Wear), Stuart Hossack (Southampton), Alex Kealy (Selbourne), Nicola Mantalios-Lovett (South Tyneside), Dayne Rathbone (Australia) and Tommy Rowson (London).
Sole Scottish finalist Connell said: “I’m very grateful and excited that I’m in this competition, looking through the history of who has been involved gives me shivers. It’s my dream to be a stand-up comedian.”
This year the search for the best comedy newcomer took the Gilded Balloon’s competition organisers to Bath, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, Brighton and London with a selected shortlist going through to perform at this year’s Fringe heats.
The finalists are given just eight minutes to impress the ever-demanding expert judging panel, who include Karen Koren, Artistic Director at the Gilded Balloon; comedy critic for The London Evening Standard, Bruce Dessau and Mack, who stars in BBC 1's Not Going Out.
- For ticket information visit gildedballoon.co.uk
