Eddie Izzard and Russell Brand both appeared in this annual epic talent-hunt when it was at the Hackney Empire. If any of last night’s 16 contenders are going to equal their Arena-filling heights it will be deserving winner, Londoner Paul F Taylor, who clinched victory with a mix of offbeat banter, studentish charm and tinges of Harry Hill.
Taylor’s triumphant set included a delicious riff on what happens in normal kitchens that never happens to celebrity cooks. A whisk has surely never jammed Nigella Lawson’s cutlery draw, he mused, revealing an impressive knack for both observational wit and quirky flights of fancy.
Runner-up Sam Savage also had some nifty lines but over-relied on Essex clichés. She is from tan-tastic Basildon, where “anyone with jaundice can go undiagnosed for a very long time”. Third was Darren Walsh, who ambitiously combined disparate styles from sound effects to wordplay via a cardboard dolphin that resembled Hitler.
Elsewhere the showcase featured everything from sketch groups and poets to highly-rated musical trio Jonny and the Baptists, who sang about devolution and gastropubs. Their topical gag about Andy Murray was handy, but like the tennis player they lost to better opposition.
Read Bruce Dessau's new comedy blog at www.beyondthejoke.co.uk
