Sitcom Trials SYTYWF Deadline Day

Thanks to everyone who has entered (and at time of typing is still entering) The Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny 2016 competition. As is always the case, more than half the entries received came in on or around deadline day (though full marks to those people who got their entries in back in February. This year only one person asked if they could send an amended version of their entry, which is an all-time low, well done everyone).

Once the scripts have finished flooding in, and the deluge has been sorted through (and I'm keeping fingers crossed that there's not a disastrous flood or tsunami somewhere in the world while this is happening, or I'm going to come across as unnecessarily insensitive) the scripts will be read by script readers from the Sitcom Trials team of directors, actors and writers, and shortlists will be chosen to be performed.


A first selection of scripts will be performed at shows in the spring, and a combination of these shows and further table readings will enable us to chose the sitcoms that go into the Heats in the summer, from which we'll get the finalists who will be going to Edinburgh. The show dates already confirmed are as follows:

Glasgow April 11th Manchester May 15th Cardiff May 19th Birmingham May 28th Birmingham July 9th (Heat) Cardiff July 16th (Heat) Manchester July 17th (Heat) Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Fringe August 23rd - Final

A few more dates are still to be confirmed. Stay tuned to this blog, Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Hull Sitcom Trials March 3rd 2016

Here we see Kev F's face rather dominating a group selfie of the cast of the first ever Hull Sitcom Trials, staged in the Johnny Mac bar of Hull University Union on March 3rd 2016. Organised by Grace Pickering and the University Drama Society, they staged three sitcoms - two sent in from the open vote and one by a Drama Soc member - with the audience voting for their favourites.

The three sitcoms in contention (with their casts) were:

Country Rock by Neil Tollfree:

Jones: George Richardson
Nina: Charley Watson
Dexter: George Kelsey
Midge Ure: Jon Routledge

The Journey of Jeff by Tom Radford:

Jeff: Adam Kadowski
Sam: Mo Soper
Rose: Bethany Ramsden
Steve: Ryan Smith

Sleeping with the Antelopes by Asonta Benetti:

Stage Manager: Elliott Brindle
Michael: Jack Jenkins
Lewis: Bill Henshaw
Nina: Edwina d'Almeida
Nicky: Ed Hardy
Detective Sturgeon: Holly Burton

All three productions were fully staged, off-book, and of the highest quality all round, from a fabulous cast, getting great laughs throughout. And, justifiably, the audience vote was very close.

And the winner was... The Journey of Jeff by Tom Radford.

Congratulations to Tom and the cast, and to everyone involved in this excellent night.

For the warm up game, Kev F (Trials creator and guest MC) had the audience choose The Best Sitcom Business Ever...

The audience's nominees were, as you can see on the flipchart, the Banana Stand from Arrested Development, Trotters Independent Trading from Only Fools & Horses, The Brittas Empire, Renham Industries from The IT Crowd, Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. from The Office, Fawlty Towers, Mrs Miggins Pie Shop from Blackadder, The Jupiter Mining Corp from Red Dwarf, and Arkwrights from Open All Hours.

And the winner was..?

Fawlty Towers. The runner-up was Arkwrights.

The Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny is taking place through 2016, with heats in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow and a grand final in Edinburgh in August. The deadline for entries is March 31st, click for details.