The various casts of The Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny Grand Final 2016. (Back row) Sonny & Me, Like A Looks, (middle) Agent Of Lovcraft, (front) host Kev F, Aquarius Cafe. (We're missing The Graduettes who, sadly, had left before we called the last-minute photoshoot). Photo by Nick Steel.
Thanks and warmest congratulations to everybody who took part in and attended the
Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny Grand Final at the Gilded Balloon on Tuesday August 23rd 2016. A splendid night was had by all, and as you can see, a lot of performers (and writers, also out of shot) put a lot of effort into bringing together this production.
As always, we presented five brand new sitcoms live in stage, and the audience voted for their favourite and only saw the ending of the one that they chose as their winner. Plus, with this being the culmination of a six month long tournament, following heats across the country, with the prize on offer of their own show at the Gilded Balloon next year, there was a panel of judges who, independently of the audience vote, chose the ultimate prizewinner.
The 5 sitcoms in contention, in order of appearance, were
Like-A-Looks by Vanessa-Faye Stanley and Kate Bowes-Renna (winner of the 1st London Heat),
Sonny & Me by Baby Isako (winner of the 2nd London Heat),
Aquarius Cafe by Rachel Sambrooks (winner of the Birmingham Heat),
Agent of Lovcraft by Paul Hunt & Mat Troy (winner of the Cardiff Heat), and
The Graduettes by Sean and Ashleigh Wilkie (winner of the Glasgow Heat).
The judges were Rosie Holt (the previous winner of The Sitcom Trials SYTYWF), Nick Steel (Bath Comedy Festival), Kate Lennon (Funny Women) and Karen Koren (Gilded Balloon).
And the winners were...
Winner of the audience vote, and therefore the team who got to perform their final scene:
Sonny and Me.
Winner of the judges vote and the ultimate prizewinners:
Like-A-Looks.
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all the performers who had to contend with a slightly late start and overlong warm-up from myself (Kev F, your host and producer), followed by the music bleeding through from the show next door, which was a challenge to which everyone rose maginificently. In the end the whole event only overran by 10 minutes, and a splendid time was had by all.
Oh yes, and the prize for the best audience sitcom suggestion in The Pitch Fest was a drawing of Mrs Brown by Kev F (of which, sadly, no photo was taken).
The Sitcom Trials will be continuing at venues across the country, follow it on the blog and via Facebook and Twitter for details of how to take part.
Kev F Sutherland, creator & producer, The Sitcom Trials
If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.
