Entries have opened for this year’s Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition with applications open until midday Friday 14 February. Top prize includes £250 cash and a one-on-one comedy coaching session with Suzi Ruffell, British comedian, actor, and writer. Last year’s winner was Charlie George.
This is the second year of the Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition, and heats are scheduled for London, Edinburgh and Manchester in March and April.
Chris Smith founded Comedy Bloomers in 2017 having concluded that the LGBTQ+ comedy scene was under represented within both the LGBTQ+ scene and mainstream comedy. Chris quickly realised that queer comedy was no longer limited to double entendres and obvious gay humour.
“Queer comedy has progressed to a flourishing, dynamic and sophisticated level of gay orientated humour that pokes fun at the LGBTQ+ community, whilst also providing a refreshing insight into the gay world when presented to a mainstream audience.”
Competition heat dates
London March 18th, April 1, 15, 22 – Seven Dials Club, 42 Earlham Street, London WC2
Manchester 9th April – Tribeca, 50 Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3WF
Edinburgh, 28th March – CCBlooms, 23-24 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA
Semi-finals – 6th May London Seven Dials Club
Finals – TBC
The semi-finals and finals will feature a Britain’s Got Talent style celebrity judging panel, with the judges offering entertaining and insightful feedback. Last year’s judges included Scott Capurro, Robert White, Helen Lederer and Jordan Gray. This year’s judges will be announced shortly.
“This is a hugely exciting time on the LGBTQ+ comedy circuit,” says Chris. “The LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition has proved there is a big audience for stand-up comedy performed by and to our various communities. Building on last year’s successful launch, this has rapidly become a very special event in the LGBTQ+ calendar, and we are grateful for all the support from the MC’s, acts and high profile industry judges.”
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