As we approach the end of Brighton Fringe, it’s almost time for the Broadway Baby Brighton Bobby Awards. Named after Edinburgh’s famous Greyfriars Bobby, this coveted award will be given to the show that simply blew us away. Previous winners include Groomed (2016) Enter the Dragons (2017) and Victorious (2018).
This coveted award will be given to the show that simply blew us away
Who will pick up this year’s Bobby Award? And what are the criteria? Only shows with five-star reviews can be in the running. From these, our editorial team meets to shortlist the most deserving shows. At the end of many meetings, many debates and many arguments, the winner is announced on Saturday 1st June at our magnificent end of Fringe Awards Ceremony.
We’re delighted to announce the nominations for this year’s Brighton Bobby Award are:
Witch Hunt by A&E Comedy.
Reviewed by Rhian Bowley.
'Shoulder-shakingly funny, the jokes are laced with sharp observations about gender and power. You won’t see a more kick-ass show this year, nor a funnier sex-bot.'
Winners of the 2017 Bobby Award, A&E Comedy are back with a new cackle-inducing performance. Will lightning strike twice?
10 Things I Hate About Taming of the Shrew by Gillian English.
Reviewed by Beth Watson.
'A feminist Shakespeare critique for the internet age, 10 Things I Hate About Taming of the Shrew is definitely not one for the purists… if you’re there (like I was) for 00s pop culture references and an angry feminist rant, then you’re in for a bloody good time.'
Gillian English hates The Taming Of The Shrew. She really hates it. This one-woman comedy is packed full of millennium-era pop culture references alongside an hour of ripping the Bard's work to shreds.
How Disabled Are You? by The Queer Historian.
Reviewed by Amira Hanna.
''If I was Prime Minister,' the first paragraph began, 'I wouldn’t let people have benefits. They don’t deserve them.' The actor, who is seeing the script for the first time, is disabled themselves, and the shock and anger in their voice is evident.'
Three disabled people, with no theatre background, take to the stage and read a script in front of an audience not having seen it before. A show that shocked and angered both the performers and the audience in equal measure.
Ensonglopedia of British History by John Hinton.
Reviewed by Simon Lovat.
'The brilliance of this show is that it is pitched perfectly, so that younger audience members have plenty to amuse them, with suitably winning and larger than life delivery between songs.'
The entire history of Britain in 26 comic songs, John Hinton has a superb reputation for his multi-award-winning musical comedy shows.
Janet by Helen and John.
Reviewed by Bethan Troakes.
'If someone had told me that my favourite show of the Fringe this year would be about a 1.5kg lump of dough called Janet, I would have thought they’d completely lost it. Turns out I was wrong!'
A triumphant performance from Helen Ainsworth and John Mowat following the life of a young woman from conception to tragic-comic end. Reduced our reviewer to tears of laughter.
Faux by Loose-Locked.
Reviewed by Simon Lovat.
'Far from being a downer, this show is unexpectedly uplifting and, yes, I frequently found tears in my eyes… Faux deserves a wide audience and it wouldn’t surprise me if one day, in some form, it found itself in the West End.'
Puppetry, song and stories in this tale of the fur trade, packed full of colourful characters, this work has been developed over a year-long period.
