Amused Moose has the unusual ability of being able to boast a harbouring ground not only for breaking talent, but also well established acts. The much loved comedy club comes to the Edinburgh Fringe for its Laugh Off Awards and Laughter Awards. The former recognises new comedians who have the potential to go on and make a name for themselves, whilst the latter focuses on emerging acts who are performing a full run at the Fringe, but have yet to receive any form of DVD deal or other highbrow recognition.
The Laugh Off final saw seven acts battling it out, having gone through an arduous selection process that took place in the form of competitions throughout the country. Performing seven minute glimpses of their material, all the acts did well given the level of pressure they were put under. Richard Todd - who also took the unfavourable opening spot - walked away with the industry judges prize, impressing through his blend of surreal humour and high energy delivery. Hackney based Funmbi was crowned joint winner, taking home the people’s choice award. Presenting a selection of relatable observational comedy, he clearly managed to charm the audience.
The Laughter Awards Final saw Laurence Clark, Alistair Barrie and Marcel Lucont all vying for the top spot. Each performing 20 minutes of material from their respective Fringe shows, the longer period of time afforded them meant that they were able to convey a greater impression of their acts. Laurence Clark was first to take to the stage, delivering his stand-up with the aid of PowerPoint and video. Suffering from cerebral palsy, his material centred around the frustration he feels at being often called ‘inspirational’. Through a succession of well observed points and self-referential quips he successfully managed to win over the audience.
The dapperly dressed Alistair Barrie followed, offering a well organised routine that focused largely on current affairs. Whilst his delivery was good, his material lacked any form of depth or punch and so failed to bring anything special to the table. Alexis Dubus’ French character Marcel Lucont closed the afternoon’s festivities, his arrogance and playful toying with the ‘ok’ audience working in his favour. Offering an ingenious presentation of various sex positions through numbers on diagrams of beds and a hilarious closing video, it was unsurprising that he took away the top award.
At close to three hours, the Amused Moose Comedy Awards were perhaps a little long for the average festival goer, but given the amount of industry in attendance and the high level of relatively unknown talent, it was not worth missing for any true comedy fan.
