Everyone enjoys a good laugh. We’re witnessing bigger and more lucrative chuckles in the cross over from television mainstream to live comedy as the new glitterati of the comedy world sell out their theatre shows. From McIntyre to Millican the ‘big names’ do the rounds of talent show judging, chat shows, quizzes and charity marathons to become box office gold. Just like the music biz, air play puts bums on seats.
It’s well documented that laughter sells and a great comedy script is as much sought after in advertising as it is in programming. Snippets of great comedy have been emerging from the ad breaks for decades. From the classic and brilliantly acted Cinzano ads of the 70s with Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins to the new genre of animated funnies, such as the Meerkat adverts for price comparison website comparethemarket.com.
The absolutely fabulous Jane Horrocks, no stranger to earning a bob or two from an ad campaign, is seen in a new TV commercial surfing for an evening’s entertainment on her own small screen urging us to select a ‘comedy classic’ from SKY TV – indeed she herself features in new season of supermarket sitcom, Trollied, on Sky. While a good night in with some brilliant TV comedy and a glass or two of vino is always welcome, there’s still nothing quite like the buzz of seeing comedy live on a stage near you.
Coming full circle, live circuit comedy is the grass roots of what we eventually see on the telly. As well as the lure of seeing potential comedy stars before they hit the small screen, live comedy is good for the soul. Whether it’s an all-female line up like ours, or a great mixed bill of comedy, some of the best fun you can have is watching stand-up. Funny Women is part of this rich comedy scene with a vibrant roster of talented past winners and finalists from nine years of the Funny Women Awards already breaking through into the mainstream.
To see who will be the rising female comedy stars of the future book tickets for the Charity Final of the 2011 Funny Women Awards at the Leicester Square Theatre which takes place this Monday 29th September at 7.30pm. All profits to Cancer Research UK. BOOK NOW.
Lynne Parker
