2010 Funny Women Awards runner up Rachel Parris and finalist Clare Lomas have won their way into the final of this year’s Musical Comedy Awards.
This is the annual showcase of the country's best emerging musical comedians. After 11 phenomenal shows at the Wilmington Arms in London’s Clerkenwell and a dead heat in votes for the final fifth place, the producers decided to put through six finalists to compete in the final showcase on Saturday April 7th at the Bloomsbury Theatre.
Rachel Parris was runner up to our winners Thankless Child in the 2010 Funny Women Awards. – “Rachel manages to combine the sugary sweetness of the Glee generation with a dark edginess that disarms and engages her audiences,” says Lynne Parker, founder of Funny Women who has been on the judging panel for the Musical Comedy Awards for the last two years. “She totally deserves her place in the final of this important competition."
Clare Lomas was described by Tim Arthur of Time Out as "A breath of fresh air – brilliant, beautiful and extremely funny. Musical comedy just got that little bit cooler." when she made it into the final of the Funny Women Awards in the same year as Rachel, a strong year for variety and musical comedy.
Other finalist include Tom Adams – 'A quietly assured comic, whose material is constantly unexpected…funny, original, whimsical songs' – Kate Copstick, The Scotsman; Rob Carter – "…downplayed musical numbers, modest persona and quietly quirky metaphor" – Steve Bennett, Chortle; Bob & Jim – "their fast paced character comedy is truly inspired and will have you realising your full range of laughs, from hearty chuckles to gleeful titters" – Liam Garrett, British Comedy Guide; and James Rowland – "James is an amazingly high energy performer with show-stopping material – watch this space" – Ed Chappel, Avin a Larf.
The evening will be hosted by 2010 MCA Runners Up, Horse & Louis, and include a performance by the WeGotTickets Best Newcomers for this year, a young male trio called Fair & Square.
As if that isn’t irresistible enough, the evening will be rounded off with an extended headline set from the undisputed musical comedy superstars of the moment, Frisky & Mannish.
"Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones ooze so much energy and fizz it is hard to resist when they ask you to get involved… boy, do they do it well. Simon Cowell would struggle to fault this." Bruce Dessau, The Evening Standard.
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