The LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition, which launched in 2019, is back, and this time, it’s heading to Dublin for an Irish heat.
Following a surge in applications, the competition is on track to be one of the year’s best showcases of emerging LGBTQ+ comedic talent, but there is just one issue… hardly any Irish comics have applied.
The flagship event from Comedy Bloomers, London’s original monthly LGBTQ+ Stand Up Comedy night, will see comics from the UK and Ireland compete in seven heats, including regional events in Manchester and Edinburgh. Ireland’s event is taking place at Outhouse, Dublin, on April 26.
The heats will be hosted by some of the UK’s best LGBTQ+ MCs, including Kuan Wen, Charlie George, James Barr, Sue Gives a F*Ck and Matthew Ali. Headliners will include past finalists like Dee Allum, Lachlan Werner and Dick Denham, as well as previous competition winner Victoria Olsina.
The competition will culminate in two semi-finals in London, with a triumphant return to the legendary Clapham Grand for the final, an expanded multi-camera filmed live show, on Tuesday, June 11.
Chris Smith, founder of Comedy Bloomers, explained: “We are absolutely delighted to be coming to Ireland but at this rate we won’t get the opportunity to showcase the range of Irish talent that exists – which would be a massive disappointment.
“We know that Ireland produces a unique brand of humour, and we would love the chance to platform those individuals whose work, without the right support in place, might never see the light of day.”
The competition closed on January 31, but the organisers have decided to extend the deadline to the end of February to allow local Irish talent extra time to apply to become LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year.
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Smith added: “It has long been my ambition to create something that moves beyond the tokenistic to something that genuinely showcases the very best of LGBTQ+ talent. This is more important than ever against a backdrop of intolerance and that seems to be on the rise – particularly towards the transgender community.”
He concluded: “We have been overwhelmed with the calibre of applicants that have crossed our desk since the competition went live. We are delighted that word is getting out that we offer this unique opportunity for visibility, that’s exactly why the event was conceived – all we need now is for our Irish siblings to join us.”
This year’s lineup of celebrity judges will be revealed in due course. Past judges have included Zoe Lyons, Jordan Gray, Stephen Bailey, Vinegar Strokes, Rachel Parris, Sikisa and Ella Vaday.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to become the next big Irish LGBTQ+ comedian, go to comedybloomers.com.
HEAT 1 – March 20, Seven Dials Club, London
HEAT 2 – March 24, The Brewers, Manchester
HEAT 3 – April 7, CC Blooms, Edinburgh
HEAT 4 – April 11, The Glory, London
HEAT 5 – April 17, Seven Dials Club, London
HEAT 6 – April 24, Seven Dials Club, London
HEAT 7 – April 26, Outhouse, Dublin
Semi-Final 1 – May 15, Seven Dials Club, London
Semi-Final 1 – May 22, The Two Brewers, London
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