Chorts! 2024 Review by Dan Cushnie
Guest post by Dan Cushnie
There’s an atmosphere of excitement at the Comedy Crowd this month. The final of our annual Chorts! competition was held on the 2nd of March at the Phoenix Arts Club.
It’s our way of fostering new talent. Fifteen acts made the shortlist, ahem, Chortlist amongst four hundred total entrants, narrowed down to three award winners for separate categories.
We enjoyed three strong guest performances from a few familiar faces: Christian Jegard, Nikola McMurtrie and Peter Rugman. Christian Jegard’s was so far up my street that I had to harass the council to get it moved, which doesn’t make much sense, but neither did his observational humour about copper wiring.
Afterwards, we bonded over Vic and Bob, Paul Foot and Harry Hill. So, evidently, he’s as silly a man as me.
But what can I say about the event that hasn’t been said by others? Here’s what I gleaned from the internet:
“Delightful” – Peter Crouch
“Worth the wait” – Old Father Time
“It falls well outside of our remit to comment, but I can pass you onto another department.” – Ofsted
Dave Bibby was our enthusiastic compere for the afternoon, bringing the required energy to the role (I’m told he can turn it on and off like a tap). He once played Buttons in panto, and believe me, we were ready kids.
Let’s talk about the winners.
The Industry Choice Award
… Goes to the fabulous Rosalie Minnitt and her character, Clementine. It had to, really. Clementine is a frantic flambé of joyful creativity – surely the most compelling character from our amazing selection of entrants. For those few moments on screen, you really believe she’s real (God help us all).
Rosalie rushed down to the club at the last minute, exhausted with flu, and gripped the medal with a look of bemused glee, telling me it’s the first one she’s won since sports day.
She’s guided by her love of history (and her resultant degree), and portrays a nutty 18th-century lady of leisure. Inspired by Jane Austen and Bridgerton, but informed by her knowledge of the eccentric upper classes in the Regency era.
Minnitt is an artist in the original sense. Hoovering up ideas from history and contemporary culture, and using them to fashion a phenomenon of her own; one that never appears copied. Being more than the sum of its parts.
The winning short is an apt summary of Clementine. We’re introduced to her neuroticism, playful immaturity; and theatrical comic timing – a lively work of fiction with lines you can’t forget.
Hopefully she can’t forget them either, given the upcoming tour.
The Female Pilot Award
BAM! Comedy are a sprightly pair with a fizzy energy about them, boosted presumably by several pints of Berocca. They came away with the all-new Female Pilot Award. And probably managed a few laps of the venue on their way out, before darting off in another direction.
The award celebrates female writing in comedy. And although the duo is half male, Bec wrote most of the lyrics for the entered Chort. A kooky rap about millennials who take liberties (and really make themselves at home) whilst living with begrudging parents.
The short taps into a relatable theme in the middle of a housing crisis and showcases their understanding of online audiences; with cut-away shots every 1-2 seconds to cater to our limited attention spans. The epitome of slickness and a surefire recipe for success (342.7K likes on TikTok alone) … even the parents pull all the right faces.
The Audience Choice Award
Richard Franks ran off with The Audience Choice Award for his portrayal of Neville Grimace, a grouchy elderly neighbour seeking to educate us all on firework safety. Not often popular with crowds, Neville impressed us with his fierce energy and the voice-acting abilities of his creator.
However, Richard’s talent is most obvious in relation to physical comedy, with his character taking a very unexpected fall, head first onto a sofa – the apparent finale. “Put my lavender bean bag in the microwave” he quips, hobbling away. I hope it didn’t hurt as much as it appeared to.
Richard sees the potential humour in performing the simplest actions: earlier in the scene, Neville awkwardly attempts to sit up and get out of bed, which he does with great effort and showing more bottom than he bargained for.
Perhaps his biggest influence is Phoenix Nights or Steve Coogan’s early characters. It might be neither, but it’s complimentary to be reminiscent of the two.
Special Mentions
I’d also like to give a special mention to Blank Peng and Al Nash for the sheer hilarity of their two entries. Peng mused about a pigeon she filmed in the street and the possible reasons for its lack of friends. Perhaps the lo-fi production values kept her away from the top spots; I think that’s fair, but it was surely one of the funniest Chorts and the crowd seemed to agree.
Maybe the monochrome tone of Nash’s spoof interview from the 1960s did the same for him. Especially in a competition about contemporary comedy. But did I laugh about the possibility of a robot girlfriend with various sex holes? I did, repeatedly. Right, I’m going to make myself scarce. Do check out my blog.