Comic wins festival's Breaking Talent award

Hannah Weetman has won this year's Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award.

The comic hails from the Castle Bromwich area of the city and has a day job as a call-centre worker.

She made her stand-up debut at The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, in 2019, at the end of a comedy course run by James Cook, who also compered last night's final at the Glee Club.

'It was the day before my 21st birthday and I wasn't going to do it,' she recalled of the course. 'I did it on the sly - I didn't tell any of my family or friends, and just kept disappearing. My mum would say, "Where are you going?" I'd say "Nowhere!" and disappear.'

Although her first appearance went well, her second as tougher. ' It was not great. It was a big shock to the system,' she recalled. 'Once I'd done two gigs, I didn't know whether to sack it off or give it a go, but started booking gig, after gig, after gig, and just kept doing it.'

Of her win, she said: 'It means everything to me. I never do competitions - the best I've done in the past is come third in an egg and spoon race! I'm so non-competitive. But with this, you don't choose [to enter], you're nominated; I thought just being nominated was just the best thing ever.'

Her set explored life as a 20-something in a relationship, with anecdotes on second-hand bedding and tattoos, impressing judges - who included comedian Jo Enright, Rhys Foley from NextUp Comedy, BBC Radio WM presenter Richard Wilford, and representatives from The Glee Club and the comedy festival - with her 'eye for detail, connection to the material, and truth'.

The comic faced competition from four other West Midlands-based comics: Richard Dadd, Jules O'Brian, Lovell Smith, and Tal Davies.

Dadd appeared in character as The Devil, complete with pointed tail and horns, and pondered the source of evil, while O'Brian considered what she'd do for £1,000 (or a packet of Quavers), Smith cringed at the responsibilities of being a godfather, and Davies recounted the strangeness of a Covid-era smear-test.

A spokesperson for the Birmingham Comedy Festival said: 'The judging is always a supremely difficult task, and our panel were very impressed by the standard of all the acts. But Hannah's timing, little observations, energy and confidence with the crowd made her shine out. We can't wait to see how she progresses.' 

For more information about the rest of the festival, visit bhamcomfest.co.uk

Published: 8 Oct 2022