Review of the live gig in Cardiff

The final of this year’s BBC New Comedy Award may have been in Cardiff - kicking off its year as the Corporation’s City of Comedy – but the comedians came from all over, from Shetland to India. And they surely maintained the quality of one of comedy's best-regarded talent hunt, one that’s previously helped uncover the likes of Alan Carr, Tom Allen, Rhod Gilbert and Nina Conti.

The only act who didn’t go down an unqualified storm was the opener, Northern Irish comic Robbie McShane. He has a quite a cerebral, nuanced approach – more darkly whimsical than gag-heavy – which isn’t the easiest fit for a short competition set.

He started with thought-provoking talk of funerals and the philosophical conundrum of which version of ourselves ends up in the afterlife, before moving on to mental health. But not in the expected way: he got the biggest laugh of the set by suggesting we ‘restigmatise’ the topic rather than sharing any of his inner turmoil. He’s an interesting act, even if he was outshone here.

In contrast to that more measured approach, Omar Badawy is a veritable gag-machine, with tightly-packed zingers primarily based on his background as being born in Egypt but raised in Cambridge, giving him an RP accent that meant schoolyard bullies once branded him a ‘posh terrorist’.

In sweet revenge, that comment has inspired a volley of sharp one-liners, setting up a strong set that covers his ‘favourite racist experience’ and a twist on talking about the white saviour phenomenon. Stereotypes are skewered in a routine that’s tightly delivered with confidence and poise.

Dee Allum also deals with her situation with a calm, dry yet pointed wit. She kicks off with a few knowing, gently-delivered gags to clear the air lest anyone in the room be holding onto any discomfort from the media demonisation of trans women like her, before sharing a delightfully funny story of coming out to the HR officer at work.

It’s expertly acted out, with Allum absolutely committed to recreating her colleague’s mental glitching as she processes new information. She holds her nerve as she draws this moment out, getting great rewards from the extremes she’s prepared to go to as part of her thoroughly engaging performance.

The energy of the gig takes a big gear change when livewire Dan Tiernan fizzes on to the stage of St David’s Hall, fully embracing his myriad eccentricities. He portrays himself as a kid in a 26-year-old’s body – and very convincingly too – in a giddily excitable, hyperkinetic performance. He’s even happy just making daft noises, as are the audience to hear them.

Tiernan comes into the audience – always a bold move in a competition final – adding to the frisson of unpredictability, while jokes about his dyspraxia feel refreshingly transgressive, but he gives us ample permission to laugh at his lack of coordination.

Marjolein Robertson, the most experienced comedian on the bill, is far more controlled in her warm and beguiling delivery, introducing us to her slightly magical upbringing on the Shetlands – at least in her telling. And she plays up to the idea of the naif, wide-eyed at all the not-so-mod cons that the city has to offer.

She’s an engaging storyteller – as a well as a professional one alongside her stand-up career - and her relaxed approach favours creating a warmly witty mood above hard one-liners (though she has a few), making her delightful company for her few minutes on stage.

Indian comic Joshua Bethania, who won So You Think You're Funny? at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, drolly addresses prejudices in his softly-spoken set. Some topics are predictable – call-centres, colonialism – but many are not, and most subjects are  given a gentle twist.

He also touches on more complex issues, such as getting racial abuse from members of his own race. It feels like he’s scratching the surface, but in the positive way that suggest there’s much more to come out of his comedy kit-bag. And his quietly subversive approach is very appealing.

Obviously the night is all about new talent, but maximum kudos goes to Mark Olver, proving why he’s the most sought-after warm-up man in the business by keeping the audience engaged and excited through all the tedious bits of making a TV programme, such as shuffling the audience around so it doesn’t look like there are too many empty seats on the screen.

A long-time champion of new acts, especially in Bristol where he’s based, Olver also acted as a producer on this iteration of the New Comedy Awards, and helped put together such a strong final line-up.

And the winner – as selected by judges Fern Brady, Rosie Jones and Nabil Abdulrashid – was…. well, for that you’ll have to watch the final, hosted by Kerry Godliman, when it airs on BBC One next Wednesday at 10.40pm. 

Update: It was Dan Tiernan!

Review date: 2 Nov 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Cardiff St David's Hall