May I add that whilst Renegade Carpark is a fine writer, he is an even finer man.
Sitcom Trials 2009 Page 5
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Quote: Renegade Carpark @ February 5 2009, 2:29 PM GMTA massively big thank you must go out to Ben, Matthew and David from this forum who made the effort to come and see the shows.
No worries, James - thanks for putting on a good show. Here's hoping the man at So! sees it's potential as a full half hour.
I thought the evening went well for everyone, even if the industry favourite didn't match the audiences. That said, I understand it was cut down in length for the second showing, so maybe the edit took some of the kick out of it.
Griff, you'll be pleased to learn that the voting seemed fair an orderly. That said, I kept my spare voting slips for you - available for a quick blowie 'round back of Noel Coward's.
I'm very happy with the sound of the new voting system, Dave. You know me. I'm not one to grumble.
Quote: Griff @ February 6 2009, 3:32 PM GMTI'm very happy with the sound of the new voting system, Dave. You know me. I'm not one to grumble.
If your script bangs out these jokes regularly, it'll be brilliant!
Dan
Just to update everybody: after the first show 2 writers have been approached by TV companies, 1 actor finally has the agent he's been chasing, and we just heard this morning that one of our actresses has been contacted after the show by a TV company.
It's clearly working as a showcase for writing/acting/directing talent.
With 4 shows every performance we're clearly going to get through an awful lot of actors, writers and directors. It's not hard getting hold of talented comedy actors (they'll find you), we've picked the writers for this year (though will soon be looking for more scripts) but we're always on the lookout for talented, experienced comedy directors.
Have you worked with someone who has a talent for directing comedy?
info@every1sacritic.com
Hello all
Sorry, I've only just discovered this site/ thread so I'm a bit late joining in but I'm looking forward to seeing my entry performed in March (if a little daunted by the talents of everyone else involved!). I've no idea what to expect on the night but it's been a great and unique experience so far!
I'm hoping to get to one of the shows in the next week or two as well so maybe I'll see you there. Although at the rate tickets are selling I'll be lucky to get any for my own.
Sounds like the first show was a big success.
Good luck everyone! (whether or not you're involved in the trials this time round).
Jx
Yeah, break a leg again everyone (though as I type this from a wifi-d up pub in Leicester, you're already minutes away from the end of the second sitting, so I just hope the commensurate number of legs have already been broken).
I'm performing with the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre at the Leicester Comedy Festival all this week (where long term fans will remember The Sitcom Trials played in 2002 and 2005) and having such a great time I forgot what day of the week it was.
Delighted and not a little jealous to hear how well Declan and Simon's shows are going, I hope to be able to make it along to one before it's too late and everyone's forgotten I exist.
Love and kisses, Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk
Hi all
Two more sell-out shows last night, and next Wednesday selling fast so get your tickets quick.
First up was Almost Grown by 2007's winner Symon Parsons (directed by James Burton), followed by The Hedgehog Dilemma by Marianne Powell (dir Sarah Sigal), Boarders by James Parker )Charles Armstrong) and finally Graham Knowles' Trainspotting (dir Andrew Shepherd).
Judges were Jane Lamacraft (writer on My Family and The Now Show, writer/performer on Broken Arts), theatre director Elgiva Field and Dominic Geraghty from The Hubbards casting agents.
A great time was had by all in both shows, with compere Andy Fox coping admirably and thoroughly enjoying himself.
The results were:
Judges' vote: Winner: Trainspotting, runner-up Boarders.
Audience vote: Trainspotting 32, The Hedgehog Dilemma 24, Almost Grown 11 and Boarders 10.
So, a slight discrepancy between the audience vote and the judges' vote, but that's what keeps it interesting. We'll see Trainspotting and Boarders again in the quarter-finals in April.
Next week, we've got Radio 4 producers Dawn Ellis and Richard Taylor and Time Out's Comedy Editor Tim Arthur back doing the judging.
Huge thanks again go to all the actors, directors, compere Andy and stage management wonder-girl Debs for all their hard and great work yesterday.
For those of you interested in writing for the Trials, we'd heartily recommend going to Marc Blake's How NOT To Write A Sitcom on March 7th (see separate thread). It will increase your chances of getting into next year's winners pile exponentially. For those of you who can't make that date, we're running our own one the following week on March 14th in central London. Email info@every1sacritic.com for further details.
Cheers all, it would be great to see any BSGers at either show, and grab us in the Imperial (ooer missus) opposite where the Swiss Centre used to be for a chat after the show.
Declan and Simon
Every 1's A Critic
for The Sitcom Trials
I'd like to add my thanks to Declan (or was it Dermott? 
) and Simon for running an excellent couple of shows, and for Andy's steling work getting the atmosphere going, particularly in the evening session.
High quality throughout I thought in terms of writing, acting and production.
The Shows on Feb 18th are going to be:
NAKED FLAME Written and directed by Peter Benedict.
The firefighters of Blue Watch are always up for a laugh as they try to occupy themselves in the unpredictable gaps between saving lives...
SAM.......... Cameron Anderson
JAMES.......Tony Forsyth
GRAHAM....Pietro Herrera
SEAN...........Spencer Austin
GIMP............Denver Isaac
TONI.............Rebekah Gibbs
Benedict's stage play which is the inspirationfor the sitcom, broke box office records across the UK between 2000-2002("Triumphant !" - Daily Telegraph). Most recently, his ingenious thriller, DEADLOCK("Brilliantly gruesome fun"- Cambridge Evening News) starring Simon Ward,toured with great success.
An extraordinary breadth of work encompasses everything from writing the libretto for
MAPP & LUCIA, the musical("Joyous!The whole thing should be served up with cream teas."Sheridan Morley, Herald Tribune) to directing the only professional staging of a Discworld novel :Terry Pratchett's GUARDS! GUARDS! ("Hilarious" Scotsman).
As a director he has staged numerous Shakespeare and Restoration comedies, Corneille, Beckett, Ionesco, Wilde,and his West End productions include SATYRICON (Phoenix),THE HARDMAN (Arts) and THE JEW OF MALTA (Donmar). As an
actor, he was worked extensively in stage, TV and film,his first TV job playing opposite Sir Derek Jacobi in a small role in I CLAUDIUS ; his most recent for CBBC
playing opposite the Chuckle Brothers !
CHAIN GANG by James Harris, Rupert Wainwright and Marc
Blakewill. Director Matt Holt.
CHAIN GANG follows civil servants Simon and Carol as they attempt to keep lecherous, cretinous town Mayor Tom on the straight and narrow. All hands are needed on deck as they gear up for a new congestion charge scheme, so they decide to hire someone to keep Tom on a leash. However, Simon falls for sharp interviewee Anna and ends up hiring her to do Carol's job whilst a seething Carol is forced to babysit Tom. Will Simon manage to woo Anna? Will Carol manage to get her job back? Will Tom manage not to derail his entire career? CHAIN GANG: when the public elect a mindless buffoon as Mayor, suddenly anything can happen (still, at least it couldn't happen in real life, could it...)
TOM ..........Nick Ewans
SIMON....... Will Hartley
CAROL....... Jess Robinson
ANNA ......... Lauren Shearing
COLIN & INTERVIEWER - Steve McNeil
James Harris, Rupert Wainwright and Marc Blakewill have been working together since 2000. They collaborated on the Sitcom Trials stage shows in London and Edinburgh, two Edinburgh sketch shows (as HMS Comedy) and wrote gags for the 11 O'Clock Show. Their collaboration culminated in winning two episodes of the Sitcom Trials TV series (ITV1). Since then, whilst Rupert has sensibly decided to earn some money, James and Marc have stayed in the comedy business and their recent CV includes Headcases (ITV1), Sorry, I've Got No Head (CBBC), Comedy Cuts (ITV2), Grrr (BBC Radio Scotland) and Horrible Histories (CBBC). They have also written gags for Anne Robinson on The Weakest Link (BBC1) as well as for The Charlotte Church Show (C4) and 2DTV (ITV1). They are currently working with a variety of production companies on sitcom and sketch projects, including Granada Media, Pett Productions, DLT Entertainment, Rough Cut TV, Feelgood Fiction, The Comedy Unit and Hat Trick.
Matt Holt is usually working flat out on an impressive mix of television and live comedy. Having cut his teeth on series one Matt was the principle director on the second series of acclaimed comedy show Comedy Cuts (ITV2) which aired in March 2008 and in summer 2007 he shot The If.Comedy Awards (ITV2), a multi-camera live event. More recently he directed on the first series of Headcases an animated sketch show for ITV1 (with a second starting shortly) and a third series of Comedy Cuts. At the Edinburgh Festival in 2007 Matt directed the If.Comedy Award Winner Brendon Burns: So I Suppose This is Offensive Now! which has recently been recorded for a live DVD release and he continues to work on a number of live projects. In 2005 Matt also co-directed a feature film modernisation of Macbeth for Jeamland Productions.
ALF 'N DICK by Michael Everett. Director Bruce McNeal.
Alf N Dick is an in your face situation comedy about Alf "The Calculator" Evans, a fallen darts player who goes through life over eating and over drinking, while hoping his neighbour, Judith, will be the next love of his life, with his only friend and flat mate, Dick the weird puzzle inventor, in tow.
Part one Dumped
A depressed Alf finally tells Dick why he is unable to pick up his darts, Dick tries to cheer him up with his bizzare new puzzles, but as Judith has just been dumped Alf decides it's now or never, so he finally plucks up the courage to ask her out.
ALF..............Andy Pandini
DICK.............Rhys Rusbatch
JUDITH..........Hannah Harvey
Michael Everett is a 29 year old freelance comedy writer and filmmaker. Two sketches filmed for Smack the Pony, another sketch almost filmed for The Sketch Show and my short film "The Takeaway Movie" a 15 minute sketch movie, was shown at The London Film Festival in 2008 and Odders Mini Cine Show in 2009.
Bruce trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School as an Actor. He is 34 years old and very friendly. He's done various plays since training but never as a director, he is fulfilling an ambition he has held since he received an Email saying "we'd like you to direct 'Alf N Dick' at very short notice". He is now probably a little nervous.
CALL CENTRE BLUES by Steven Stubbs. Director Kamaal Hussain.
The modern call centre office is a wonderful place - full of jovial, open-minded intellectuals with a penchant for calm, articulate discourse.
Actually it's not. Actually, most call centres are festering cauldrons of soul-destroying repetition and enthusiastic misanthropy.
'Call Centre Blues' will follow our humble hero, Steve, as he plunges headlong into the weird and terrible world of 'Broadband Express' - a hardcore, phone-based, inbound customer service ghetto. He will be greeted by varying degrees of indifference, sabotage, drug abuse and an incompetent, pre-op transexual team leader.
The writer, regretfully, can personally attest that 'Call Centre Blues' is a fair and impartial representation of the contemporary customer service office environment - and, as such, it will attempt to explain why the service offered to the customer is so bloody awful.
Rob.......Dennis Herdman
Tom.......Tom Power
Steve......Giles Maythan
Eva..........Stevie Thompson
Alan.........Ian Harris
Fred.........Tim Bell
Steven Stubbs currently lives in Dublin, Ireland. He has written a number of award winning short stories and scripts. His two-part sitcom 'The Roaring Twenties' was broadcast on RTE Television in January 2008. Stubbs also co-directed the two, half hour episodes. He is currently a finalist in Tony Jordan's Red Planet Prize - with a drama pilot about the lives and loves of stand-up comedians in London. Stubbs will be flying to London on the 18th of February via a well-known Irish budget airline.
We've just heard that:
Stubbs has just been commissioned by RTE to write and direct a series of short, online films - based on his script 'PUBWORLD' - a science fiction drama set in a traditional Irish pub. Episode One of PUBWORLD will be online in mid-March 2009.
Kamaal Hussain is a freelance actor and director. His work as an actor includes, Habibi in The New Statesman, with Rik Mayall; Ali in The Retreating World by Naomi Wallace and the statutary appearances in Casualty and The Bill. As a director, his work includes Macbeth at Forced Entertainment Studios, Sheffield; Brimstone & Treacle at The Y Theatre, Leicester; The Snow Queen at The Leicester Haymarket Studio; The Red Shoes at The Garrick Theatre, Altrincham; The Hypochondriac at The Library Theatre, Sheffield and Blood Wedding at The Theatre on The Green, Sheffield. He is currently working on and adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey, to be performed on the streets and transport of London (and in a kebab shop!).
7:00 show.
Tickets on the door £10/£8
As a nostalgic treat I've upoaded to YouTube a Sitcom Trials classic from our first Edinburgh Fringe show, Kiss Me Son Of God starring Dominic Frisby, Dan Clegg and Miranda Hart. Enjoy part 1...
We have 2 shows tomorrow (Wed 18th). The 7 o'clock show is sold out, but there are still tickets for the 5 o'clock industry show for which tickets are half price (£5 instead of the £10/£8 for the evening show).
One of our judges is Dawn Ellis the producer of the brilliant Ed Reardon's Week. She was a judge in our first week, so we're delighted that she thinks we're worth returning to.
Hi guys
Sorry it's taken me two days to get the report up. I could make up an excuse but you won't believe me and anyway I'm too busy making pancakes for Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie who popped over last night after their shift at McDonald's finished.
Anyway, this week's Sitcom Trials featured Naked Flame, written by and directed by Peter Benedict, Chain Gang, written by James Harris, Mark Blakewill and Rupert Wainwright and directed by Matt Holt, Call Centre Blues written by Steven Stubbs and directed by Kamaal Hussein and Alf And Dick written by Michael Everett and directed by Bruce McNeal.
Surprisingly, we had a small audience for the 5pm show. All other shows have sold out so far, so we're wondering why this one didn't. One thing we've heard is that, because we're selling out, people aren't bothering to see if they can come along. Well, give it a go, if you're free at 5pm and you're in central London come and see us, it's only a fiver.
Judges this week were Radio 4's Dawn Ellis and Richard Turner, and Time Out Comedy Editor Tim Arthur.
The judges voted for Alf And Dick as the winner and Chain Gang second to go through to the quarter finals in April (only one point separating second from third), with the audience voting for Alf And Dick (again, over 50% of the vote) with Chain Gang second. Good luck to Call Centre Blues and Naked Flame, I know we haven't seen the last of them.
Next week's judges include representatives from Avalon, Dandy Productions and Hubbards Casting.
The big news is that Lucy Lumsden, BBC Comedy Commissioner, has agreed to be a judge in the Grand Final on May 13.
Tickets are still available for next week, and we'd love to see you after the show for a beer and a chat. We'll be in the Imperial, next to where the Swiss Centre used to be. If you're serious about getting your writing in front of the right people, so are we so come and find us.
Cheers, Declan
We've just heard that Sara Pascoe's The Good Guide is in early production. Sara is currently in Free Agents and The Good Guide was a runner up in The Sitcom Trials last year.
If you're interested in writing for us and want to give yourself an edge, contact us about our workshop 'How to get into the Yes pile'. We're at info@every1sacritic.com
The Shows on Feb 25th are going to be:
TOYS by Imran Malik. Directed by Brian Atkinson.
A hilarious comedy about a Toy shop where selling toys is the least of anyone's concerns. Pete, an average 30 something joins the store in search of a new exciting career. Well he certainly gets the excitement as he has to cope with his new colleagues, his boss Greg who is more interested in managing his mistress than his shop. and Lee, the youngest member of the team. Will Pete sell any toys? Will Greg's wife ever find out the truth? And Will Toy World beat the credit crunch and survive?
CAST
GREG Frank Scantori
PETE David Fynn
LEE David Baynes
AMANDA Tracey Ann Wood
PENNY Laura Evelyn
WRITER
Imran Malik is a legend, well in his own mind. He has been writing sitcom scripts for years and now feels it's time to let the world in on his talent. Most major television producers know of him, mainly because they have restraining orders against him but with sheer dedication and a love of comedy he hopes to one day be on Celebrity Come Dine With Me.
DIRECTOR
Brian Atkinson is the pseudonym of an actor who has been working in comedy for over 30 years. Having suffered under many so-called directors (one would reluctantly remove the pipe from his mouth and mumble 'lunch.'-the only thing he'd say all day) 'Brian' decided it was time to try directing for himself.
LITE FLYIN' by Andrew Flaherty. Directed by Callum Coates.
Lite Flyin' revolves around the life of Mathew Johnston and his constant struggle to keep the travel agency from crumbling and his sanity intact. His workmates, Steve and Claire, are a constant thorn in his side. Matthew sees himself as the only professional in the place and finds it beggar's belief that he isn't the boss. Follow Matthew's efforts to turn the place around, get the customers back and more importantly, the respect he feels he deserves.
CAST
Matthew Matthew Pearson
Steve Jonny Leigh Wright
Claire Emma Bown
Mr
Thompson Geoff Towers
WRITER
Andrew Flaherty has no previous writing credits. He's just a guy that works in retail that thinks he's funny. When he was 20, he sent his first ever script to humour consultant, Marc Blake, who complimented Andrew's ability to write scripts that "breeze along with a fine flair for running gags" and are "tightly written". Andrew is constantly perfecting his writing and aspires to be the very best.
DIRECTOR
Callum Coates is one of the artistic directors of the hugely popular Fitzrovia Radio Hour - stage shows that recreate radio drama broadcasts of the 1940s - for whom he has directed The Maltese Falcon, Frankenstein, Leinigen and The North Pole and A Life Less Awful.
He is also a founder member of the Lions part Theatre company where his directing credits include As He Liked It, The Fifteen Minute Gunpowder Plot (which he also wrote) for Shakespeare's Globe and Everyman for the Sandwich Medieval Festival.
Other Directing credits include Memoires of the Forties, Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia, North Soho 999 and Tea With a Drop of Acid.
Fitzrovia Radio Hour, Episode 3: Series 3 will be recorded on 19th March at The Haggerston Arms, Dalston at 7.30pm and again on 21st March at The Swan at Shakespeare's Globe at 7.30pm.
DAVE by Anthony Dewson. Directed by Frances Bifield.
Dave lives in a rented, three bedroom terraced house in South London. Currently between jobs, he spends most of his time sitting on the sofa, drinking tea and watching Countdown. When Countdown isn't on, Dave fills his day by hiding from the bailiffs and trying to see his flatmate Bernice in her pants. Dave and Bernice need a new flatmate, but interviewing people is rather tricky as they can't answer the door (because of the bailiffs). Dave's only friends are Wiilf, Wilf's dog Alan and Betty, his potty-mouthed 83 year old neighbour. Betty also likes Countdown, but she hates Rick Wakeman and Scottish people.
Bernice is South African. Dave is quite fat.
CAST
Dave Joshua Hemmings
Bernice Hannah Boyde
Douglass Paul Joseph
Jim Michael Norledge
Debbie Sian Goff
Betty Suzanne Tooney
Wilf Adam Dalton
WRITER
Anthony Dewson has been an advertising writer for more years than he cares to disclose. In between lucrative, if slightly soulless, jobs he has found time to write sketches for Radio 4 and Sky One, perform a musical comedy act with his fat friend Dave, and run a moderately successful comedy club in South London. This is his first attempt at writing a sitcom.
DIRECTOR
Frances Bifield is a comedy writer/performer and sometime Director. She takes whatever jobs she can get, as is evident from her most recent credits. These include writing and directing the Hardy's Wine 2008 PR campaign; writing, directing and performing 'Take Me Back' for Dorling and Kindersley's book launch of the same title; and writing (though not performing) the 'Father of the Bride' speech for a lesbian civil partnership (apparently it went down very well).
LOST AND FOUND by Jonnie Fielding. Directed by Dylan Emery.
Set within the bowels of London's Lost Property Office, we join the team responsible for taking receipt and logging London's lost property items. HOLMES, as his name suggests considers every miscellaneous item a mystery, which he must personally solve. Having worked in the office for over thirty years he has a very meticulous way of working. The balance is upset with the arrival of new recruit TOM who questions everything that Holmes does.
We soon discover that it is not just the strange items that find themselves in this Aladdin's cave of curios that are lost, but the characters themselves. Tom is soon discover that the Lost Property office is secretly responsible for reuniting much more than mobile phones and umbrellas with their owners.
CAST
Henry Lewis Tony
Phil Whelans Holmes
WRITER
Jonnie Fielding partakes in various writing, directing and music based escapades. His debut play which he also directed, The Waiting Game, received rave reviews and was 'Time Out; critics' choice', garnering interest from theatre companies all over the world. He followed up the success in 2006 at the Edinburgh Festival with Baggage which received its world premiere at the Pleasance Theatre.
In November of that year he was chosen as one of the 20 most promising playwrights in the UK to attend a writer's residency at the renowned new writing theatre, 'The Traverse' in Edinburgh.
Also dabbling in film & television, Jonnie was 'highly recommended' by Pathé Pictures for his first screenplay in the Orange Screenwriting Prize. He was commissioned by Oscar winning film producer Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty / Palookaville) to write a Comedy/Horror feature and also devised and co-wrote a new cutting edge 10 part drama for Channel 4 (Tiger Aspect). He has also written and directed two short films.
On the music front, Jonnie writes and performs his own songs under the name 'Note To Self' (www.myspace.com/notetoselfsongs). He has also played the violin in both a live and recording capacity for bands such as Babyshambles, Nizlopi, Kid Harpoon & Larrikin Love and last year with The Pan I Am, was invited by radio DJ Steve Lamaq to play at the music festival, SXSW in Austin, Texas.
He has also composed music for the Channel 5 documentary 'Lochness' and a number of theatre productions at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.
DIRECTOR
Although the Sitcom Trials are scripted, Dylan Emery is more usually a director, teacher and performer of improvised comedy. He is the co-founder of both short-form impro troupe Grand Theft Impro (www.grandtheftimpro.com) and Showstopper! the improvised musical (www.showstopperthemusical.com). He is a member of Ken Campbell's School of Night and runs a website devoted to improvisation in the UK: www.thecrunchyfrogcollective.com.
LAST WEEK'S WINNERS.
Here's a report from Declan Hill:
Sorry it's taken me two days to get the report up. I could make up an excuse but you won't believe me and anyway I'm too busy making pancakes for Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie who popped over last night after their shift at McDonald's finished.
Anyway, this week's Sitcom Trials featured Naked Flame, written by and directed by Peter Benedict, Chain Gang, written by James Harris, Mark Blakewill and Rupert Wainwright and directed by Matt Holt, Call Centre Blues written by Steven Stubbs and directed by Kamaal Hussein and Alf And Dick written by Michael Everett and directed by Bruce McNeal.
Surprisingly, we had a small audience for the 5pm show. All other shows have sold out so far, so we're wondering why this one didn't. One thing we've heard is that, because we're selling out, people aren't bothering to see if they can come along. Well, give it a go, if you're free at 5pm and you're in central London come and see us, it's only a fiver.
Judges this week were Radio 4's Dawn Ellis and Richard Turner, and Time Out Comedy Editor Tim Arthur.
The judges voted for Alf And Dick as the winner and Chain Gang second to go through to the quarter finals in April (only one point separating second from third), with the audience voting for Alf And Dick (again, over 50% of the vote) with Chain Gang second. Good luck to Call Centre Blues and Naked Flame, I know we haven't seen the last of them.
Next week's judges include representatives from Avalon, Dandy Productions and Hubbards Casting.
The big news is that Lucy Lumsden, BBC Comedy Commissioner, has agreed to be a judge in the Grand Final on May 13.
Tickets are still available for next week, and we'd love to see you after the show for a beer and a chat. We'll be in the Imperial, next to where the Swiss Centre used to be. If you're serious about getting your writing in front of the right people, so are we so come and find us.
Cheers, Declan
5 o'clock show tickets £5.00
7 o'clock show tickets £10/8 concs.