British Comedy Guide

2017 Edinburgh Fringe

Malcolm Hardee Awards 2017 nominations announced

Malcolm Hardee Awards

The nominations for this year's increasingly prestigious Malcolm Hardee Awards have been revealed. The awards, named in honour of the late anarchic comic Malcolm Hardee, aim to recognise comic originality at the festival.

Comic Originality

Terry Alderton: All Crazy Now. Terry Alderton

Terry Alderton

Rob Kemp: The Elvis Dead. Rob Kemp. Copyright: Peril Design / Copyright Splash Photography

Rob Kemp

Elf Lyons: Swan. Elf Lyons

Elf Lyons

Mark Dean Quinn: My Heart on a Plate

Mark Dean Quinn

Cunning Stunt

Can't Dance, Won't Dance. Damian Kingsley

Damian Kingsley, "for handing out flyers while wearing a security guard's jacket at venues other than his own, on the basis that punters are more likely to take flyers from a security guard rather than a normal flyer."

Balamory Doubtfire. Martha McBrier

Martha McBrier, "for a publicity stunt for her Balamory Doubtfire show so complicated that even an explanation by her with a timeline does not fully unravel the layers."

Mark Dean Quinn: My Heart on a Plate

Mark Dean Quinn, "for sundry flyering scams on behalf of other people but, in particular, for attaching stars and quotes from other shows on his own flyers, thus potentially subverting the Fringe 'star' system."

Act Most Likely To Make a Million Quid

Rob Kemp: The Elvis Dead. Rob Kemp. Copyright: Peril Design / Copyright Splash Photography

Rob Kemp

Al Porter in Campus Maximus. Al Porter

Al Porter


John Fleming, the organiser of the awards and one of the judges, has pointed out certain unusual things about the 2017 nominations: firstly, two people are nominated for two prizes each (Mark Dean Quinn and Rob Kemp, the later of who has already won an Amused Moose Award at this year's Fringe); and that Al Porter has been nominated for the same award for the third year in a row.

This year is reportedly the last time the Malcolm Hardee Awards will run, on the grounds that only a certain number of trophies were originally made and they will run out at the end of this year.

The always-chaotic award ceremony, which will also consist of live comedy and music performances, and the annual Scottish National Russian Roulette Egg Championship, will be on 25th August at 11pm at the Counting House (free entry). The event will also raise money for Mama Biashara, a charity helping vulnerable people in Kenya run by comedy critic and Malcolm Hardee Award judge Kate Copstick.


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