An autobiographical one woman theatre show has won two awards at the Greater Manchester Fringe Awards 2019. The F**k It Button scooped Best Comedy and Ali Kahn won Best Actor. 

Ali, who wrote and performed the show at the King's Arms and was the first show to sell out three nights in 2019, said afterwards: "I am still in shock! I set out to prove to myself that I could realise my dream of writing and performing a one woman show. And I did it. 

"I was an improviser. I could 'do' funny yeah but I couldn't write. Not properly. After years of living in fear and addiction I started to get real, get help and not allow my addiction or fear to define me anymore. 

"And then five years into my recovery of being abstinent from drugs and alcohol I needed to create and express myself.

"My story was not edgy or dark or different enough is what I would tell myself. It is too self indulgent...too risky..too much hard work. Too late. 

"Then last year through some focused therapy, taking time to put my mental health first in all my decision making, through hours of self development reading and listening to research and interviews and books, through meditation, walking and daily writing of my 'morning pages' which I continued with after completing a 12-week programme called #theartistsway.

"My fear quietened down....alongside this I also received the support and encouragement and friendship / loving bullying from an amazing short 'blonde' haired beautiful ball of energy and raw talent that is Anna Macgowan my director, my vision queen, my wondrous words wizard.

"Through all of this... I have been able to give birth to a piece of work that has impacted my life dramatically and made me see that my story was enough. I am enough...and that I am a writer...not a perfect one but a writer."

Ali is now working with Emmerson & Ward Productions on developing the show, touring it, and working towards Edinburgh Fringe 2020. 

There is another chance to see it at The Continental in Preston on Tuesday 8 October with more Manchester dates to b announced very soon. 

Time and Again Theatre Company won the Oldham Coliseum Award for Clouds, which sold out at the Pankhurst Centre in Rusholme during Greater Manchester Fringe. 

Clouds will be performed as part of a double bill with Men Chase Women Choose, People Zoo Productions, on Friday 27 September at Oldham Coliseum.

This is the second year that Oldham Coliseum have chosen their Pick of the Fringe and last year Pop was selected to perform there. Last year's runner up Trollope will also be staged there on Friday 4 October. 

Greater Manchester Fringe featured 165 shows this year and sold more tickets than 2018.

One of the new aspects of Greater Manchester Fringe this year was The Hive, which had three places up for grabs at a scratch night of 40 shortlisted acts at Salford Arts Theatre in January, supported by Arts Council England.

Stefanie Moore won a place in The Hive for her duologue Blue Lines and was mentored by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots) and Mike Heath (Write for the Stage). 

Simon Widdop won a place for his spoken word show Stained and was mentored by Ben Moor. 

Siân Davies won a place for her comedy show About Time and was mentored by Dave Williams. She then went on to win the Funny Women awards semi-final in Manchester and will compete in the final on Thursday 19 September at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

Below are all the nominations and winners at this year's Greater Manchester Fringe awards. Some of the shows moved onto Camden Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe. Some will return to the North West this autumn. Follow his blog and social media for more details. 

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD 

NOMINATED:
A Quick Guide to Ruining your Life
Carole Queen
Fifty and Nifty
Cruelty

WINNER: 
Fifty and Nifty - King's Arms in Salford and Miners Arts and Community Centre in Moston

MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF SPACE

NOMINATED:
Patient 4620 in the Crypt at St Philip's Church in Salford 
Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can 
When Liam Met Emmeline in Manchester - historical walkabout from the Roman Fort 
Clouds at the Pankhurst Centre
Barred in Antwerp Mansion
Cruelty in the vaults at the King's Arms

WINNER: 
Frozen Peas in an Old Tin Can in the beer garden in the pouring rain and then adapted at the last minute as the rain continued for the vaults at the King's Arms in Salford.

BEST COMEDY SHOW

NOMINATED:
The F**k It Button
Don't Bother
Madame Chandelier's Rough Guide to the Opera
The Yank is a Manc!
Juliet Meyers: This Flipping Rescue Dog has Ruined My Life
Maisie Adam
Big Box Aliens

WINNER:
The F**k It Button

PHYSICAL THEATRE

NOMINATED:
Sister
Punk Sandwich
2 Clowns 1 Cup
This Way Up

WINNER:
2 Clowns 1 Cup at Cobden Works in Salford
Now at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/2-clowns-1-cup

BEST REVIVAL

NOMINATED:
All The Bens - 1974 Productions
Pramkicker - Postcard Theatre
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea - Play With Fire Productions
Carole Queen Tapestry - James Allen

WINNER:
Pramkicker 

BEST NEWCOMER

NOMINATED:
People Are Happy on Trains - War/War/War Theatre Company
Synchronicity - Joi Rouncefield and ALETHEIA theatre company
The Joy of Cam - Gemma Davies and Down the Rabbit Hole
Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can - Joe Walsh
Mojo - Wonder If Theatre Company 
Don't Bother - Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin 
Madame Chandelier's Rough Guide to Opera - Delea Shand
Black, And - Jay Delise
The Decriminalisation Monologues - Acting out Group
Punk Sandwich - Milly Wild
Boots and Braces - Farewell Theatre Company

WINNER:
Gemma Davies

BEST COMEDY PLAY

NOMINATED
Mistress to the Midnight
My Fitbit Called Me a Fat Bitch
A Touch of Magic
Fifty and Nifty
Pramkicker
A Quick Guide to Ruining your Life
Kasterborous in Bolton

WINNER
Mistress to the Midnight

CANAL STREET PICK OF THE FRINGE

NOMINATED
Little Pink Book of Masculinity 
Bette: Bathhouse to Broadway!
Big Box Aliens

WINNER
Bette: Bathhouse to Broadway!

ENSEMBLE

NOMINATED
The Melting of a Single Snowflake
A Touch of Magic
Unbreakable
‘What if…?’
The Death of a Muse
This Way Up
Fifty and Nifty
Shakespeare's Sonnets

WINNER
A Touch of Magic

CHILDREN'S SHOW

NOMINATED
Mama G’s Story Time Roadshow
This Way Up
The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen
My Bottom Did A Burp In Class

WINNER
The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Now at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/extraordinary-time-travelling-adventures-of-baron-munchausen

SPOKEN WORD

NOMINATED
The Hull Poets
Socially [un]acceptable
Thick Richard presents: Swear School
Black. And
'70' A New Decade Of Fun.
The Empathy Experiment
Don’t Bother

WINNER
The Empathy Experiment
Now at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/empathy-experiment

WRITE FOR THE STAGE NEW WRITING AWARD

LONG LIST
Skank, by Clementine Bogg-Hargrove
A Touch of Magic, by Anne Wynne
Our Kid, by Taran Knight
Woman on Fire, by John Wouldberg
Best Girl, by Christine Mackie
Holy Sh*t, by Jack Fairhurst
A Quick Guide To Ruining Your Life, by Laura Harper
The Death of a Muse, by Rois Doherty
People Are Happy On Trains, by Anna Doyle
My Fitbit Called Me A Fat Bitch, by Ronnie Leek
Fifty and Nifty, by Beverly Green
Holy Land, by Matthew Gouldesbrough
The Decriminalisation Monologues, by Sean Denyer

NOMINATED
A Quick Guide To Ruining Your Life, by Laura Harper
Holy Land, by Matthew Gouldesbrough
Our Kid, by Taran Knight
My FitBitCalled Me A Bitch, by Ronnie Leek

WINNER
A Quick Guide To Ruining Your Life, by Laura Harper

SPECIAL RECOMMENDATION
Holy Land, by Matthew Gouldesbrough
Now at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/holy-land

BEST ACTOR

NOMINATED
Jenna Sian O’Hara - Blue Lines
Nicole Evans - Blue Lines
Ali Kahn - The F**k It Button
Lois Mackie - Best Girl
Hannah Ellis Ryan - Danny & The Deep Blue Sea
Danny Solomon - Danny & The Deep Blue Sea
Coral Sinclair - Pramkicker 
Tilly Sutcliffe - Pramkicker
Deane Dixon-Foster - All The Bens
Taran Knight - Our Kid
Claire Moore - Woman on Fire
Kasey Christian - My Fitbit Called Me A Fat Bitch

WINNER
Ali Kahn - The F**k It Button

BEST DRAMA

NOMINATED
The Riot Act by Rob Johnston
All The Bens by Ian Townsend
Our Kid by Taran Knight
Holy Land by Matthew Gouldesbrough
The Death Of A Muse by Rois Doherty
Drowning In Silence by Roni Ellis
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley 
Best Girl by Christine Mackie
The Greek by Lewis Charlesworth
A Quick Guide To Ruining Your Life by Laura Harper

WINNER
All The Bens by Ian Townsend

OLDHAM COLISEUM'S PICK OF THE FRINGE 

NOMINATED
All The Bens
A Quick Guide to Ruining Your Life
Clouds
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
My FitbitCalled Me A Fat Bitch!

WINNER 
Clouds - Time and Again Theatre
Now at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/clouds

Photographs available here (please give photographers a credit): https://flic.kr/s/aHsmFSekbE

Thanks to Mike Heath (Write for the Stage), photographers Craige Baker and Shay Rowan, Elsbeth Mary Moore (for the artwork on the brochure), Chris Limb from Catmachine, Chris Perkin from Eventotron, Chris Lawson from Oldham Coliseum, Nelson Beaumont-Laurencia, Roger Ward, Phil Schulze, Venue Managers, all the judges, all the reviewers, Jessica at the Frog and Bucket. 

Tips for Edinburgh Fringe

Best Girl 6-11, 13-18, 20-26 August at Pleasance Courtyard
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/best-girl

Hinayni! Rachel Creeger 5-9, 11-16, 18-23, 25-26 August, Underbelly
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/rachel-creeger-hinayni

Men Chase Women Choose 13-18 August at Summerhall
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/men-chase-women-choose

My Bottom Did A Burp in Class 9-16 August PBH Free Fringe
https://freefringe.org.uk/shows/my-bottom-did-a-burp-in-class/

The Empathy Experiment 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 August, PBH Free Fringe
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/empathy-experiment

The Yank Is A Manc! My Ancestors and Me 19-24 August at The Space Surgeon's Hall
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/yank-is-a-manc-my-ancestors-me

Returning this autumn

Greater Manchester Fringe takeover:
 Clouds (Time & Again Theatre Company) and Men Chase Women Choose (People Zoo Productions) 
Friday 27 September, Oldham Coliseum
http://www.coliseum.org.uk/plays/main-house-takeover-pick-of-the-fringe/

Trollope, Writers Reign, BEST COMEDY PLAY at GMFringe Awards 2018, 
Friday 4 October, Oldham Coliseum 
http://www.coliseum.org.uk/plays/trollope/

The F**k It Button by Ali Kahn, BEST COMEDY & BEST ACTOR GMFringe Awards 2019, 
Tuesday 8 October, The Intercontinental, Preston
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/479649