The results of the Malcolm Hardee Awards 2019 have been announced at a ceremony at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The awards - handed out in the memory of comic, agent, manager, club-owner and prankster Malcolm Hardee - celebrate and promote the spirit of madcap, anything-goes comedy anarchy at the Edinburgh Festival.
This year's winners are:
Comic Originality:
Legs (Julia Masli and The Duncan Brothers)
Sketch trio Legs - Julia Masli and The Duncan Brothers - are performing their self-titled sketch show at Just The Tonic at The Caves at 9:05pm. Their brochure blurb explains: "Legs are what most humans stand on. They also allow humans to walk, crouch and lunge. If at any point in your life you have used your legs, thought about legs or if you know someone with legs, then this is the show for you. Legs."
The judges note: "Brilliantly unpredictable. It is the bee's knees of sketch shows. This one will run and run."
Cunning Stunt:
West End Producer
West End Producer released a poster featuring 5 star reviews appearing to be from well-known critics and producers (M Billington, L Gardner, S Clapp, C Mack, A Webber). However, the reviewers mentioned are in fact similarly named members of the public he phoned up, who gave permission for their names to be used (e.g. A Webber is Andy Webber, of Bognor Regis).
The judges note the stunt was: "An audacious subversion of the annual quest for the perfect poster quote - even if the people quoted aren't critics."
Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid:
President Obonjo
Heading into the festival, Benjamin Bello - who performs stand-up as the character President Obonjo - claimed that BBC Studios and E4 had "stolen his act". BBC Studios is currently working on a TV pilot for E4 called The Colonel Banjoko Show, in which actor Samson Kayo plays a fictional dictator.
The awards ceremony took place at The Counting House venue in Edinburgh, hosted by President Obonjo and featuring short sets from a number of acts appearing at the Fringe.
The winners were handed specially made trophies designed by inventor John Ward.
This year's judging panel was Marissa Burgess, Kate Copstick, Bruce Dessau, Jay Richardson, Claire Smith and Ian Wolf.
The shortlists were as follows:
Comic Originality: Charles Quaterman; Jimmy Slim and Lewis Blomfield; Joz Norris; Legs; President Obonjo; Sean Morley.
Cunning Stunt: E4 & BBC Studios ("For exponentially increasing the knowledge of, and sales for, President Obonjo with their 'appalling theft of his character'); Jimmy Slim and Lewis Blomfield (for creating and distributing flyers which have scratch-off elements on them); West End Producer.
Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid: Candy Gigi; Catherine Cohen; President Obonjo; Sophie Duker; Tom Crosbie.
The Malcolm Hardee Awards have run since 2005, the year of Malcolm Hardee's death. They ended in 2017, however having been 'much missed' at the 2018 festival, they have now been revived by British Comedy Guide, with the blessing of original organiser John Fleming and the Hardee family.
Find out more about the awards and previous winners at: https://www.comedy.co.uk/hardees/
