The last act of the first half, Londoner Laura Smyth has only been doing comedy for a few months but sounds as if she has been doing it all her life. I'm sure it was well-scripted but she sounded as if she was simply shooting the breeze about what it is like to be a harassed, hard-working mum nowadays. Imagine, if you can, a female-issues-based Rob Beckett. Most of her set was accessible and easy-going, though some of her material, particularly a McCann gag, but another one later on too – was surprisingly edgy. Maybe a more right-on judging panel might have marked her down, but she stormed the night, wowed the crowd and was voted winner (pictured). It was announced that she will be mentored by new Funny Women patron Jo Brand, although I'm not sure how much mentoring she really needs.
Jen Ives is transexual and explained that she has just moved back to London after living in Brighton - "it's nice to feel like a minority again". She had some excellent source material given that she is living with her dad who is an ex-Millwall hooligan. Despite their differences they have bonded over watching women's football. There was also some good stuff about how bad the music in The Greatest Showman is – for a newish comic Ives wasn't afraid to chat to the audience and be a bit more spontaneous. Not every punchline landed, but this was definitely a performer to watch.
Sarah Mann was one of the few acts on the night who didn't specifically refer to her sexuality. She was too busy referring to the fact that when not doing stand-up she plays the trombone. As far as I could tell that wasn't a euphemism. Instead it offered her the chance to go off on a distinctive riff about her brassy sideline which became even more distinctive when she revealed a military background. How bad would things have to get before, she wondered, she would have to "do a war". She also got a lot of laughs out of not having a penis - again, I don't think that was a euphemism.
Kemah Bob is a name I've heard about recently and I expect we will be hearing more about this performer from Houston who describes herself as "pro-black, sex-positive and unapologetically so." This was a set that was both pointedly political and funny. Smashing the white male patriarchy in under ten minutes is a tall order but Kemah Bob certainly chipped away at the corners.
Finally, on a night with a definite international flavour, Celya AB closed the show. She is from Paris but currently lives in Birmingham, which is probably a sentence you don't hear every day. But the contrast definitely gave her something to get her comedic teeth into, as did her recent experience of having a meeting for a potential media career break where it was assumed she was a muslim because of her Algerian background. A strong end to a night when there were ten acts and not a dud among them.
