Shortlist announced for Fringe comedy awards

Amid the frantic mayhem of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there is one event that grabs everyone's attention: Britain's most prestigious comedy awards.

The shortlist for the Intelligent Finance Comedy Awards, which for 25 years were known as the Perrier awards, was unveiled yesterday, rewarding a mixture of "youth and experience".

On Saturday, the actor Christian Slater will present the prize to the overall if.comedy winner in a midnight ceremony at the Jam House in Edinburgh.

But just making the shortlist is a great accolade in itself for the acts, which include Brendon Burns, Andrew Maxwell, Andrew Lawrence, Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow and Pappy's Fun Club.

Nica Burns, the awards' veteran director, said: "What I think is so great about this year's shortlist is the mixture of youth and experience. Members of the public buy tickets on the basis of the nominations and there really is something here for everyone."

Burns and Maxwell are Edinburgh veterans but this year, according to the director, their acts - "So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now" and "Waxin'" - really stood out.

"They've sat down and written absolutely cracking shows. They've really taken a large step forward in terms of their work," Ms Burns said.

At the other end of the spectrum, Pappy's Fun Club is a high-energy sketch show devised by four young comedians. Lawrence, who won the IF best newcomer award last year, is now in contention for the main award with his act "Social Leprosy For Beginners & Improvers".

Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow, created by Tom Binn, has been described as "perfect Edinburgh character comedy". In the show, Brackenbury is a disaster-prone hospital DJ.

Nominations for the IF best newcomer award were also announced. They are Jon Richardson, Micky Flanagan, Tom Basden and Zoe Lyons.

The bookmakers William Hill placed Burns as 2/1 favourite to win the main award, while Flanagan is 4/5 favourite to claim the newcomer's prize.

The awards spokesman, Rupert Adams, said: "We have heard great things about both Andrew Maxwell and Brendon Burns, but on the strength of the buzz surrounding his show, Brendon is our favourite." Two years ago, Intelligent Finance took over the sponsorship of the awards from Perrier, which had backed them for the previous quarter of a century.

Ms Burns said the awards' new backers had allowed the winning comedy acts to tour their shows around the UK, not just in London, with 150 live performances nationally. "It means people in Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford can see Edinburgh show," she said.

Christian Slater's presence at Saturday night's award ceremony would infuse a touch of glamour, she added. "There's nothing like having a Hollywood movie star to light up your day." For Slater, the event will provide a chance to catch up with last year's overall winner, Phil Nichol, whom he starred alongside in the West End production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Winning last year's award enabled Nichol to tour the UK with his band, an expensive but integral part of his show.

The Independent's comedy critic and author of the Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy, Julian Hall, sits on the judging panel, which is chaired by The Times' theatre editor and chief comedy critic, Dominic Maxwell.

Edinburgh's lords of laughter

Brendon Burns - So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now

A regular on the Edinburgh circuit, this year Burns impressed the comedy awards judges with a surprising twist in his act. But the organisers have made a pact not to talk about it, comparing it to "giving away the ending of the latest Harry Potter novel".

Andrew Maxwell - Waxin'

In his show, the Edinburgh veteran explores different fanaticisms. "He's performing his material with his usual charm and ease, but his work is a lot edgier," said Nica Burns.

Andrew Lawrence - Social Leprosy For Beginners & Improvers

Lawrence's comic persona is "a very quirky character, an oddball who's wound up about everything", says Ms Burns.

Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow

Brackenbury has invented a character who is a completely hapless hospital radio DJ who bungles everything he turns his hand to.

Pappy's Fun Club

Four young men have created a "great little sketch show", with pranks and high energy aplenty, says Ms Burns.