Welcome to our Entertainment Now WoW Awards for the first week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Our first award for Best Debut goes to Jessie Nixon – whose show Don’t Make Me Regret This at Assembly combines poetry and stand up and tackles body image and low self esteem.
Our deputy editor Victoria Nangle called her: “a ball of oversharing marvellous energy, with a rate of laughs per minute to give your diaphragm a good old workout.”
Our second award for Theatre goes to Fuselage at the Pleasance – a moving drama about the Lockerbie bombing written by American Annie Lareau, who was supposed to be on board Pan Am Flight 103, and who lost 35 fellow students including her best friend.
Reviewer Alan Shaw said: “This stunning play, about losing a friend in the Lockerbie bombing, left me in bits.”
Alan himself lost a friend that day and remembered the night vividly. He was so moved by the play he was unable to talk to Annie afterwards when she spoke to audience members.
The award for Best Children’s Show goes to Funz and Gamez rebootz the joyous comedy caper conjured up by Phil Ellis and his band of co-conspirators.
Victoria Nangle said in her review: ” The show is loose, with a structure that allows off piste adventuring with deeply fun results…..Funz and Gamez rebootz mixes children’s punchlines with adult asides – ambushing sensibilities repeatedly, to make this a deeply enjoyable show.
Finally the award for Comedy goes to Nate Kitch for the hilarious and extraordinary Something Different!!!!! (There are five exclamation points. Count them. They are integral to the show.). You can catch Nate at the Gilded Balloon – sometimes in his venue – sometimes outside the door haranguing audience members in queues to other shows.
Victoria Nangle said in her review: “Never has a show title been more true and also an absolute lie. Something Different!!!!! is a love letter to comedy as an art form.”
The WoW Awards began three years ago when Entertainment Now decided it would be a good idea to recognise outstanding shows Week On Week during the Fringe. Rather than wait till the end we thought it would be great to spread a bit of love earlier in the festival.
Congratulations to all our winners.
