16 acts compete for title

The finalists have been announced for the 2024 West End New Act of the Year.

More than 300 comedy hopefuls entered, who have now been whittled down to 16 names: Holly Ludlow, Orlando Gibbs, Lucy Pook, Prateek Kohli, Simon Hall. Jen Zheng, Laura Quinn Goh, Hamish Lloyd Barnes, Lizzie Simpson, Merry Martyn, Thea Carroll, Mj Hunter, Stacey Edwards, Sam Adamson, Martha Burns and Tasmin Sarkany.

They will compete for the title, ‘a small cash prize’ and slots at the Albany pub in Great Portland Street, Central London, on Monday.

Organisers also named ‘ones to watch’ who did not make the final. They are: Fred Bell, Matt Withers, Laura Gomez, Salma Lyons and Harry Legge.

Shalaka Kurup won the contest last year with Blank Peng runner-up and Tim Biglowe third – all pictured above.

Published: 2 Apr 2024