Winner will have the write stuff!

BARBARA HODGSON HAS NEWS ON HOW NEW COMEDY TALENT WILL BE TAKING TO THE STAGE AT NEXT YEAR’S SUNDAY FOR SAMMY EVENT

A LOCAL comic talent is being offered the chance to showcase his skills before a 10,000-strong crowd at the upcoming Sunday for Sammy concert.

One budding comedy sketch writer is set to see his work given a platform at the hugely popular show when it’s staged in February.

So far four writers have made the short-list for A Sketch for Sammy a competition for new comedy writers which has formed part of the event for the past three years.

Mike Nicholson, Stephen Blakeney, Thomas McDonald and last year’s winner Kevin Wilkinson have been having help from Tyneside playwright Ed Waugh to polish their scripts. And one lucky winner will have his work performed on stage by a professional cast at 2018’s Sunday for Sammy.

In the meantime, organiser Ed who has penned such hits as Dirty Dusting, Hadaway Harry and the recent Mr Corvan’s Music Hall - has been mentoring the four men and, as a Sunday for Sammy comedy writer himself, he will be hosting the finals of the competition at The Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle at 1pm on Sunday, October 1. A panel of celebrity judges will choose the funniest sketch and the winner will be presented with the 2017 Phil Richardson Comedy Award, named in memory of the late young musician and comedy fan from Whitley Bay and presented by his mother Pat.

Tickets for the final at The Stand are free and can be obtained by contacting julieclay@blueyonder.co.uk. Tickets for Sunday for Sammy, at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena on February 18, are available from the venue, the booking hotline 0844 493 6666 or online at www. metroradioarena.co.uk as well as from Newcastle Theatre Royal: www. theatreroyal.co.uk or on 08448 11 21 21. Call charges will apply.