Taking the mic

3:39pm Thursday 11th January 2007

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It should have been a disaster. Signing up for his debut open mike spot, aspiring stand-up Carl Donnelly found himself billed after veteran comedian Mike Reid.

That's Frank Butcher to you and me, only dressed up in Rasta dreads and threads to be filmed for a new TV show. Donnelly, armed only with his white-man afro and geek chic, was quaking in his trendy trainers as he stepped on to The Bedford stage.

"It was absolutely terrifying," recalls the former film student. "But somehow it went well, better than it should have done considering I was following an East End Rastafarian. I can be quite rude when I want to be, which helped I think"

And just two years later, Donnelly was named Laughing Horse New Act of the Year 2006, collecting his trophy in front of a who's who of comedy. And Frank Skinner.

Now in its sixth year, The Laughing Horse competition is one of the most influential of its kind, with past winners including Russell Kane and We are Klang's Greg Davies and Marek Larwood, all shortlisted for the if.comeddies at Edinburgh last summer.

Heats for the 2007 competition are warming up this week in Richmond, Kingston and WImbledon, and the standard already looks good, reports resident MC Kevin McCarron.

"The contest is bigger than ever and being taken more seriously by the bookers and agents," says the Kiwi comic.

"We always have high expectations but we're rarely disappointed. I was at Richmond last night and seven out of the 10 acts were pretty impressive. But a lot of people can do a good five minute routine. The real test comes later."

Over the coming months, 670 acts will be whittled down to just 12 for May's grand final at The Watershed in Wimbledon, where £1000 and a year's worth of bookings are at stake. So what does McCarron think it takes to win?

"Every year it's the same - they need something different," he answers, in what sounds like a contradiction in terms.

"They have to show originality. Take Carl for instance. He looks like a school boy but he delivers a lot of shrewd gags. And he's just a little bit filthy, too."

Donnelly, 25 next week, admits that he wasn't sure whether entering the competition would get him anywhere.

"It was my girlfriend who pushed me to do it," says the local lad, who lives just down the road from The Watershed.

"But you only have to look at the past winners to see that it really helps your profile. I'm now at the point where I'm even thinking of quitting my day job."

And for a full-time accounts assistant, that's quite an exciting prospect.

Laughing Horse New Act of the Year, Saturdays at The Cricketers, 20 Fairfield South, Kingston; Saturdays at The Watershed, 267 Broadway The Broadway, Wimbledon; Sundays at The Britannia, 5 Brewers Lane, Richmond; call 07796 171190 or visit laughinghorse.co.uk.