The Story So Far

Usually by this stage in the Festival you can get some feeling for possible award nominees, but this year it's difficult to see who is really getting the "buzz" - at least from this distance. By looking at the reviews, all that comes across is wild inconsistency, with several acts getting a slating in one paper, only to be praised to the rafters in another. Plus the lazier reviewers just seem to enjoy giving away the act's best jokes, which does nobody any favours.

Mark Watson seems to be one of the few acts to be universally praised - is the world finally waking up to his talents? Apart from a few lacklustre performaces on Mock The Week he's not really famous yet, but you do get the sense he's about to be. Could this be his year? The same could apply to any number of the "nearly famous" - Michael McIntyre, Adam Hills, Reginald D Hunter, Nina Conti, Lucy Porter - all getting decent notices, all regulars on the panel show circuit, none of them yet famous enough to be excluded from the awards roster.

What of the relative unknowns? Stephen Grant, Nick Doody, Steve Day, Izy Sutie, numerous interchangable angry Australians - all are getting reasonable write-ups, but nothing really leaps out as this year's "must-see". At least, not yet. Traditionally the pace picks up around now, and the If.Comeddie nominations are announced on Wednesday next week, so expect the promoters to really wheel out the big guns in the next few days.