A Newcastle comedy writer has taken a step towards seeing her work performed in front of thousands after winning the Clement & La Frenais Award at this year’s Sketch for Sammy competition.
Holly Johnson took the honours with Geordie Bond, one of six shortlisted sketches performed in front of a packed audience at The Exchange 1856 in North Shields.
Her prize means the sketch will now be considered for inclusion in the 2028 Sunday for Sammy arena show, affectionately known as the Geordie Command Performance.
The competition, organised by the Sunday for Sammy Trust, gives emerging comedy writers the chance to develop their work with professional mentoring before seeing it brought to life on stage.
A talented cast comprising Catherine Dryden, Kylie Ann Ford, Lucy Davis, Dean Bone, Bob Nicholson, Ben Gettings and Fin Healy did the honours - impressively so given they hadn’t seen the scripts until 9am on the day of performance.
Holly, who had previously described reaching the final as a dream come true, was understandably delighted to go one better.
“I still can’t quite believe it! Sunday for Sammy is such an incredible charity that does amazing work for our region and I’m so proud to have been a part of this,” she said.
“The actors and production team were first class and really brought the sketch to life, I was blown away watching it performed live.”
The other finalists were Sam Bell with Finding the New Wera, Jake Wilson Craw with Modern Monster Dating, Georgia Nicholson with Aaall Rise, Ian McCormick and Ian Greatbatch with Black Tongue Al, and Andy Mather with Hang Out Me Smalls.
The winner was selected by a judging panel comprising actor Charlie Hardwick, Tim Healy, entertainment industry agent Lou Coel and musician Billy Mitchell.
Named in honour of celebrated comedy writers Dick Clement and North East-born Ian La Frenais, the award recognises promising new talent in a region with a long tradition of producing comedy performers and writers.
Hosted by Cal Halbert and Kelly Rickard, the evening also featured performances from singer-songwriter Nev Clay, Charlie Hardwick’s band Kiss and comedy duo Jack and Sam.
Sketch for Sammy forms part of the wider work of the Sunday for Sammy Trust, established in memory of Newcastle actor Sammy Johnson.
The charity supports emerging talent across the North East entertainment industry, with its fundraising arena productions bringing together established performers and newcomers.