Leicester Square Theatre New Act Of The Year 2019 Final

Too much? Fifteen comedians on one new act final might feel like overkill, but no act seemed undeserving of their place at the climax of the Leicester Square Theatre talent hunt last night – and all were certainly strong enough to make a long show fly by.

Lily Phillips got the night off to a robust start, with a routine that called to mind Jo Brand with her sardonic, feminist-skewed take on what a woman is ‘supposed’ to talk about. That meant leaning into subjects such as her vagina, cystitis, her bumhole and a particular sort of breastfeeding. The material runs the risk of being one-note, but she’s certainly got enough strong, if graphic, gags to keep the laughs comic over a short set, enhanced by her cheery disdain for the genteel and a bulletproof confidence. It earned her a joint third place – not bad for the death spot of being first.

Steve Bennett, Chortle