London's comedy scene is positively thriving at the moment with over 100 different clubs a week, not counting solo shows. The recession isn't likely to have an effect on it either; the majority of gig tickets are dirt cheap and any comedian, not least those that perform at the Edinburgh Fringe year after year, will be the first to tell you that money comes second to making people laugh.
This was also the first year that comedy trounced theatre at the Festival in 61 years since it began; a clear indication of the growing popularity of the industry. Winners of the 2008 if.comedy (former Perrier Award) were Sarah Millican and David O'Doherty but there was huge controversy over the panel prize (normally awarded to a person embodying the spirit of the festival), when it was unimaginatively presented to 'all comedians working at the Fringe' and lost all credibility. We were thinking of some people we've seen this year we could talk about with conviction but decided it would be far more interesting to get some respected comedians from the circuit to tell us who their favourite act was from 2008.
This year Tim Minchin really annoyed me. He wrote a nine minute epic poem which managed to pithily attack everything I had taken a 90 minute show to attack the year before, and he was more stylish and rhythmic than me in his debunking. It was the best show I have seen this year in a very good year where the geeks and the nerds seemed to be happily on the rise and ready to take over the world just as soon as they could stop being wooed by 3 for 2 offers in their local bookshops. Jo Neary, Josie Long, Chris Addison and many more have also all been funny and clever and good and wise.
Brian Gittins
Character comedian and resident at Knock2Bag
My favourite comedian of the year would be Angelos Eppethemiu because Angelos asked me to vote for him and my wife knows his Mum, Sue, so I feel a bit under pressure. I mean, if I'm being honest, which I will be, the bloke's got no chance on the circuit, his timing is appalling, his right hand is way too big and you can see the outline of his penis when he's up onstage, but, yunno, he works for me at the cafe and he has got a heart of gold underneath it all, so, I guess, yeh, It's Angelos Eppethemiu (middle name: Neil).
Trevor Lock
Hosts Trevor Lock's Philosophy Society, stand-up comedian
One of my favourite acts of 2008 is Russell Kane. A one man comedy of manners, his fast paced, neurotic routines, littered with linguistic ingenuity and funny faces are as hilarious to watch as they are to listen to. Reared on a council estate he then excelled at an elite University and, like a man on water skis towed by different boats, his uneasy straddling of these different worlds fuels his comedy with an array of original observations on class, sex, personal identity that are surprisingly heartfelt and moving.
Peter Buckley-Hill
Founder of The Free Fringe, stand-up comedian
Ah, the annual poison chalice, where I get to nominate my favourite comedian of the year and thus make one friend and 2,763 enemies. Should I stick my neck out when the Perrier panel disgracefully wouldn't? (Panel award to all performers, forsooth) Ever since, we've been looking to see who's so gauche as to claim the award in their publicity. As for my own favourite, all Free Fringers are equal in my eyes, so I can't nominate any of them, not even Robin Ince. So, my gong goes to Sean Lock, who's headlining a benefit for the Free Fringe on January 13th.
Luke Toulson
Winner of Hackney Empire New Act of The Year 2007, stand-up comedian
Daniel Kitson is still playing a different sport to everyone else. His performances at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre continue to be my highlight of the comedy year. Of the rest, Rhod Gilbert stands out, just getting better and better. I recently saw him hosting an awards ceremony, and decided he should have won them all. And of the emerging acts, my belief that all exciting new acts are female, headed by the awesomely talented Pippa Evans, and the continued brilliance of Holly Walsh. My favourite sketch group was Will & Greg, whose show at this year's Edinburgh Festival was the funniest thing I saw.
Rosie Wilby
Musician, compere and stand-up comedian
At Edinburgh this year, Sarah Millican's show was one of my favourites as it was one of the few that really sustained its length and kept you laughing all the way through. You can tell she's really honed her craft grafting away on the circuit. That innocent appearance allows her to get away with some wickedly dark material. She's also a nice personwho always has good feedback when you gig with her. I also enjoyed Ruth Bratt's wonderful cast of characters in And On Your Left… Ruth Bratt.
And I must doff my (swimming) cap to Liz Bentley for daring to do something really different and perform her show in a swimming pool. I'm slightly biased there as I was one of the many guests who came and performed in our swimming costumes. The highlight was John Hegley falling in, with all his best clothes on. It looked like a total accident but we think he planned it… hilarious either way…
Alexis Dubus
Winner Three Weeks Editors' Award 2008, character comedian, stand-up host of Falling Down With Laughter
It's not very original I know, but my favourite comic of this year, and really the last few years, has to be Daniel Kitson. If you include his Regents Park Open Air Theatre spectacular as 2 shows, which it definitely was, then he's responsible for 3 of the best shows I've seen all year, the final one being 66a Church Road at the Edinburgh Festival. This was the most mature show he's produced yet - all the more impressive coming from such a staunchly childish man. A show with the power to create giant ripples of laughter in an audience and then reduce members of that audience to tears without ever resorting to Hollywood schmaltziness or false heartstring-tugging is something every comic should be aiming towards. It's no wonder he's spoken about with such reverential tones around the comedy circuit.
Tom Webb
Hosts Comedy at the Cat, sketch and stand-up comedian
It isn't and shouldn't be possible to have a favourite comedian, and I don't. But I would burn bridges, skip work, duck commitments, jump barriers and dump lovers for the opportunity to see;
James Acaster, Pat Burtscher, Pippa Evans, Paul Foot, Neil Henry, Gerry Howell, James Kettle, Daniel Kitson, Tony Law, Stewart Lee, Trevor Lock, Josie Long, Alex Maple, George Ryegold, Ahir Shah, Luke Toulson, David Trent, Daniel Rigby and Josh Widdicombe.
Richard Herring
Stand-up comedian, compere and writer
Daniel Kitson is my favourite comedian of the year - a man of principle and kindness, but also the most awe-inspiring and inventive comedian I have ever seen live. He creates magic out of nothing and combines arrogance and vulnerability in a way that makes him impossible not to love. Sometimes I watch him and want to give up all together, but mainly he inspires me to push further and aim for his impossibly high benchmark. He is also a very nice man.
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