Fife comedian Richard Gadd has won the main prize at this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
The 26-year-old from Wormit is the first Scot in more than two decades to take the prestigious Best Show prize for the excellent ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’, which has packed out the small Banshee Labyrinth venue in the capital in recent weeks.
Previously known as the Perrier Awards, the accolade is considered one of the highest honours a comedian can receive, with previous winners Al Murray, Russell Kane, David O’Doherty and Tim Key among those going on to become household names.
‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ sees Gadd, who will now receive £10,000 for his triumph, spend most of his time running on a treadmill, with the show described as a “deeply intense and personal exploration of masculinity and anxiety”.
It has received rave reviews throughout the Edinburgh Festival.
“My show is about a very real monkey I’ve had on my back for years,” Gadd said previously.
“The whole idea with the treadmill is that I’m running away from that monkey. You find out why it’s chasing me and it all links to a traumatic experience in my life.
“I like to think of myself as someone who bushes the boundaries of what comedy can be.
“The show mixes all kinds of different forms, including theatre and performance art, but fundamentally it’s just comedy.
“I like to think there are laughs from start to finish, but there are moments of seriousness in amongst them.”
Fellow Scot, Scott Gibson, from Glasgow, was named Best Newcomer for his show ‘Life After Death’, while Iraq Out Loud, which saw the Chilcot Report read out in full, was selected as the winner of the Panel Prize.
Nica Burns, director of the lastminute.com Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said: “A record-breaking year for Scotland with a double Scottish win.
“Richard Gadd’s highly original, extraordinary show combines hilarity and heart and Scott Gibson is a brilliant stand-up who can make a near-death experience funny.”
