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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The best joke award has gone. Is the Edinburgh fringe taking all the pun out of comedy?
So long, pun of the year. The best joke of the fringe award – the lighthearted, groan-inducing staple of the Edinburgh festival – has been scrapped after 17 years. The award's retirement may not prompt national mourning, but it does bring to an end a curious fringe tradition – one that delivered easy headlines as well as endless debate. Launched in 2008, the award set out to distil the spirit of the festival into a single one-liner. Longlisted by a panel of critics and then voted on by the public, it aimed to showcase the sharpest bite-size humour from that year's fringe. Still, the announcement was never without controversy. In 2023, when Lorna Rose Treen took the title with the joke 'I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah', she was met with a wave of online criticism (the Sun claimed her win had 'killed comedy'). Last year, an article in the Herald deemed the award Edinburgh's 'most heated controversy'. The backlash feels somewhat overblown for an award that was simply a celebration of something meant to make people laugh. Comedy is inherently subjective, and everyone is never going to like exactly the same thing. But we all like a good (or at least eye-roll-worthy) joke. Just look at how much time we dedicate to reading the ones from Christmas crackers; it's not necessarily about their quality, but the shared joy they bring. On this level, the award made sense. Digestible punchlines are entertaining – we can steal them for ourselves, repeat them in our social circles and hopefully elicit some hearty snorts. And at one of the world's biggest comedy festivals, it's hardly surprising that people would want to crown the year's most crowd-pleasing quip. Still, the idea that the art of live comedy can be condensed into a single line is undeniably flawed. How many times have you been told a 'funny story' and found yourself unmoved? The act of relaying humour is a difficult task. For standup in particular, a joke can't be separated from its setting. While the fringe's best joke list tended to be pun-heavy, jokes don't always land in isolation. They live in a comedian's energy, the crowd's mood and the rhythm of the moment. Stripped of this context and presented simply as written words in a list, even the most dynamic line can fall flat. Perhaps that's why the list often felt underwhelming: it ignored the bigger picture. There's no mention of physical comedy, timing or tone, which are crucial ingredients to bringing humour to life onstage. The shows that made me laugh hardest across the festival, as both a critic and, more recently, as a judge on the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, rarely got a look in from the best joke award list. Last year's winner for best newcomer, Joe Kent-Walters, transformed himself into Frankie Monroe, a Rotherham working men's club MC, complete with corpse-like, Sudocrem-white face paint and leering movements. Did his hour consist of neat, packable humour? Absolutely not, but it was genuine, full-body comedy that stayed with me long after the show ended. Similarly, the year before, Julia Masli's show, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, became a word-of-mouth hit. Masli, a clown by training, took on the role of an agony aunt of few words. There was nothing close to a standard joke in her act; instead, it lived on the curiously trusting relationship she built with the audience. There were plenty of confessions and practical solutions, but no linguistic wit. It was all the funnier for it. It is unlikely that anyone reading the best joke award lists from years gone by would have let out a guffaw. But that doesn't take away from the fact that the award was a welcome addition to the general merriment of the fringe – so much so that the unofficial ISH Comedy Awards have announced that they'd be running their own best joke award this year. The punchline can live on. That, at least, should be a cause for celebration. Anya Ryan is a freelance journalist. She was a member of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards judging panel in 2023 and 2024
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Edinburgh Fringe has popular feature SCRAPPED from festival after 18 years
Previous winners said the closure of the awards was 'sad' NO JOKE Edinburgh Fringe has popular feature SCRAPPED from festival after 18 years THE 'Funniest joke of the Fringe' award has been scrapped from this year's Edinburgh Festival - after 18 years of pun-heavy gags. U&Dave's annual award has been scrapped - with the TV station behind the gong saying it is "resting". Advertisement 3 Comedian Lorna Rose Treen became the first woman to pick up the award since 2008 Credit: PA 3 Tim Vine also previously won the award Credit: PA:Press Association UKTV, which has run the contest every year since 2008, except during the pandemic, said it was "incredibly proud" of the legacy of the award "and the laughter it has inspired". Previous winners have included Tim Vine, Olaf Falafal and Zoe Lyons. And Lorna Rose Treen became the first woman to pick up the award since 2008. Last year's winner was comedian Mark Simmons. Advertisement He scooped the award with the joke: "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship but I bottled it." UKTV added: "As our commissioning focus evolves, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible. While we're resting the award this year, we'll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways UKTV "While we're resting the award this year, we remain committed to championing great comedy across U&Dave and beyond. "And we'll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways." Advertisement Comedian Olaf Falafel, who has won the award seven times, said the closure of the awards was "sad", referencing one of his winning jokes. He said: "From a personal point of view, it's sad that an avenue for championing joke writing has closed. Edinburgh Fringe tourist wins year worth of free beer "But as my dad used to say to me: 'Pints, gallons, litres,' which I think speaks volumes." In 2015, it was claimed the winning joke by Darren Walsh was "stolen" from another comedian. Advertisement The U&Dave award is separate to the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, which have run since 1981.
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Dave's Joke of the Fringe has officially been cancelled
Although not nearly as prestigious as the two 'main' comedy awards at the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe – that's best show and best newcomer – Dave's Joke of the Fringe is the one that's tended to grab the most column inches over the years: it's voted for by the public, who actually get to see the jokes written down before voting on them, and there's much more reportage on it because it's easier to report on a one-line joke than an hourlong light concept comedy show. The award has proven somewhat controversial over the years: the only jokes that really work in the format are often quite old fashioned puns and one liners, and it's rare that the winner has much bearing on the prevailing comedy zeitgeist. And the fact the winners can be quite naff is often used as a stick to beat the festival as a whole: Lorna Rose Treen's 2023 show Skin Pigeon (pictured) was an unusually hip winner but the gag that took the prize wasn't very representative, didn't really translate to being written down and caused a mini tabloid scandal. Still, it's good exposure for both comedians and festival and if it's imperfect it is basically a good laugh. So it's a shame that Joke of the Fringe is not happening this year. According to UKTV, which owns comedy Freeview channel Dave (technically now U&Dave), the award is officially just 'resting' this year and could come back, though in practise it seems unclear why they'd randomly can it this year and not next. Presumably the reason is purely financial: for a few years Dave sponsored the main awards too, but scaled back to the high profile Joke of the Fringe only. Production company Need to Know Comedy has announced it's reviving its (Some Guy Called) Dave Award, which was initially a pandemic-era substitute for Joke of the Fringe: comics are invited to self-submit up to five gags from their show via email for consideration for the £250 prize. If you want to enter, drop needtoknowcomedy@ a message before August 11.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Edinburgh funniest fringe joke award scrapped for 2025
It's beyond a joke for pun-lovers. The traditional list of the funniest gags at the Edinburgh fringe, presented by the TV channel U&Dave, has been scrapped for 2025. A statement from UKTV, which owns the channel formerly known as Dave, said: 'U&Dave's Joke of the Fringe was originally created to celebrate and spotlight grassroots comedy talent. As our commissioning focus evolves, we're taking the opportunity to reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible.' The award was launched in 2008 and has been held every year since apart from during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Mark Simmons won for his nautical one-liner 'I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship but I bottled it'. The shortlist of jokes was chosen by a panel of UK comedy critics and comedians, then submitted anonymously to 2,000 members of the public who were asked to pick their favourites. Upon winning last year's prize, Simmons said: 'I needed some good news as I was just fired from my job marking exam papers, can't understand it, I always gave 110%.' Previous victors include Masai Graham (three times), Tim Vine (twice) and Olaf Falafel (a regular on the shortlist). Lorna Rose Treen, the second woman to win the award, triumphed in 2023 for the joke 'I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.' Treen later said that when she later performed the joke in her show, an audience member 'shouted along … It was like I was a band!' The annual pun-heavy list of jokes brings gripes as well as groans, for not capturing the full spectrum of comedy on offer at the Edinburgh fringe. 'It's a welcome addition to the fun of the festival,' wrote the Guardian's comedy critic Brian Logan in 2012. 'But by suggesting that the immeasurable range of Edinburgh comedy can be captured by these few words on a printed page, it sells the wild world of comedy short.' The festival's most prestigious prize is the Edinburgh comedy award (formerly known as the Perrier), now in its 43rd year. Last summer it was won by Amy Gledhill. UKTV's statement on the cancellation of the joke of the fringe continued: 'While we're resting the award this year, we remain committed to championing great comedy across U&Dave and beyond, and we'll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways.' Within hours of the announcement, the production company Need to Know Comedy announced that it was reviving its (Some Guy Called) Dave award, previously held during the pandemic. It called for fringe acts to email five one-liners from their show, with the winner receiving £250. The Edinburgh fringe officially begins on 1 August, with some comedians starting previews later this month.
Scotsman
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People
Award-winning character comedian Lorna Rose Treen is back at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August with her hotly tipped second hour, 24 Hour Diner People – a nonsense-soaked, joy-fuelled, character comedy love letter to the gloriously ridiculous. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Following the sell-out success of her debut Skin Pigeon, which earned her Chortle's Best Newcomer Award and saw The Guardian hail her as "a major new voice in character comedy," Lorna returns with an even more ambitious and imaginative show, set in a liminal American diner where logic is left at the door and absurdity rules the menu. A second love letter to the ridiculous ('I'm so in love I can't stop writing letters,' she says), 24 Hour Diner People offers up a full-fat collection of eccentric, escapist, and delightfully silly characters – all served with a side of proper jokes. Expect to meet a waitress who dreams of flying, a trucker with unusually long arms, a woman who's kept her umbilical cord, a 1960s spy on a caffeine high, and a teenager giddy from her first kiss – all somehow coexisting in a strange, time-warped roadside diner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I wanted to build the nonsense into a world,' says Treen. 'The diner is a place out of time – a fantasy Americana seen through the eyes of a Midlands-bred woman raised on Mean Girls and telly, not travel. It's the perfect stage for messing about with identity, nostalgia, and reality, especially in an age where everything feels online, uncanny and just a little too curated.' Lorna Rose Treen The show is directed by long-time collaborator Jonathan Oldfield (BBC New Comedian Finalist 2024, Frankie Monroe, Lucy Pearman), and features a set designed by Jimmy Slim – whose surreal visual work previously brought life to Skin Pigeon and has worked with Jazz Emu, Sam Campbell, and Channel 4's Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Treen's passion for creating 'weird women' is front and centre, continuing her mission to give under-heard female tropes their comic due. Every character she plays is a woman – sometimes subversive, sometimes chaotic, always funny. 'I like taking a woman who might traditionally be voiceless in a story – 'the wife', for example – and giving her a stupid voice, and a ridiculous monologue, and letting her be the funniest thing on stage.' Alongside the show, Treen has been working on series two of her acclaimed parody radio programme Time of the Week for BBC Radio 4 – co-created with Jonathan Oldfield and starring Sian Clifford (Fleabag) – which recently won British Comedy Guide's Best Radio Sketch Show 2024 and has been nominated for the ARIA's Best Comedy Award 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lorna Rose Treen is an award-winning comedian, actor, improviser and writer from Redditch, West Midlands, now based in London. Her 2023 debut character comedy show Skin Pigeon sold out in a week, received 8+ five-star reviews, two sell-out transfers to Soho Theatre, a second sell-out Fringe run in 2024, and won Dave's Best Joke of the Fringe. It was named one of The Telegraph's Top 5 Comedy Shows of 2023. She has a thriving online following with over 165,000 Instagram followers and 141,000 TikTok followers, where her viral parody street interviews and sketch content regularly reach millions. She is co-creator and star of the surreal parody woman's radio show Time of the Week (BBC R4), recently awarded Best Radio Sketch Show 2024 by British Comedy Guide. Her voice can also be heard in The Sound of Us (Jazz Emu, BBC R4), Nora Meadows' Week of Wellness (Katy Wix, BBC R4), and on-screen appearances include Goblin Solutions (Channel 4), The Emily Atack Show (ITV), and BBC Three's New Comedy Awards. Lorna is also a founding member of the hit improvised true crime mockumentary show Criminally Untrue.
