Chortle Student Comedy Award 2009

Manchester heat

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Sam Gore began stand-up in 2007, and within a year had won the Hull Comedian Of The Year and the Beat The Frog World Series new act competitions. In 2009, he was winner of the Laughing Horse new act of the year 2009, second placed in the English Comedian Of The Year competition and a finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Awards.

Sam Gore at the 2009 Chortle Student Comedy Awards final
Live Review

Accomplished, but still relatively new, Sam Gore thrives on deliciously vitriolic attacks on celebrities, exquisite in their brutal imagery. His soul may be cold, smug and arrogant, but there are finely-written jokes behind the sneering insults aimed at the likes of Jamie Oliver, Sarah Jessica Parker or paedophillic PE teachers. His jokes are as funny as they are cruel – ie very – and his staunch unwillingness to ingratiate himself to the audience is perversely appealing.

He is very similar to Jimmy Carr in fact, aspiring to get a laugh from pure shock, but i assume that as Sam Gore continues writing an original voice will become more apparent. I would advise just not having the same tone as Jimmy often adopts. However, there are some superb lines within the jokes. I liked his routine about a supermarket encounter, which he extends trying to extract as many punchlines as possible, but when he continues to push and push the anecdote further, the punchlines appear desperate. Overall his gallows humour blends an adept writing skill with an unappealing stage persona (which is needed, don't get me wrong!). I'm sure he will continue to do well in new act competitions as the writing outweighs most others, but what is holding him back is an original voice - which i am confident he will find as time progresses.

Jack Powell, January 2009

Zack - no need to justify yourself like that mate, you're a paying punter and are perfectly entitled to voice your opinion. And I'm not going to pick holes in what you've said - you're absolutely right, it isn't good enough to be relying on notes like I was that night, and I wasn't happy with myself for it.rnrnI'm aware the act comes across as horribly arrogant sometimes but it's just that I've found that an air of pomposity helps to sell the darker material. If you found it too much then you more than likely have a point though, and I'll gladly take it on board. I honestly don't think I'm any better than anyone else, regardless of the smug nature of my act, and I'm certainly not above listening to the constructive criticism of someone who's paid to see a show - thanks for what you've said. I'm just sorry you didn't enjoy the act as much as you could have done.

Sam Gore, December 2008

Saw him twice in Darlington , first when he luckily won the best new act and now tonight and he has improved but needs to show a bit more humility, he at times treats his audience like minors, lucky to just be there to witness his often conceited act. The audience doesn't warm too his vitriolic posterings and he comes across as somewhat contemptable, this from a man who is a complete newcomer and needs to hone his stage craft and act considerably. Yes, he has delivery and some killer lines but c'mon Sam get you head out from being up your own backside. If you were as good as you think you are, you wont be writing promptings in pen on your left hand and refering to it every 5 mins - work and rehearse and then maybe you will blossom. BTW I've seen over 100 acts in eight years and I know comedy

zack, November 2008

The review wasn't edited in hindsight after the first show, it was updated after Steve saw me at another gig. I actually find the comparisons quite flattering!

Sam Gore, November 2008

We do update our reviews of comics when we see them again, if we think a rewrite is necessary or useful. We make no apologies for that.

Steve Bennett, Chortle, November 2008

this review has been edited only a couple of weeks after it was first posted... he was compared to jimmy carr, even though he is nothing like jimmy carr, now he is compared to marcus bigstocke... even though he is nothing like marcus brigstocke?! i feel dissappointed that chortle do not take the time to write a decent accurate review... this review is incoherent waffle!

Anon, November 2008