Rochdale comedian Kathryn Mather has won the Beat the Frog World Series 2017. She receives a £250 cash prize, a trophy and a paid weekend spot at Manchester's Frog & Bucket club.
Russian Konstantin Kisin was awarded the Panel Prize and Adam Hughes was runner-up.
Each autumn The World Series pits all the winners of the Frog & Bucket Club's newcomer night Beat the Frog over the last year against each other to find the victor of victors.
Since it opened in 1994 as the first comedy club entirely devoted to alternative comedy in Manchester, the Frog has always strived to support new comedy talent. In its early days it gave Peter Kay his first compere jobs, Johnny Vegas cut his comedy teeth on the stage here and of course the Monday Raw night was where John Bishop performed his first ever gig. Both Sarah Millican and Jack Whitehall passed through the Raw night too and in its early days Caroline Aherne and then husband Peter Hook both attended the night as punters to catch the latest talent.
In 2003 Monday's amateur night introduced an element of competition and was transformed into Beat the Frog, where acts battle to complete their full five minute set before they are 'croaked' off the stage by audience members brandishing green cards. The overall winner of all the acts who had 'beat the frog' is decided by a 'clap off' at the end of the night.
The World Series began in 2004 as a rounding off of the comedy year and a celebration of all those who had 'beat the frog'. Since then there have been many notable winners who have gone on to great things. 2010 winner Brennan Reece was nominated for best newcomer Edinburgh Comedy Award last year at the Fringe, Sam Gore won in 2008 and has since gigged all over the country as well as creating the successful I See You blog series, and a multiple award winner and World Series victor in 2015 - Rob Mulholland - performed his debut solo show at the Fringe this year.
The ten finalists this year were -
Michael Carter - hailing from Liverpool, stand up was always something he wanted to try but it was only when he joined a comedy course with a friend and he couldn't back out that he finally gave it a go.
Tayo Cousins - won the panel prize in 2015 and now returns to seize the main prize. Tells polished tales of his Nigerian father and his first gig was in New York.
Carrie Anne the RedNeck Comedian - Norwich’s Carrie Anne Guthrie came to stand up after a stress induced heart attack led her to seize the day.
Dougie - a willfully bizarre character act created by James Harkness. Has a trademark haphazard approach to light entertainment.
Adam Hughes - weaving tales from the gutter and combining them with improvised humour Hughes was a finalist in the Southport comedian of the year.
Konstantin Kisin - a Russian translator from Tunbridge Wells, he was inspired by seeing a marathon amount of comedy at a festival and at his first gig shared the stage with a stripper’s pole.
Tom Lawrinson - Manchester's own and a civil servant, Lawrinson lists his favourite pastimes as Greek mythology, footy and gossip. One half of Pottervision.
Kathryn Mather - a former children's entertainer originally from Rochdale, now a mature student living in London and has been performing for two years.
Kiran Morjaria - a doctor currently living and working in Stockport, he got the performing bug at Uni in Leeds eventually moving into stand up.
