Quote: evan rubivellian @ July 3 2011, 3:10 PM BST

Excellent idea! My full-length script is finished, and I imagine the other writers have full-length versions completed too so we could email them whenever she's ready.

And good news that she's interested in the sitcom trials format itself! Seems like a very productive competition all in all.

bushbaby: Did you manage to attend the final in the end?

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Unfortunately, no. It finished too late for me, I am afraid to be in the city on my own at night. It's quite a walk back to the trains and by the time I get here, the last bus has gone! I wish, like the sitcom mission, it would have started at 5pm

Quote: Frantically @ July 3 2011, 11:20 AM BST

Just a suggestion, but do you think it'd possible to see if Gill would be prepared to read full-length (30 min) versions of these scripts?

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I can only ask. In the meantime, as promised, the cast for the Manchester Sitcom Trials July 2 2011:

Colin Connor (Emmerdale, The Royal, Hollyoaks, Coronation Street)

Lee Fenwick (one half of DieClattershenkenfietermaus )

Michelle Ashton
Sophia Hatfield
Shaunagh Keys
(for all of whom I wish I had big TV CVs to list, though they do have very impressive stage work between them)

& Dave McCready (Preston Front, Up & Under, Bugs)

I've started editing the video clips but you won't see anything online till at least tomorrow night. Looking good.

Kev F

Quote: Kev F @ July 3 2011, 11:31 PM BST

I can only ask...
Kev F

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Absolutely Kev. Just thought if you were speaking to her and she'd attended and watched the performances anyway then it might be an opportunity.

The cast looks great - can't wait to see the clips!

Quote: Frantically @ July 4 2011, 8:31 AM BST

The cast looks great - can't wait to see the clips!

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Wait no longer, here they are:

Click to see video from The Manchester Sitcom Trials, Sat July 2nd, inc excerpts from all 5 entries.

Some great lines and some great acting - one of the women was particularly good. But I am mainly loving the poster.

I had a brilliant time at the Manchester Sitcom Trials, and I'm still in shock that "Checkpoint Dave" won.

Very nice to meet Kev F, and Philip Hepple, and to chat with the superb cast.

My thanks to Kev, and to everyone else involved in producing a great night.

Quote: Mr Ashdown @ July 5 2011, 1:13 PM BST

I had a brilliant time at the Manchester Sitcom Trials, and I'm still in shock that "Checkpoint Dave" won.

Very nice to meet Kev F, and Philip Hepple, and to chat with the superb cast.

My thanks to Kev, and to everyone else involved in producing a great night.

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Fantastic result, very well done...

Nice vid, Kev--the level of the actors is excellent. I think my "pretty sure" rant might have given one of them a hernia though! Poor guy.

Watching people read out my lines is strange. It's like that feeling you get when you hear a recording of your voice for the first time.

But the difference between reading a script and hearing it performed is quite astounding. Is there any chance of getting more footage?

There's a link to an interview with Lee Fenwick (one of the cast members) on the home page today. I'll save you the journey by posting it here:-

http://thehumourdor.co.uk/post/7259780243/an-interview-with-mick-sergeant

Quote: evan rubivellian @ July 5 2011, 4:40 PM BST

But the difference between reading a script and hearing it performed is quite astounding. Is there any chance of getting more footage?

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I knew someone was bound to ask that, and the answer is it's not impossible but don't hold your breath. Editing up that 5 minute montage took me until Monday night, as you saw, and the whole lot wouldn't merit uploading to YouTube, even if I had the time. But I do have it on a DV tape and I could, I suppose, dump that onto a DVD. But, sigh, you really will have to wait for me to have a long empty hour-and-a-bit to do that in. And, when you see the tape, I promise you'll say "oh, I guess you had to be there".

I'd say treasure the clips you've got there, they really do give you the flavour of the event, without disallusioning anyone too much.

Kev F

Understood, sir. Taking my illusions out back and shooting them.

Excellent performances there Kev. Looks like the actors and actresses did a fantastic job. Any lines that fell flat were clearly down to the scripts...

...Could you get slightly less good performers next time?

Disappointed that I couldn't complete my voting last week or that I couldn't make The Lass at the weekend (I was due to be visiting Sunday for um, time travel reasons) but delighted that Checkpoint Dave won.

Why?

Well firstly, I voted it my favourite.
Secondly, it proves that despite writing tosh like Highway to Hell I still have a modicum of good taste remaining

Well done!

We'd like to congratulate Vince Stadon for winning The Sitcom Trials Manchester 2011.

Vince attended our Help! I've Written a Script workshop earlier this year, and gave us this feedback:

"I now have a richer understanding of character, and character dynamics. The workshop taught me that sitcoms aren't really about funny lines being bandied about willy nilly, they're all about the relationships between the characters. And the richer and the more detailed and interesting the characters, the better the comedy. In all these areas I hope to improve, and it's thanks to the workshop that I now have this understanding."

As a special offer to you lucky people, we're offering two free tickets to the 5pm Sitcom Mission show this Monday 11 July for anyone who signs up for our script reading service. Details are here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/workshops/4/

Cheers, Declan and Simon

congratulation checkpoint dave a worthy winner