Stand-up Hannah Weetman has won the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award 2022.

The final took place in front of a sell-out crowd at Birmingham's Glee Club on Friday night (7th October), where she was presented with her prize by local comedian, actress and writer Jo Enright.

Hailing from the Castle Bromwich area of the city, Weetman - who has a day job as a call-centre operative - made her stand-up debut at The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham, in 2019, at the conclusion of a comedy course run by Breaking Talent compère, James Cook.

"It was the day before my 21st birthday and I wasn't going to do it," she recalled of the course. "I did it on the sly - I didn't tell any of my family or friends, and just kept disappearing. My mum would say, 'Where are you going?' I'd say 'Nowhere!' and disappear."
Although her first appearance went well, her second - at a Project Mayhem night, at The Church, in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter - was tougher.

"It was not great. It was a big shock to the system. Once I'd done two gigs, I didn't know whether to sack it off or give it a go, but started booking gig, after gig, after gig, and just kept doing it."

She says of her win: "It means everything to me. I never do competitions - the best I've done in the past is come third in an egg and spoon race! I'm so non-competitive. But with this [competition], you don't choose, you're nominated; I thought just being nominated was just the best thing ever."

With a set that explored life as a 20-something in a relationship, with anecdotes on second-hand bedding and tattoos, the judges - who included Jo Enright, Rhys Foley from NextUp Comedy, BBC West Midlands' Richard Wilford, and representatives from The Glee Club and the comedy festival - were impressed by Hannah's eye for detail, connection to the material, and 'truth'.

The comic faced competition from four other West Midlands-based comics: Richard Dadd, Jules O'Brian, Lovell Smith, and Tal Davies. The nominated acts were selected by a panel of comedy professionals based on their performances over the last 12 months.

Dadd appeared in character as The Devil, complete with pointed tail and horns, and pondered the source of evil, while O'Brian considered what she'd do for £1,000 (or a packet of Quavers), Smith cringed at the responsibilities of being a godfather, and Davies recounted the strangeness of a Covid-era smear-test.

A spokesperson for the festival said: "The judging is always a supremely difficult task, and our panel were very impressed by the standard of all the acts. But Hannah's timing, little observations, energy and confidence with the crowd made her shine out. We can't wait to see how she progresses."

A collaboration between the award-winning arts festival and The Glee Club, the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award was set up in 2014 to recognise and support emerging comedic talent from the city and wider West Midlands. Previous winners have included Josh Pugh, Celya AB and Andrew McBurney.