New Act of the Year 2013 open for entries

Entrants are now being sought for The New Act of The Year 2013 competition. Auditions will be held in London in November and December, with the final showcase to be held at the Bloomsbury Theatre on 27th January 2013 with Arthur Smith as MC.

The NATY's aim to present the best of emerging talent in the world of British comedy. Established in 1983 as 'The Hackney Empire New Act of the Year' (but since renamed due to a venue change), the competition is known for involving future stars.

Previous finalists have included Linda Smith, Harry Hill, Stewart Lee, Ardal O'Hanlon, Ronnie Ancona, Catherine Tate, Andi Osho, Jack Whitehall, Gina Yashere, Lee Mack, Simon Day, Simon Pegg, Omid Djalili, Andrew Maxwell, Alistair McGowan, Alan Davies, Ed Byrne and Russell Brand. Quite a list, we're sure you'll agree. The 2012 final - held at the start of the year - continued the high standard set in recent years, with up-and-coming star Pat Cahill (pictured) emerging as the winner.

The auditions will be held in front of a live audience at the Rich Mix Studios in Bethnal Green on the following dates:

Tuesday 13th November
Monday 19th November
Tuesday 27th November
Monday 3rd December
Tuesday 11th December

To take part you must meet the definition of a 'New Act', in that you should be seeking to become established on the live comedy circuit but not yet be a full time paid professional. You must also meet the following criteria:

- You must have been performing comedy for a minimum of a year.

- You should have a tight 5 minute routine and to be capable of playing a longer set on a New Variety Lives bill too.

- You must have recommendations/references from at least two professional comedy managements (agent, promoter, venue etc).

- You must not be a previous NATY finalist.

For further information and/or to register for auditions, you should email Tony Goodrick at newactoftheyear@gmail.com. If you are applying to take part (rather than just asking a question) put 'NATY APPLICATION' in the subject line of your email, include your contact details and don't forget to name your two references.