Geordie actor and Auf Wiedersehen Pet star Tim Healy is urging comedy writers to get involved with Sketch for Sammy 2016, which begins with a public talk on Sunday, April 3.
Sunday for Sammy, the North East-based charity that helps people get a foot up on the entertainment ladder is looking for anyone who wants to write a three-minute comedy skit.
Tim, who is a trustee of Sunday for Sammy, explained: “We launched Sketch for Sammy last year and got a tremendous response from dozens of people in the region. The winning sketch was performed at the recent sold-out Sunday for Sammy concerts at Newcastle City Hall.”
Tim continued: “The first step for any aspiring writer is to come along to a talk about sketch writing at The Stand, Newcastle, on Sunday, April 3, at 11am. The event is open to everyone aged over 16.”
The theme for the sketch will be set at the event and participants will have until Friday, May 29, to get their entries in. Professional actors from the Laffalang Gang at The Stand, Newcastle, will perform the best six on Sunday, August 7, at 1pm.
Tim added: “Sketch for Sammy is a fantastic opportunity for anyone wanting to take a step on the comedy writing ladder.”
The Sketch for Sammy 2015 winner was Kevin Wilkinson, from Morpeth. His sketch was set in a cafe that sold hundreds of kinds of coffee and was performed by newsreaders Pam Royle and Ian Payne with Emmerdale’s Laura Norton. After the sketch, Kevin was brought onto the stage to have the Sketch for Sammy 2015 Philip Richardson Comedy Award presented by Sunday for Sammy Trustee Tim Healy assisted by Jeff Brown and Sharon Barbour.
Kevin, a business manager, said: “The whole experience was fantastic, from the initial get together, working on my idea and seeing it performed by the Laffalang Gang at the Stand was just amazing. To have it performed at the City Hall was a dream come true.
“To have 2,500 people watching my sketch and then being applauded by them as I collected the award on stage was fantastic. It has spurred me on to writing and I look forward to more writing opportunities.”