Steve Bennett takes his best guess at who'll make the shortlist...
About this time in the festival, the bars are abuzz with talk of the Perrier, with the same few names emerging as the favourites.
But this year, silence. Well, almost. Comedy's most sought-after prize is as wide open as it has been for years, with no clear frontrunners even two weeks into the Fringe.
Last year's nominees are always a good place to start looking, but for my money neither Reginald D Hunter nor Howard Read have bettered last year's efforts, so are unlikely to get the nod again. New Zealand guitar duo Flight Of The Conchords are on equally strong form, and have to be in with a shot again. The time might also have passed for Adam Hills, after being nominated three times on the trot.
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Flight of the Conchords
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Last year's Perrier newcomer Gary Le Strange has failed to make much of an impact on this year's Fringe, as has nominee 2003 Michael McIntrye. Miles Jupp has been attracting talk but for the wrong reasons: his sketch show has been critically slated. Of last year's newcomer shortlist, only Alex Horne seems like he's in with a shot with an inventive, ambitious and quirky show based on body language.
More likely are some of the old hands returning to the Fringe: Chris Addison, particularly. Adam Bloom and Glenn Wool have also been mentioned in dispatches.
Andrew Maxwell is doing some of his best work at the Pod Deco though he hasn't been making many waves, and in the same venue Will Smith has a pacy, funny and well put-together show that must be in with a chance.
Brendon Burns generally isn't Perrier-friendly, he's brought some great shows here before without a sniff of the top prize, but this year's show is the best yet, so hopefully he can break his duck.
For less obvious shots: Glaswegian Janey Godley, who really should have been nominated last year, character comic Ben Willbond and Jeremy Lion the spoof children's entertainer is one of the more stupidly funny shows around, if not exactly sophisticated.
Second-guessing the opinions of a panel of strangers is hard, but if I had to guess the top six (though sometimes there are only five nominees), it would be: Chris Addison, Brendon Burns, Flight Of The Conchords, Janey Godley, Andrew Maxwell and Will Smith.
Check back next Wednesday, when the shortlist is announced, to see just how desperately wrong I am.
