| "I arrived expecting a bear pit where the card holders would be cruel and ruthless..." | | Carys Kaiser |
The format is simple, a number of amateur comedians have to stay on stage for five minutes. But the twist is that a member of the audience, selected by the MC, holds the fate of the comic in his or her hands. When they have had enough they hold up a giant card and the comic has croaked it! But don't let the word amateur fool you into thinking that the standard of the acts is low grade. This is where you get to see talent, real talent and the future stars of the comedy circuit. I arrived expecting a bear pit where the card holders would be cruel and ruthless and that we would not get to see the acts perform for more than 20 seconds. Far from it.
 | | MC Toby Hadoke |
Once the crowd had been warmed up by comic and MC Toby Hadoke, a slick operator with an original, unique style who was wonderfully supportive to the acts, it was time for the tadpoles. Seven out of the eight comedians managed to beat the frog and so went through to the clap-off where the audience could show their appreciation. And boy did they! Eventually it was declared a dead heat between Vince Atta and Dave Longley. So as the nights draw in there is so much to look forward to on Monday nights. In this life they say you get nothing for free - at Beat the frog that is not the case. You get a night of brilliant entertainment. During September the Frog and Bucket is holding their Beat the Frog World Series 2004 with the final taking place on 25th October. Forty gladiators slog it out against the cards of certain death to win a coveted place in the World Series Final.
The whole competition is judged solely by the audience. In the heats the acts go against the cards, in the final it’s an audience vote. Also coming up at the Frog and Bucket on the 1st November is Beat the Frog – The Frog’s Bollox. A Beat the Frog special with 7 previous winners of Beat the Frog battling it out to be crowned The Frog’s Bollox. The difference is, this time they have to make 10 minutes and not 5! Watch the best take on the ultimate challenge! | 
