A collaboration between the festival and The Glee Club Birmingham, the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award 2025 officially opens the long-running arts festival on Friday 3 October 2025.

The much-valued award was set up in 2014 to recognise, elevate and support rising comedy talent specially from the West Midlands region, with this year’s line-up featuring Bab, Abbie Edwards, Abbie Hale, Harry Jenkins and Ryan S Lewis.

Originally from Dudley, Amy Spinks and Lauren Soley met while studying performing arts at Thomas Telford Sixth Form, in Telford. Known collectively as Bab, they’ve since relocated to North London where they both work in scripted television. “Mainly, refilling the biscuits, pens and fighting with the printer on behalf of others,” confesses Amy.

On their sketch-based comedy, Lauren states: “We are regional, chaotic, relatable, we hold a smashed mirror up to society. This is a tonic for us, we’ve been mates since we were at school and just love having a laugh together and with audiences.”

From Solihull (by way of Yardley), Abbie Edwards got a taste for performing after appearing at a University of Southampton Freshers Event in 2017. Now living in North West London, where she works in education, Abbie cites Rose Matafeo, Sharon Wanjohi, James Acaster and Stewart Lee as some of her comedy inspirations.

Describing her approach to stand-up as “self-deprecating,” she adds: “I overshare a lot. I’ve been told I have quite a manic persona, but I mostly feel like I’m being myself on stage. Take from that what you will.”

Hailing from Bilston, though now living in Erdington, Abbie Hale studied drama at De Montfort University, Leicester, where she performed a stand-up set as part of her dissertation. She enjoyed it so much, she signed on for a comedy course (led by comedian James Cook), making her public debut at Loki Wine Bar, Birmingham, in late 2019, for Useful Idiot.

“My comedy style is character-based and I love creating characters that are some of the worst people to spend time around,” says Abbie, who name-checks “Vic and Bob, Julia Davis, Caroline Aherne, Victoria Wood and the League Of Gentlemen” as comedy favourites.

A “born and bred Brummie,” Harry Jenkins resides in Selly Park. He made his stand-up debut in December 2022 appearing alongside established comic Andrew Bird, and since January 2025 has been pursuing comedy full-time – as both a promoter and comedian.

“I just try and come across likeable and affable on stage and just talk about anything I think might be funny, and more than anything just enjoy being up there,” he says of his approach to stand-up which has been shaped by his admiration for such acts as Billy Connolly, Frank Skinner, Russell Howard, Rob Rouse and Brum powerhouse Lindsey Santoro (pictured).

Ryan S Lewis was born in “sunny Smethwick,” and still lives in Sandwell. A civil servant by day, the former drama student made his comedy debut at Cradley Heath’s famed Holly Bush in May 2022.

With a fondness for “over-enthusiastic storytelling”, his comedy has been influenced by a decade-spanning range of names. “I’ve got a very eclectic taste when it comes to comedy. I love everything from Morecambe and Wise and Les Dawson to Eddie Murphy and Dave Chapelle; [but] I would say my idols are Peter Kay, Eddie Murphy and Bernie Mac.”

A spokesperson for Birmingham Comedy Festival said: “Selecting just five acts from such a rich pool of West Mids comedy talent is never easy. The standard remains incredibly high. Yet these five performers all stand out. It’s going to be an electric night.”

Boasting over 90 performances, the city-wide festival runs from Friday 3rd to Sunday 12th October and sees appearances from such established names as Inside No.9, Babatunde Aléshé, Henning Wehn, Aunty Donna, Joe Lycett and Gary Delaney.