TWONKEY'S BLUE CADABRA NOMINATED FOR A MAJOR AWARD.

TO&ST – the Time Out & Soho Theatre Edinburgh Cabaret Award – was launched last year to celebrate excellence in cabaret at the Fringe and recognise a single outstanding show in the cabaret section of the programme. The prize consists of an extended run at Soho Theatre and feature coverage in Time Out London. Last year’s inaugural winner was the sensational Lady Rizo.

The award returned this year, with the 2012 judges – Time Out London cabaret editor Ben Walters, Soho Theatre comedy and cabaret producer Steve Lock and Glasgow-based cabaret producer Frodo McDaniel – joined by Scotsman reviewers Kate Copstick and Claire Smith. Today the shows nominated for the 2013 award are announced.

The shortlist is as follows:

Ben Hart: The Outsider Eye-boggling dexterity and cheeky charisma from the young illusionist.

Briefs: The Second Coming The Brisbane troupe return with a gloriously perverted circus spectacle.

Die Roten Punkte: Kunst Rock (Art Rock) A strangely lovely show from the head-banging comic sibling rockers.

Lynn Ruth Miller: Granny’s Gone Wild Wonderfully entertaining hour from the Fringe's favourite octogenarian.

Twonkey’s Blue Cadabra The latest dispatch from Paul Vickers’s uniquely bizarro world of wonder.

The nominees will take part in a free showcase to be held at Assembly Checkpoint at 10.40pm (not midnight, as previously advertised) on Wednesday August 21, with the winner announced at the end.

The award goes to the lovely Lynn Ruth Miller,Twonkey is a big fan so theres no hard feelings.I love her kidney dialysis machine routine and her moving song about the ageing process. Here is a picture of Lynn watching Twonkey perform at the 300 capacity B.B.C tent cabaret knees-up.

What a year for Twonkey the best yet. A killer year for Twonkey. Don"t take my word for it take the word of the man behind a cabaret show dreamed-up by Eraserhead with Mad Max on Stage design and Frank Booth on vocals. I am talking about the menacing and brilliant Tomas Ford speaking to threeweeks: Are there any other cabaret shows you particularly rate this year? TF: It’s a great programme this year. I really love what Eccentronic, Dusty Limits, East End Cabaret, Lady Rizo, Ali McGregor, Creative Martyrs, Tricity Vogue and Lili La Scala are doing, and that’s just off the top of my head. My solid favourite so far this year, though, has been ‘Twonkey’s Blue Cadabra’ at Espionage; he’s completely out on his own wave-length, committed to his own brand of caba-crazy. You can see how that might appeal to me!