How to use this document

This is the operating bible for Fingals Got Talent. It sets out how the competition is run: what happens, when, and who is responsible. Every member of the production team works from this document.

What it is not

This is not a sales document or a pitch. It is an internal reference. It assumes you are part of the team and need to know how the show operates across all three nights.

Version control

The Head of Production maintains this document. When a decision is made or a process changes, the relevant section is updated and the version number raised. Always work from the current version. Propose changes to the Head of Production.

Status

Version 2.0, July 2026. Rebranded from Balbriggans Got Talent, heats now run across two nights, Final date to be confirmed. Items still open are listed in Section 15, Outstanding Decisions, with an owner and a deadline against each.

The shape of the competition

Heat Night One: 10 acts, 90 seconds to 2 minutes each. Three judges hold up a paddle, yes or no, right after every act -no scores to add up, no tally. Five acts through by the time act 10 finishes. Heat Night Two: 10 acts, same format. A further five acts through by the end of the night. Ten finalists confirmed once both heat nights are complete. The Final: 10 acts, up to 3 minutes each. Judges comment but do not decide. The winner is 50/50 audience (room plus stream combined) and judges' vote.

The non-negotiables

• Heat acts get 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Finalists get up to 3 minutes. No exceptions.
• Judge comments capped at 90 seconds per act on heat nights.
• Judges' paddles are yes/no, live, right after each act - no numeric scoring.
• Five acts go through each heat night. Ten finalists carry to the Final, whenever it lands.
• Once doors open, the running order is locked.
• Any entrant under 18 without confirmed stream consent does not appear on the stream. Act Wrangler flags to vision mixer before the act goes on.
• The judges' decision on the night is final.

Categories

Music (singing, instrumental, band or group), dance, comedy and spoken word, magic, circus and variety, drama and theatre, other. No two consecutive acts in the same category where the draw allows.

Judges & MC

Three judges: one credible music or performance professional, one local character the whole town knows, one from the headline sponsor or community end. No fees; dinner, drinks covered.

Entry rules

• No cap, no entry fee.
• Acts are assigned to a heat night on selection. No swapping without Head of Production approval.
• Under-18 entrants: parent or guardian submits the form. Guardian contact must differ from the entrant's.
• Two separate consents: competition entry and data, and stream and recording for the Final.
• Entry videos and personal details deleted within 30 days of the Final.

Head of Production

Overall show, budget, sponsors, judges, running order, final call on everything.

Front of House Manager

Box office, ushers, raffle, seat cards, house open and out. Holds the paper-vote fallback slips.

Stage Manager

Calls the show, owns the clock, wrangles cue sheets. Each heat night is 10 quick changeovers in under two hours; the clock is sacred.

Backstage Runner / Act Wrangler

Marshals acts in waves across both heat nights. Enforces the two-adult rule and the under-18 stream consent check before any act goes on.

A1 - Audio, AV, Lighting

FOH mix and stream audio feed. Line checks at top and tail. Lighting: simple per-act looks, judge desk state, vote-moment state. Projector: live feed from 4k cameras.

MC / Host

Links the show, holds the room, sells the next night and the stream pass from the stage.

Vision Mixer / Stream Op

Cuts the live feed to projector and stream on the Final, runs overlays and the voting QR lower third, opens and closes the vote from the desk, watches the live votes.

Who calls the show

The Stage Manager calls every beat from the desk. The MC follows the SM, not the other way around. Judges are talent, not command.

Who looks after the vote

The Vision Mixer opens and closes each vote on the SM's call, watches the tally, and confirms numbers to the MC.

Child protection on the floor

The Act Wrangler is the enforcement point: minors accompanied at all times, two-adult rule, stream consent verified against the log before each under-18 act. Any concern goes to the Designated Liaison Person immediately.

The one rule

If it is not on the cue sheet, it does not happen. Changes before doors go through the SM. After doors, nothing changes.

Escalation

• Act problem backstage - Act Wrangler - SM
• Technical failure - A1 - SM - Head of Production
• Vote system failure - Vision Mixer - SM - paper fallback
• Child protection concern - Designated Liaison Person, immediately
• Anything commercial or press - Media Manager - Head of Production

The broadcast

Stream protocol

• Stream live at 19:30 sharp on all three nights, off air on the SM's call.
• Voting QR in the lower third for the full show, live only on the Final.
• MC addresses the stream directly at open, at the vote, and at close.
• Test the full loop on venue wifi and mobile data the week before each night.

Income

Sponsor package

• Main: In association with, name in the title, logo/advert on screen in lobby, banner and stream lower third.
• Sponsor moment at the Final interval.

The winner and the flagship

The €1,000 prize comes with a featured slot in an early episode of Sunday Night at The Lark. It costs nothing, cross-promotes the series, and hands week one a ready made promo.

Outgoings