Mark Watson (comedian)
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| Mark Watson | |
|---|---|
 Mark Watson |
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| Born | Mark Andrew Watson 13 February 1980  Bristol, England |
| Years active | 1999 – Present |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Watson Howes |
| Official website | |
Mark Andrew Watson is a British stand-up comedian and novelist. He was born in Bristol of a Welsh family.[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Background
Watson was born in 1980. He attended Bristol Grammar School before going to Queens' College, Cambridge, where he studied English. At university he wrote, starred in, and directed a number of plays and comedy sketch shows including two years with the illustrious Cambridge Footlights. In his first two years he was part of a comedy double-act with Benet Reid. He is also a Bristol City fan.
[edit] Television and radio
He has made a number of television and radio appearances in both Britain and Australia, including regular appearances on BBC2's Mock The Week and the BBC Radio Five Live show Fighting Talk, where he often talks about his favourite football team, Bristol City. In Australia he has been seen on Rove Live, Good News Week, Spicks And Specks and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, all aired in April 2007.
His own Radio 4 series, Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better, began its run on 13 February 2007[1], and a repeat run began on 14 August. A second series is now rumoured to be in the pipeline.
[edit] Edinburgh shows and awards
Watson has appeared regularly at the Edinburgh Fringe, winning the first If.comeddies Panel Prize and being nominated as Best Newcomer at the 2005 Perrier Comedy Awards. This sits alongside his other awards - including the Time Out Critic's Choice Award 2006, and a Barry Award Nomination for best show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2006.
[edit] 2004
- Stereocomics with Rhod Gilbert.
- Extended Show: Mark Watson's Overambitious 24-Hour Show
- This show was described as 'a seminal moment in Fringe comedy' by The Scotsman, which predicted that the show would be 'a cultural landmark, like Woodstock'. The first-ever solo comedy show lasting an entire day, it ended, famously, in Watson successfully proposing to his girlfriend Emily Howes.
[edit] 2005
- 50 Years Before Death And The Awful Prospect Of Eternity
- Extended Show: 2005 Years in 2005 Minutes
[edit] 2006
- I'm Worried That I'm Starting To Hate Almost Everyone In The World. This show transferred to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and went on to a successful two-week run at the Sydney Opera House.
- Mark Watson, And His Audience, Write A Novel
- On each day of the festival he hosted literary workshop-cum-interactive comedy show. The aim was to write, by the end of August, a novel begun from scratch and woven entirely from audience suggestions, with another 2,000 words or so added every day. The novel was not finished within the month but the results so far were considered too promising to abandon so the project is set to continue albeit in by an, as yet, undecided method now that the festival has finished. The book so far is posted on the website MySpace. [1]
- Extended Show: Mark Watson's Seemingly Impossible 36-Hour Circuit Of The World.
- This show won the first If.comeddies Panel Prize, presented to a comedian who best captures the spirit of the Fringe.[4]
[edit] 2007
- Mark Watson is Crap At The Environment
- This is a project begun by Watson with the intention of 'saving the world, despite not being very good at it'. It aims to promote amateur environmentalism among those with no planet-saving qualifications. It developed a following of more than 1,000 members, and a book is being published by Hodder Headline in 2008.
- Extended Show: Mark Watson's 24-Hour Show In Melbourne'
- This was Watson's first marathon show in Australia.
- Can I Briefly Talk To You About The Point Of Life?'
- The show garnered much attention at the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- Watson's new stand-up comedy show will be performed at the Pleasance, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe, from August 1 to August 27. It will be followed by a national tour.
[edit] Books
Watson has written two novels: Bullet Points (2004) and A Light-Hearted Look At Murder (2007), both published by Chatto and Windus. His most recent book, Crap at the Environment (2008), follows his own efforts to halve his carbon footprint over the course of one year.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Gavin Allen (2007-01-22). Preview: Mark Watson. South Wales Echo.
- ^ Brian Logan (2006-08-15). The show must go on and on. The Guardian.
- ^ The Perrier Comedy Award 2005.
- ^ Phil Nichol wins top comedy award. BBC News (2006-08-27).
