Mark Watson at the Bloomsbury Theatre

Mark Watson at the Bloomsbury Theatre

25 September, 2008
by: Emma

As the audience begins to settle down and take their coats off in the Bloomsbury auditorium, a man lurking at the back of the theatre suddenly starts babbling to us like a deranged elderly relative. Stone the crows, it's the comedian we've come to see! Watson explains that he's not one for grand entrances and he's not kidding.

A cult favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe, he has a history of playing small packed-out rooms there. In 2004, he did a seminal 24-hour show and in 2006 he attempted to write a book based on feedback from the audience at each of his gigs. This year he's moved to the big time - performing in the huge Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh and now in London's Bloomsbury Theatre, another cavernous venue. Perhaps this is why the start of the gig is so personable; quickly we warm to him as he appears almost uncomfortable with the large stage and happier speaking with us down in the stalls.

Throughout the set Watson asks the audience questions so it feels less like he's taking at you and more like a conversation, albeit rather one-sided. Before the interval he encourages everyone to pay each other a compliment so that when he returns, he can award the best compliment their money back. Unfortunately for him, it seems it is a draw between two people and Watson actually delves into his pocket to give them both £15. What a hero! The first half is a lot of banter and the second half more material, but the banter helps to relax everybody and creates a friendly atmosphere. As he points out; sometimes you can go to a comedy night and feel relieved it's over, as if the thought of being picked on or ranted at overrides the enjoyment of the comedy itself.

The second half is a lot more enjoyable and that's because the stories are so good. It's all classic observational stuff but it's the way he manages to capture himself in the situation and relay it in an anecdote that makes it so funny; not just the fact we can all empathise with incompentent Easyjet staff.

The premise of the show is about how the little things in life that stress him out and annoy him on a daily basis ended up giving him a heart scare. Along the road (quite literally, all Watson's stories seem to involve a disastrous train journey somewhere) we hear about things that grate his nerves (noisy people and stupid people), embarrassing altercations and little everyday instances that make him laugh. Various episodes include catching a woman squatting over a loo on the train and seeing a pigeon fly into a man's face.

The final message is that we shouldn't take things so seriously; in the end the things that worry us at the time are quickly forgotten and as long as there are pigeons flying into faces, we can should enjoy the funny times and let go of the troubling. This might sound a bit naff and possibly could be in the hands of anyone else but Watson is so earnest and passionate in his point that you can't help agreeing. It's a very enjoyable ramble through his psyche but it's hard to imagine him implementing his own advice. Let's hope he doesn't, because while he's still agitated, embarrassed and manic; he is an incredibly entertaining person to listen to.

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Emma