Mark Watson (UK) in Comedy Festival

[Update 15/5/09: Mark Watson Cancels Wellington Season]

Mark Watson (UK) in Comedy Festival

MEDIA RELEASE March 23, 2009
Mark Watson (UK) brings ‘All The Thoughts I’ve Had Since I Was Born’ to New Zealand International Comedy Festival

“He stood out in the way you imagine John Cleese or Peter Cook must have done in their day.” The Times, UK

English comedian Mark Watson, one of the hottest new talents on the global festival circuit, is performing in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, with seasons in Auckland (May 12-16) and Wellington (May 19-23).

His current show was the fastest-selling at last year’s Edinburgh Festival; he has performed three sold-out Melbourne Comedy Festival seasons and sold out both his 2007 and 2008 seasons at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in Auckland, and this year expands into Wellington.

Due to public demand, Watson is returning to New Zealand - courtesy of comedy.co.nz productions ltd - this time with five nights at the SkyCity Theatre, followed by his Wellington debut in a five-night season at the San Francisco Bath House.

His local fans can look forward to a hilarious new show entitled ‘All the Thoughts I’ve Had Since I Was Born’, performed in just 60 minutes!

According to Watson, the rough theme is that his fretful attitude to life and his obsession with minutiae has resulted in him being taken to hospital with chest pains. Well, that’s what the doctor blamed it on, anyway. And advised him to avoid stress. Ah, the irony inherent in advising a comedian to take life less seriously.

He says, as usual, his show will consist of a large number of jokes and stories delivered very fast, in a distinctive accent, with a rambling style, by a thin man.

Watson has achieved critical recognition in several awards: Time Out Comic of the Year 2006, Perrier best newcomer nominee 2005, Barry Award nominee 2006, Best Show awards at both Adelaide and Sydney Festivals and the if.comeddies Panel Prize for innovation at Edinburgh 2006.

Yet he has had little if any exposure in the mainstream media. Such is the power of new media, as Watson enjoys an avid following on the internet.

His talent is not confined to stand-up. He has published two well-reviewed novels: “Bullet Points” and ”A Light-Hearted Look at Murder” and last year a guide to green living for newcomers called “Crap at the Environment: A Year in the Life of One Man Trying to Save the Planet”, which arose from his web initiative of the same name and led to his training under Al Gore to become an authorised presenter of the ideas in Gore’s lecture “An Inconvenient Truth”.

He also writes television and radio scripts, most notably Spike’s Lookalikes, a 4-part sitcom for BBC4, which stars Ardal O’Hanlon and Doon Mackinchan.

Watson was the first-ever comedian to perform marathon solo shows at Edinburgh Festival – the first, in 2004, ran for 24 hours, during which he successfully proposed to his girlfriend; next, he did 33 hours and then, in 2006, he performed for 36 hours, resulting in the if.comeddies Panel Prize.

In April 2008, he performed his 24-hour show in Melbourne, with a live link-up to London enabling UK audiences to join in.

“A stand-up superstar, a classic observational humorist.” Time Out, USA

Performance highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh3G3zDIvbg

official website:

http://www.markwatsonthecomedian.com

NZ DATES:

Auckland – SKYCITY Theatre
5 Nights only / Tues 12 to Sat 16 May at 7pm

Wellington – San Francisco Bath House – Cuba St
5 nights only / Tues 19 to Sat 23 May at 7pm
[Update 15/5/09: Mark Watson Cancels Wellington Season]

Book at Ticketek Ph 0800Ticketek or on line @ www.ticketek.co.nz

ENDS

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