Mark Watson is one of Australia’s very favourite adopted sons.
Mark Watson is one of Australia’s very favorite adopted sons. The dashing Brit has wowed Australian audiences for a number of years with his quirky wit, awkward candor and charming humility. But while he exudes side splitting hilarity on stage, off stage he is incredibly frank, open and earnest.
“Positivity is very important. If you allow yourself to feel inferior or negative then people tend to kind of go along with it. So it’s up to you to find the positives in life. I’m not very positive myself, I’m a real pessimist.”
Becoming a comedian wasn’t something that Mark Watson planned on, but rather a profession he simply fell in to. “It kind of happened almost by accident. I guess it’s to do with the thrill of performance really; I’ve always really loved performing. I think with comedy it’s being able to have control over your own show. You have total control over your material, and no one can really tell you what to do. And that’s quite exciting really. That’s really the appeal of it.”
“Stand up is live tours and it’s probably the most satisfaction that you can get, because you are in control, and it is all about you. It’s a bit more scary in a way, but definitely more of a thrill.”
While Mark thinks its okay for comedians to have certain agendas embedded within their shows, he is pragmatic about their effect and success. “You can’t lose sight of the fact that ultimately your job is to entertain people, and you can’t go too far away from that, you have to be realistic. But at the same time, it is nice to think you can have a wider ambition. I always get a lot of satisfaction feeling that I’ve done something; that I’ve changed people’s minds, or even make them think about something. I think it’s nice if comedy has more of an edge to it that just entertainment. I think it does have some sort of an agenda.”
Mark Watson will perform at The Forum Theatre in Melbourne from March 31 – April 24. It’s at 9.15pm Tuesday – Saturday and 8.15pm on Sundays. Tickets are $25.50 – $34.50 and available from Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013 and at the door.
