Reggie Watts claims he was born in Germany. Yeah, nice try.
Reggie Watts claims he was born in Germany. Yeah, nice try. After speaking with Watts, which included him answering the phone in a Cockney accent then switching to his “natural” American accent, it became quite clear that he’s an afro-armed alien sent here to fuck with everybody’s minds.
His show, Why Sh*t So Crazy, is an improvised and hilariously absurd monologue embedded with impromptu musical arrangements that he makes layer-by-layer employing only his voice and a loop machine. “I just walk on the stage. That’s kind of what happens”, he says of his show. Watts’ act is a direct reflection of his upbringing. Watts’ stream-of-consciousness comedic style would be dangerously hit-and-miss without possessing an appropriate personality and intelligence; his style simply works because he is Reggie Watts.
“It just feels so organic. Things just happen in the way that they should happen. I’m just kind of concerned about what’s happening at that moment”, he explains. His intriguing oddness is demonstrated in his stand-up where he often generates false information and pretends that it’s factual. It’s this brilliant absurdity that grabbed Conan O’Brien’s attention, resulting in Watts becoming the opening act during Conan O’Brien’s The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour.
While his stand-up is his primary focus, Watts is continuously involved in creative projects, from working in theatre to creating comedic web shorts such as What About Blowjobs? which went viral. “I see myself as kind of growing; not really totally settled in what I do”, he says of his creative future. Akin to his afro, there appears no end to the growth and craziness of Reggie Watts.
Reggie Watts perform Why Shit So Crazy at The Famous Spiegeltent between April 19 and April 14. It’s at 7pm Tuesday – Saturday and 6pm on Sundays. All tickets are $42 and available through Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013, or through The Arts Centre at theartscentre.com.au, 1300 182 183 and at the door.
