An Interview with Mark Watson
What was it like being in the Cambridge Footlights? Do you feel as though you are part of a proud tradition or is that all seen as old hat now?
It’s a bit of both. You’re definitely conscious of following in a long line of successful comedians (as well as some crap ones) and that brings a certain glamour. But most of the people who are impressed by it tend to be from an older generation; the comedy industry as a whole regards Footlights as an irrelevance. And the whole idea of Cambridge graduates performing sketches makes some people feel almost nauseous with hatred. The bottom line it that it’s different people every year, so sometimes it’ll be full of future stars, sometimes future accountants.
How did you get the ‘Comedy bug’?
I’m not completely sure to be honest. I’ve always been something of an attention seeker but also quite shy. So stand-up’s perfect. The only thing I can say with certainty is that as soon as I started doing gigs, I was addicted.
Did you have a different career in mind?
Well I wanted to be a writer really; I didn’t imagine I would get this far as a stand-up. Other than that, I never had a serious career plan. I’m generally quite incompetent, there’s very little else I could have done. My dream job would have been soccer commentator – I suppose it still is, actually – but at least this is about 25% of the way there, and I can always commentate under my breath when I’m watching games on TV.
Do you have any happy/interesting memories from your previous trip to Australia?
My best and worst memory is going to the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant where they drive you through Melbourne in an old tram (obviously). I drank too much port and had to do a show feeling slightly less than human. I was a bit less professional in those days. To be honest all my memories of Australia are great, I had a fantastic time.
Do you think the title of your show might frighten some people away from seeing it?
Well, in Edinburgh it actually helped to attract people I think, because it sounds a bit weird and different and that helped it to stand out. Hopefully people should realise it’s a comedy show rather than a genuine meditation on the way we’re all heading for the grave. And I’m using a press quote on my poster that says ‘one of the most joyful shows on the Fringe’ so that should convince people it’s not going to make them suicidal.
Tell us a little about “50 years before Death and the Awful Prospect of Eternity”
The idea is that I’ve got 50 years of my life expectancy left, so over the 50 minutes of the show, I examine one year at a time, right up till death. But to be honest it’s fairly free-form; I don’t stick too tightly to the structure. Although I do have a time-keeper ringing a bell to keep me on course.
What are you looking forward to while you are in Melbourne for the Festival?
Everything, genuinely. From the short time I’ve been in Melbourne, it seems an amazing city. And the festival’s a bit more laid-back than Edinburgh which is ferociously competitive and expensive for the acts. I can’t wait.
Check out Mark Watson: 50 Years Before Death for details