Mark Watson is a stalwart at the Edinburgh Fringe with his casual style and observationist humour and anecdotes that lead us down convoluted paths of thinking. Search is a personally philosophical show as Watson looks for meaning through reflection on the relationships that he has with his father and son.
A collective mockery of the ridiculous and annoying that we often find in everyday life
The show starts before it starts, as Watson acts as his own opener, milling around and chatting with us before the main body of the show. His jokes are completely effortless as he makes quick-witted observations practically in the moment, amusing us to no end. Watson's fast-paced style is akin to a stream of consciousness or someone thinking out loud and seeing where it goes. Search is a very informal show as Watson appears to be chatting with us, but in a classically Watsonian way, laces it with an incredible amount of self-deprecation, turning what could easily be a casual chat into a stand-up routine.
This is an incredibly reflectve show, and so the overall energy and pace ebbs and flows, but at no point does this change in the atmosphere detract from the overall humour in the anecdotes or bouts of dark comedy that Watson expresses. He doesn’t ever let the mood settle for too long before once more darting off on a personal anecdote full of unique observations of the communal experience. Watson speaks and acts with a lot of sincerity, which leads to the show becoming a collective mockery of the ridiculous and annoying that we often find in everyday life, whilst also trying to think through some of life's biggest questions.
Watson is the type of comedian whose shows will constantly improve on the last, and Search is no different as he leaves us feeling relatively at peace by an unsettling reality, whilst also buoyed by the amount of laughter that has been coaxed out of us throughout the evening. It would take a great deal of effort not to be entertained by Watson’s comedy.
