MARK WATSON Rapid, rapier and riproaring 0000
Less than a week before Mark Watson launched into his 2006 comedy marathon (just the 36 hours this time around) and you’d think that he would have been conserving all his energies. Not a bit of it. His form is blistering on this particular night and if other witnesses’ testimony is anything to go by, his performances after the day and a half session are similarly barnstorming. Quite what it is that drives Watson on is unclear but his rat-a-tat Welsh accented delivery (which is marginally odd given that he is a Bristol lad with a soft English accent off-stage) leaves both himself and his audience absolutely drained but totally satisfied.
The loose starting point for his show is the mugging he was a victim of at the start of the year and it leads him to examine the seven deadly sins. He is effortlesst at ease when riffing with the audience (though one touchy pensioner insensitiver threatens to knock his block off after the show) while his prepared material is a catalyst for a hilarious scattergun approach. It's a marvellous irony that he chooses a couple of audience members to keep time and announce the arrival of the 40-minute mark when the show will inevitably dip into a lull. One of his chosen two has clearly been so engrossed that he's lost track of time.
He should not feel alone as this is one of the most breathtaking and quality/quantity gag-filled shows of this or indeed any year’s Fringe. Whatever you think of Mark Watson’s peculiar Welsh persona, his comedy is the real thing. (Brian Donaldson)
I Please/ice COL/rtyard. 556 6550. untr/ 28 Aug. 9.45pm, [USO—E} 70.50 (EB—£9).
74 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 3-1 Aug-7 See .‘O‘Jt?
COUNT ARTHUR STRONG
Magnificent musical myopia 0000
In previous l rlirilrurrrh shows he':. llllllKllll us the ll‘n/Slr’flléi“; of l riyrrt and the rlraries ‘ol his her, ilone'. lhit. tirne (Lourit Arthur Stronrr has put his lite stop’ to rnusie ()l (.ourse that's onl, a small part of the show: he lalls ahout lrernenrlously helore getting to the riieat or shoulrl that he the pi<,(,ali|li ol the show. As ever, the (Lounl is; expertly (lrawn, hurnhlinri onto the stage Ill his outrloor hat anrl coat, not realising the show h.’ s started. lhere lollows a rnarinilieently rlrawn out (:ornerly moment as he swaps pairs i )l glasses helore fil)()ll|ll(_] us.
lhere's a l)l(lkl(,‘ taste test Wllll his hapless prodigy Maleolrn and an ineirlent With h s seeonrl hanrl (:(pr ot a l)£llrl(2|£l '(Jornwall' novel hetore he eventually reveals seenes from his riiusieal Ill(2lll(l|ll(] a hrilliantly rnesserl up rnirror sequence. Strong; Just seerns to get lurinier every time. lMar ssa Burgessi I Ass BIND/l” [loo/725;. 2:7; 241%"). until Bil/lug}, (i..”/'prri, 5‘7() 5‘7] (58.5%) 519.50).
PHIL NICHOL S&M, skinheads and lots of sweat O...
The Walker Brothers onee eroonerl that l)l'(3£ll<lll() up is so yer"; hard to rlo. lt rnust he tougher still when it's heeause you hit one of your riirllrienrl's hunions (luring; sex. But hey ho. Phil
l
Nlr hol rlruéigie l llli‘lriltl‘. away arr .l tour (la‘. lrr’ll’lr‘l ll‘ "\.'"‘.li’lilillll lllillllr lllllf;llltirilllf;, rriariiuarri illlil Mr .l.ir.k [Jariiel tuellerl a :;r llilllll. .‘.ll"ll‘ he niet riihilistir: ll )(,l\ kills. f.l\lllllr'.trl‘. ~n lrir‘yrli ‘f; .ilirl ii :;‘.‘.’I\./el eyerl ll?) irii:rr,err.ir,.
l’otswssr-il ‘.'.’|lll erii-riiy liorrleririii r lll the rnariii _ Niihol". persona If; lunny heeiiiise it'1.ol>‘.rioii'. he doesn't (are what sort of lool her rriakiriri ol hirnsell on stage. lhe sWealy Ioori spout“, lortli iriiplausihle yet alrnost (Ilrllélllll‘y’ true stories ahr )ut [)Hllll' satlornasorghisls and an Asian l’ro<;lairners trihute art then ties; the whole show together With a history lesson ahout a group ol par;ilit;t:. on the Russian Armenian horrler and how they drove llllll to question lllf. own anti ‘.’I()l(:ll(,l: starir.e. lllUlHll l eel . le,‘ SUI/Hf”, 5‘55“: /'.')/'.’, Aug, i“). lop/n. it": (37/
TOPPING 8. BUTCH Resolute British smut 00.0
i/ril/l ."x'
Heavy rain lll‘.f,()ll|(,‘l‘y’ soaks /our shoes and sops your trouser hottorns, hut helow ground level the water if, (,oursinr; through rlrairi anrl sewer. srgouririri out the rlehris, ‘;|ll anrl rnurl anrl refreshing the l)lllllll)lllll Sueh i'. the ease wrth lopprnr; é“. liuteh. who present their rleleetahle lr/th.’ lor general ronsurnptron lllU eliilrlreri or erities. rnirirli. Sonrit, tor whreh suhtlet/ is a foreign eountry are Illll,‘l‘)l)‘:l‘,f:(l mth aurlienee iriterar,tion that prohe', so deeply that punters uriuirrii expeetantly Ill their seats eaeh time the house lights are raiserl.
lhere's nothing properly offensive here. Just resoluter British srnut rlresserl Ill a hlaek leather rnini skirt (Topping) anrl skimp; hlael/ nylon hotpants lButelii. It's rlequhttiill/ relentless *— renrlering it (littleult to gauge when a double entenrlre turrii, into a single, and haek again A and on oeeasion Butch delivers an expert shot from the hip that knocks the Wind out