Added on November 18, 2011  Andrew Dipper   , ,

Review: Mark Watson [Request Stops Tour] – Newcastle Stand

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Mark Watson | Giggle Beats

Mark Watson

Last year via his blog Mark Watson invited fans to suggest destinations for his latest tour, Request Stops. According to his press release, “[Watson’s] been sifting through these suggestions for months and calculating the most popular choices.” In other words, like every other comedian touring, Watson’s visiting venues where he’s most likely to sell tickets. It’s less an idea for a show, more the logistics of event management.

For this review, the newly opened, quite frankly gorgeous Newcastle Stand is the destination of choice – and judging by the love in the room for the self-deprecating shtick of Mark Watson, his management got this trip bang on. The venue is sold-out; the crowd hang on his every expression.

My main concern heading into this show, though, was that his last visit to Tyneside – at Newcastle’s City Hall – was just 13 months ago. Is it possible to write two hours of good new material in that time? Well, yes it is; but Watson didn’t bother.

As well as outlining the premise for his ‘new’ show, the press release also promised “a mixture of old favourites and new material, experimental stuff and greatest hits to those who have previously been deprived of his trademark frantic wit”, which is technically true.

Naturally, Watson approaches his stand-up from the viewpoint of someone who spends long periods of time away from home. I’d certainly consider the routine on his unspoken conversation with a passenger on the train a “greatest hit”, as well as his story about King’s Cross station (which also acts as a nice call-back to close the show.)

So, “new material”? There’s really not much of it, but…check. A heart-warming routine about Watson taking his son swimming is a clear highlight, though it’s let down by the fairly obvious pay-off. He also attempts a few topical lines on the renaming of St. James’ Park, but just ends up calling Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley a fat cunt.

What about “old favourites”? Check, check, check. If my memory serves me correctly, the first sixty minutes of Request Stops was repeated verbatim from last year’s show Do I Know You? Watson even tries to shoe-horn in a clever technique on dealing with late-comers, despite the fact he can’t actually see the back of the room.

That’s probably the most disappointing thing from a personal point of view. Had I known Request Stops was a mere reworking of Do I Know You? I wouldn’t have agreed to review him. And by offering up at least 80% of the same material as last year’s show – but under a different guise (and at £15 a ticket) –Watson’s short-changing his fans here. It’s misleading, but more importantly it demonstrates a lack of artistic integrity.

by Andrew Dipper

  • harrisonaphotos

    Interesting review , but you presume everyone in the room had also seen him at the City Hall and even if they had been, did they feel ‘short changed’. What was the audience reaction to the show in general and the ‘greatest hits’ in paticular?
    I don’t think you’ve opened another Foleygate (which was another fair and honest review) but you have only given your ‘professional’ and increasingly jaded point of view.
    In my humble opinion a good review also includes the audience POV.
    Keep up the good work!

  • Rachel

    I think it’s safe to say that your memory doesn’t serve you correctly. There was no ‘verbatim’ repeat from Do I Know You?, just the occassional similar line. Which, in a show that is billed as including ‘greatest hits’ is an unreasonable criticism. As an audience member for gigs in this tour and the last I can safely say that I didn’t feel short-changed at all.
    In regards to the ‘Request Stops’ nature of the tour, I would invite you to visit Watson’s website to view the entire tour schedule, to get an overall idea of the venues he is playing. A little research couldn’t hurt, could it?
    However, it is your comment about Watson’s apparent lack of artistic integrity that irks me the most. I am struggling to understand your reasons for making such a statement. The odd repetition of classic and very well-received material? Watson’s failure to write, workshop and polish two hours of completely brand new material in a year – something which no comic, even the most hard-working, could achieve? It certainly can’t be the £15 ticket price that’s upset you, when others are charging £40 for a 75 minute arena performance.
    I would hazard a guess that Watson’s style of comedy just doesn’t appeal to you. Which is not a problem at all, of course. It’s just slightly disappointing that this has led to an unecessarily negative review.
    Thanks for your time.

    • Andrew Dipper

      Thanks for your comments, Rachel.

      I spoke to Mark about this last night and he admits that the first section was generally ‘old’ material from his last show in Newcastle, but the second half was previously unperformed on Tyneside. I was personally familiar with a lot of the show; so much so that it become the focus of my review.

      I do make it clear in the second paragraph that the audience at this show – people like yourself, maybe – were having a great time. This was intended to convey that on this occasion my opinion of the night was likely to be a minority one.

      Perhaps, then, in hindsight, the line, ‘Watson’s short-changing his fans here’ is presumptuous. I know several people who have contacted me about the issue of repeated material since the publication of this review – so I know I’m not alone here – but I do concede it was me personally who felt short-changed.

      Cheers again,

      Andrew.