What’s behind this curious title Before It Overtakes Us, Mark Watson? It sounds like an awareness that urgent action is required, possibly driven by existential anxiety?
Maybe for Watson’s benefit (if not ours) this MICF outing seems less tinged with the kind of neurotic thoughts that so often have featured in the English comic’s shows.
Whether through UK Taskmaster or various trips to Melbourne, Watson has often brought us laughter borne of surprises. There is some novel thinking in this ‘world premiere’ show, but some will find that it doesn’t consistently deliver on what the MICF blurb promised.
Past shows have combined snippets of Watson’s life with some bigger thinking. Now Watson has a girlfriend (unusually, there’s only a passing mention of his divorce), and he seems to have relinquished past anxieties about raising his kids. Possibly this has lowered the stakes for this outing, where past challenges are replaced by relatively minor annoyances.
Fans will note that flights again play a prominent role in the tale offered. Pockets of the audience appreciated the story, whilst others found laughs more sparse.
Even if this show isn’t up with Watson’s most memorable offerings, he does have a couple of notable long-range callbacks. The uncertainty that was set up at the start, relating to the less-glamorous side of being a comedian, has a good payoff.
We do find material that suits the title as Watson ruminates on technology, and how quickly it has advanced. Fortunately, he has a decent theory (with a good result) on why we cannot be replaced by machines just yet, even if he may well have found a chatbot that can pass the Turing Test … for a little while anyway.
When it comes to crowd work, Watson shows he’s still got a talent, nimbly turning audience comments into some of the biggest laughs of the evening.
Mark Watson: Before It Overtakes Us
Lower Town Hall – Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, Melbourne
Performance: Wednesday 9 April 2025 – 7:30pm
Season continues to 20 April 2025
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Mark Watson (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte