Mark Watson is over-excited, manic, disorganised and quite good at his job.

All The Thoughts I’ve Had Since I Was Born is stand-up, plain and simple, and will appeal to all those punters who come to the festival for an experience that will excite, confuse and amuse them without stepping over any standard comfort levels. An impromptu start to the show with Watson appearing from within the audience should entertain those with a passion for pantomime, while Watson’s predictable audience banter feels more at home in a kids’ variety show, albeit with much filthier material.

It is very easy to be drawn into Watson’s somewhat bumbling, chaotic style. His stories and anecdotes shoot off into complete random tangents, each one getting him more excited than the last. His self-deprecating, self-reflexive and somewhat self-indulgent brain goes a million miles a minute, and gives you the impression of watching a monkey with ADHD undergoing electro-shock therapy.

Watson talks. A lot. In the few times he pauses for breath, a sigh of relief can be heard from the overwhelmed audience as their brains catch up with his manic speed. His delivery is spot-on every time, and his constant commentary on life is very sporadic, somewhat autistic but overall entertaining.

Watson delivers a performance that most people will like – it’s not theatrical, experimental, musical or overtly offensive. His over-the-top manic disposition will make most audiences feel they have really taken part in a ‘crazy’ show. Unfortunately, this comes at the detriment of any cohesiveness to his show, and you’ll most likely come away unable to remember a damn thing he has said. I’m sure it was funny, I do remember laughing, but what on earth about?

Finished reading this article? You might also like:

• PunCast Episode 16 – Mark Trenwith
• Mark Trenwith – Be My Friend
• Mark Watson: 50 Years Before Death and the Awful Prospect of Eternity