Comedy / mark watson
Mark Watson to perform at The Gaffe for inaugural Live Comedy Day
In partnership with BBC Radio 4, the Live Comedy Association (LCA) will be launching the first annual Live Comedy Day on April 1.
With events taking place across the country, the initiative is designed to help champion the UK’s grassroots live comedy scene – a sector which, the LCA points out, “unlike most of the rest of the creative industries, doesn’t get any formal support or recognition from governments”.
Newly crowned the best regional comedy venue for Wales and the South West at the 2026 Chortle Awards, The Gaffe is thoroughly embodying its chosen tagline – ‘Bristol’s home of live comedy’, despite its relative infancy.
The Gaffe audience – photo: Julian Preece
In the past year, it has hosted renowned standups including James Acaster, Rosie Jones, Mike Wozniak, Jayde Adams, Jamali Maddix, Stuart Goldsmith and Felicity Ward.
To celebrate Live Comedy Day, The Gaffe will be welcoming a particularly beloved star back to his home town of Bristol, for one night only.
Mark Watson performing at The Gaffe – photo: Alfred Taylor
20 years after his first solo show, Mark Watson will be performing what he calls “a ‘best of’ compendium of what he can remember from two decades of standup”.
The past two decades have been eventful for Watson, and much of his personal life has been documented in his comedy; themes include “sin, death, fatherhood, divorce, identity theft, alcoholism, a massive passport problem, life expectancy, Google and many more things – amongst an unusual amount of ad-libbing and waving his arms about”.
The Gaffe audience – photo: Julian Preece
In 20 Years Of Doing My Absolute Bloody Best, he will be resurrecting some of his most memorable routines, as well as reviving some that, he warns, “might not work at all anymore”.
And either way, he concludes, “it’s the last chance to see most of this material!”
Mark Watson: 20 Years Of Doing My Absolute Bloody Best is at The Gaffe on April 1, as part of Live Comedy Day. Visit www.thegaffecomedyclub.com for more information and to buy tickets.
Main photo: The Gaffe
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