Mark Watson To Bring New Show HOW YOU CAN ALMOST WIN To Swindon Arts Centre

Comedian and safety-lover Mark Watson returns to UK theatres with his new show How You Can Almost Win at Assembly Studio Two following a remarkable run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

So - what happens when you send a man prone to considerable anxiety, with multiple phobias and a history of piss-poor self-esteem on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls? Mark found out and is now sharing his findings in a motivational talk (but with many jokes, this is Mark Watson after all).

Mark is one of the country's most beloved and critically acclaimed live comedians, and has had a long and notable Fringe career since he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2005 Perrier Awards, before being awarded the 2006 if.comedy Panel Prize for performing one of his now-legendary marathon stand-up shows. Away from Edinburgh, he's taken home the Time Out Critics Choice Award, been nominated for a Barry Award from the Melbourne Comedy Festival, as well as winning Best Show at both Sydney and Adelaide.

In 2019, Mark released Mark Watson's Comedy Marathon about the London Marathon on Audible. He launched it with the Watson trademark - a 26.2 hour long show. One hour for every mile of endurance running...luckily this new show won't give you blisters but it will cause your laughing muscles to ache. 2017 saw Mark write songs, hurl coconuts and beg piggy-backs as part of Dave's BAFTA-winning Taskmaster. In a less pleasant TV engagement, he lost almost three stone and faced a crippling lifelong phobia during a much talked-about stint on The Island with Bear Grylls (C4) which this show is based upon. Mark has also regularly appeared on BBC 2's Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Mock the Week, BBC 1's Would I Lie To You and Have I Got News For You. He has performed stand-up on BBC 1's Live At The Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Channel 4's Comedy Gala and was the star of Dave TV's Road to Rio, as well as the host of BBC 4's We Need Answers. He's won Celebrity Mastermind and Celebrity Pointless and he once dressed up as a badger for terrible Sky One show Wild Things.

As well as his TV and live work Mark has been a Radio 4 mainstay for a decade, with his various series Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life (a new series coming this Autumn), Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better and Mark Watson's Live Address To The Nation. For the past two years he's hosted the final of the BBC New Comedy Award - one of the only comedy shows on the network to go out live.

On top of his comedy stardom Mark has seven books under his belt. Since last Edinburgh, his graphic novel Dan and Sam has been optioned as a feature film by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and is now in development.

Tour Dates

24th May 2020 Wells Comedy Festival, Cedar Hall

www.wellscomfest.com / 01749 834483

Thursday 28th May Chipping Norton Theatre

www.chippingnortontheatre.com / 01608 642350

Friday 29th May Basingstoke, Anvil Arts

www.anvilarts.org.uk / 01256 844244

Tuesday 2nd June Swindon, Arts Centre

www.swindontheatres.co.uk / 01793 524481

Friday 12th June Manchester, The Dancehous

www.thedancehouse.co.uk / 0161 237 9753

Saturday 13th June Maidenhead, Norden Farm

www.norden.farm / 01628 788997

Sunday 14th June Milton Keynes, The Stables

www.stables.org / 01908 280800

Tuesday 16th June Bracknell, South Hill Park

www.southhillpark.org.uk / 01344 484 123

Saturday 20th June Hexham, Queens Hall Arts Centre

www.queenshall.co.uk / 01434 652477

Sunday 21st June Leeds, The Wardrobe

www.thewardrobe.co.uk / 0113 383 8800

Friday 26th June Pontardawe, Arts Centre

www.npttheatres.co.uk / 01792 863722

Saturday 27th June Kettering, Arts Centre

www.ketteringartscentre.com / 01536 513858

Saturday 28th June Southampton, NST Studios

www.nstheatres.co.uk / 023 8067 1771

Tuesday 8th September Cambridge, Cambridge Junction

www.junction.co.uk / 01223 511511

Friday 11th September Birmingham, MAC

www.macbirmingham.co.uk / 0121 446 3232

Saturday 12th September Warrington, Pyramid Arts Centre

www.pyramid.culturewarrington.org / 01925 442345

Friday 18th September Chester, Storyhouse

www.storyhouse.com / 01244 409113

Saturday 19th September Newport, The Riverfront

www.newportlive.co.uk/ 01633 656757

Sunday 27th September Winchester, Discovery Centre

www.hants.gov.uk/wdc / 01962 873603

Saturday 3rd October Clevedon, Curzon Cinema & Arts

www.curzon.org.uk / 01275 871000

Sunday 4th October Bristol, Wardrobe Theatre

www.thewardrobetheatre.com / 0117 902 0344

Thursday 8th October York, The Crescent Community Centre

www.thecrescentyork.com / 01904 622510

Friday 9th October Otley, Courthouse

www.otleycourthouse.org.uk / 01943 467216

Sunday 10th October Liverpool, Unity Theatre

www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk / 0151 709 4988