In the world of marathon running, there’s a little thing called the ‘marathon bug’. In other words, once you’ve run one, you’ll soon be wanting to run another, and another, and another (usually after the pain stops and your legs no longer feel like they’re about to collapse from underneath you). It would appear the same applies for Comedy Marathons. Who knew?
4 years after his last, in which he raised over £75,000 for Comic Relief, comedian and all-round legend Mark Watson was back for another marathon performance. This time, to celebrate the launch of his new Audible podcast, also named Mark Watson’s Comedy Marathon. Once again, it was all for a good cause, with money being raised for official Virgin Money London Marathon charity, Dementia Revolution.
Now, for those of you wondering what a Comedy Marathon actually involves, here’s the lowdown: One show. A selection of the UK’s favourite comedians. 26.2 hours of non-stop laughs. Oh, and Rufus Hound running amok. What could possibly go wrong?
“One of my biggest projects ever”
Sweatbands: Check. Stopwatch: Check. An audience member ready to draw nothing but Bradley Walsh portraits for 26.2 hours: Check. It was 9.47pm and the show was one minute away. And as a crowd of eager comedy fans began to fill the Pleasance Theatre, strapping themselves in for over a day of stand-up, there was a definite sense of anticipation in the air. A feeling that anything could happen.
3, 2, 1… and we’re off.
The countdown was on. For the next 26.2 hours, the Pleasance Theatre was to transform into some sort of alternate reality, a world where it was completely acceptable for actor, writer and poet Tim Key to cut the hair of Mark Watson’s doppelganger.
With over a day’s worth of shenanigans to run through, we thought picking out our personal highlights was the better way to go.
“Everyone knows I’m an ambitious guy, and by that I mean: stupid”
Big names, bigger laughs: Just like the podcast, the marathon was full to the brim with some of the best comedy names in the country, including Angela Barnes, Adam Hills, Adam Kay, Deborah Francis-White, Rufus Hound and Tim Key. Ed Miliband and Bradley Walsh even made time for a quick chat, logging in over Skype. While every performance was clever, witty and quite frankly, hilarious, some of the best moments were spontaneous. With every heckle (usually from Hound) and off-the-cuff remark, came a sense that really, this was just a bunch of mates, in a room, having a laugh.
The arty twist: It wasn’t all comedy. There was some art too. No, not Damien Hirst or Jenny Saville, but an audience member whose task it was to draw Bradley Walsh portraits for the entire 26.2 hours – safe to say he was delighted, if not a little creeped out, when appearing on Skype. Audience members could also come on stage to have their portraits painted in watercolour. Because, why not?
The Beatles Busk-A-Thon: When Jay Foreman came to the stage to perform his song ‘I’m Glad John Lennon Died’, we wouldn’t have blamed you for thinking that The Beatles might not be his favourite band. This assumption however was thrown into question when it was announced that over the next few hours, he would be playing every Beatles song from memory. All 186 of them. Starting with Love Me Do, what followed was an assortment of mass sing-a-longs and ultimately, a few damaged vocal chords (we’re assuming).
Sproutfest 2019: Some say it’s “the biggest sporting event of 2019”. No, not Wimbledon or the Rugby World Cup, but Sproutfest – a series of sprout-related games requiring skill, grit and determination. As well as Sproutfest favourite The Great British Bend Off, a game in which contestants must bend down and use their mouths to pick up sprouts off the floor, this year saw the introduction of a new event – Sprout Pong. As you can probably guess, it’s exactly the same as beer pong, but with sprouts. Check out Angela Barnes’ epic winner below.
Cerys Nelmes and the sprout tattoo: Yes, you did just read that correctly. As part of Sproutfest, Comedian Cerys Nelmes really did get a tattoo of a sprout. In fact, she not only got a tattoo of a sprout, she got a tattoo of a sprout with Watson’s face on. We salute your commitment, Cerys.
“We do have what they call ‘the luxury of time’ here”
After a heroic 26.2 hours of laughter, delirium and general absurdity (from performers and audience alike), the marathon came to an end at midnight on 1st March. And with over £20,000 being raised for Dementia Revolution, it’s safe to say that the lack of sleep was all worth it.
Whether Watson will take on another Comedy Marathon any time soon is yet to be seen. Until then, we can only hope that he’s been bitten by the ‘marathon bug’. In the meantime, you can get your Comedy Marathon fix with Watson’s new podcast.
Jam-packed with some of the best comedy names in the country, including Asian Provocateur Romesh Ranganathan, panel show favourite Sarah Pascoe and comedy legend Harry Enfield, the series is a 'day in the life' ride through the famous Virgin Money London Marathon, delving into the minds of: a man who's entered the race by accident; an aunt being blackmailed by her niece; a ghost doomed to haunt the course for eternity; a woman who develops an unusual relationship with her phone; and a couple who are about to get engaged with disastrous consequences... among many others.
Discover this comedy podcast and many more for free here.
