Comic keeps prattling on

In addition to his nightly performances, directing his wife in The Umbrella Birds: WC and launching his new novel A Lighthearted Look At Murder, last year's if.comeddie panel prize winner Mark Watson is also penning a daily blog for the Metro website.

That's not why he gets five stars, though. No, Watson gets five stars by being one of the funniest, most likeable comics at the Fringe.

The ridiculously long title is a good indication of his comic style: prattling on about this and that, seemingly losing track or getting distracted by statistics on chocolate, but always coming back to the point.

The 'point' this year is Watson's recent mid-life crisis: at 27. A run-in with an evangelist made the comic wonder what he'd achieved with his life. The disappointing answer was nothing. It's a hook for Watson to talk about acts of bravery or kindness (that go awry), the friends he never gets to see, how much hype annoys him and his bid to save the environment.

His intelligence, wordplay, fastthinking and faint whiff of bitterness keep him easily digestible rather than sickly.

Until Aug 27 (not tomorrow), Pleasance Courtyard, 9.10pm, £10.50 and £11.50.

Mark Watson: Can I Briefly Talk To You About The Point Of Life?
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Fringe Festival