The lights went off half way through Mark Watson’s closing set at Laugh In The Park in Norwich’s Chapelfield Gardens on Friday night, but you could still the twinkle in his eye.
His self-effacing – and at times darkly funny – routine was subtlest of the night, particularly coming after the musical bombast of Jonny and the Baptists.
Their satirical songs included an imagined avian uprising in Army of Swans (“feathery left wing zeal”) and the hipster-taunting You’re Not A Pub.
Ian Stone faux-morose grumbles covered the weather, Trump, Saudi Arabia, and his struggles to collect train tickets. The topics were mostly evergreen, but his delivery was honed and characterful.
Australian host Damian Clarke and his boundless enthusiasm held everything together. His observational material wasn’t the sharpest, but he struck the perfect tone for an audience heading into the weekend.
