BRISTOL-born Mark Watson has been making people laugh for most of his life, but sometimes he wonders what he (or any of us) is actually here for. He brings his latest show, Search, to Dorchester, appearing at Hardye’s School theatre, on Saturday 17th February at 8pm.

Mark Watson’s 12-year-old son has just got a phone. His 70-year-old dad has been through the most frightening experience of his life. Both a dad and a kid himself, around the midpoint of his life, the Taskmaster star and multiple award-winner considers the search for meaning that we’re all on, with or without Google. There’ll be a lot of jokes, and a show that’s different every night.

Watson attended Bristol Grammar School, where he won a “Gabbler of the Year” award. He read English at Queens’ College, Cambridge, graduating with first class honours.[He was a member of the Cambridge Footlights and contemporary of Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Dan Stevens and was part of the revue which was nominated for the Best Newcomer category in the Perrier Comedy Awards at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Other dates on the tour include The Berry at Southampton on Friday 16th February, Salisbury Arts Centre on 18th May and, further ahead, Yeovil’s Westlands entertainment centre on 12th September, Wimborne Tivoli on 13th September and Exeter Corn Exchange on 15th September.

Photograph by Matt Crockett