Adelaide Fringe

Interview: Merrick Watts – the very funny ‘Man of the Hour’

Merrick Watts loves Adelaide as much as we love him, and after 23 years of stand-up, the Radio veteran is finally treating comedy fans to his solo show.

Merrick Watts loves Adelaide as much as we love him, and after 23 years of stand-up, the Radio veteran and one half of the comedy duo Merrick and Rosso is finally treating comedy fans to a solo show at the Adelaide Fringe. Man of the Hour is a show about life in the 80’s and how what was acceptable parenting skills then are by no stretch of the imagination even remotely appropriate nowadays. However that’s not all! Audiences will also be treated to his famous lines about the city he loves and knows so well.

Nominated for Best Comedy at the Fringe World Festival, Man of the Hour is not just bits and pieces thrown into an hour long show, but rather something that he has worked really hard on and in Merrick’s words “has a great flowing beginning, middle and end”. I caught up with Merrick to find out why it had taken him so long and what we could expect to see. However, in true Merrick style, his charisma turned the interview into my own personal comedy show and I experienced first-hand what the show had to offer.

If you’re an 80s kid like Merrick and I, you will find yourself nodding and laughing along to the 80s vs now parenting content with Merrick talking about how in the 80s parents smoked in cars and gave their children bags of sugar as a snack with no one blinking an eye. But nowadays send your children to school with anything that contains gluten and you are an evil villain. However this show isn’t just for the cool kids as the parents of these children will laugh just as much at how easy parenting was in their day, and the twenty something’s  fascination with all things 80s pop culture also sees them catered for.

Merrick describes how the show is one of a personal nature to him and that the test run of shorter shows at last year’s Fringe gave him the confidence to know his solo show would be well received. Merrick describes it as a “show that reflects who I am as a person and the things that have influenced me to be the person and father I am now”. This added with his incredible knowledge of Adelaide and the ability to create personalised humour is what sets him apart. Don’t expect jokes about our Mall’s Balls or did we know Glenelg is a palindrome, but instead expect witty and comical statements that only Adelaidians will understand.

Merrick also warns that audience participation can’t be helped if the Perth shows are anything to go by. “People find themselves nodding along and calling out ‘oh that is so me’, because it is just so relatable” The pride in Merrick’s voice when he describes this show is a true testament to why we have waited 23 years to get him on his own, and I’m confident we won’t be disappointed by this ‘down to earth’ bloke who would love everyone to come see his show and love it as much as he does.

So come on Adelaide! Merrick has worked as the show’s write up says “really hard on it and wants you to like it and tell your friends on social media about it because he is very needy and requires constant attention”. So get your hashtag out and let’s get #ManoftheHour trending at this year’s Adelaide Fringe. Did I mention he was nominated for Best Comedy at the World Fringe Festival? Quite an achievement for his first solo show.

If his solo show isn’t enough Merrick for you he is also doing a show with some of the best in the business down at McLaren Vale on the last weekend of the Fringe..

In summary, Merrick would like you to know his show is AWESOME so you should definitely go see it!.

Interview by Tara Forbes

Venue: Studio 7 – Garden of Unearthly Delights
Tickets: $35 – $40  Preview $30
Feb 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25

Bookingshttps://www.adelaidefringe.com.au/

 

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