TALENTED comedian Mark Watson makes a heartfelt return to Cambridge next month as part of his acclaimed national stand-up tour.

TALENTED comedian Mark Watson makes an emotional return to Cambridge next month as part of his acclaimed national stand-up tour.

British comedy’s rising star performs at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Wednesday, November 3 as he makes a heartfelt comeback to his old student digs and the place where he found everlasting love with his wife Emily.

The 30-year-old star of BBC2’s Mock the Week studied at Queens College, Cambridge and said he has “quite a few blurry memories of being on King’s Parade” during his happy years in the city, including watching some of his predecessors in the world of comedy strut their stuff on stage.

He joked: “It’s probably the place with most sentimental attachment - certainly more than Grimsby or Hull.”

“I go back to visit quite often and when I’m on tour I’m always grateful for the opportunity to come to Cambridge.”

Mark started his long climb up the comedy ladder shortly after he left university but had no idea he would one day be captivating audiences with his funny array of personal anecdotes and critiques of current affairs.

The Bristol-born performer is modest about what he calls his “sub-level of fame”, saying: “I’ve been very fortunate with the timing of my career. The comedy scene has really exploded in past few years.”

One of his most notable gigs has been a 36-hour comedy marathon show in Edinburgh but even the comic himself admits: “It’s impossible to do gags the whole time. It’s more like a crazed event and the atmosphere takes on a life of it’s own.”

During his Cambridge performance, he will try to make sense of his life and career as well as what it means to be important with a few well-crafted jokes about fatherhood, train journeys and an obsession with the trickster Derren Brown.

He says he tries to stick to jokes about personal experiences as often as possible because that’s the subject he knows best but still manages to slip in a few gags about current affairs.

Last week he launched his new ITV4 show, Mark Watson Kicks Off, designed for sports fans with concessions to less sporty types and has just published his latest novel, Eleven.

INFORMATION: Tickets cost �16.50 and are available from the Cambridge Corn Exchange Box Office on 01223 357851.