comedy feature
West Country Ramblings
Sophie George talks to Mark Olver about his new show ‘Ramble On’
"I thought, I’m 33 and my biggest achievement to date is winning the ‘Pro Evolution Soccer’ world championships on the PlayStation. Surely I could achieve something more worthwhile? So I decided to walk from Bristol to Edinburgh” reveals Mark Olver, whose new show ‘Ramble On’ is based on his experiences from this hike.
So, where did the idea of a walk come from? “I’ve always been interested in left wing history, the rights of the workers. And the concept of a march kept coming up, such as the Jarrow march from Newcastle to London and I just thought wow, what an achievement.” To add to the challenge, Mark didn’t book a single hotel for the trip and relied instead on the kindness of strangers. “I wanted as diverse an experience as possible, to meet lots of new people and listen to their stories.” The trek certainly gave him plenty of material for his show, so much so that he can’t fit it all in. “An hour isn’t long enough, so I can’t say everything each time meaning the show varies daily.”
Perhaps Mark’s warm conversational style of comedy stems from his previous job as a careers advisor. “I like hearing what other people have to say and in my show I’ll always chat to the audience. I don’t like to just go through the motions, it’s about reacting to the audience’s mood. Of course, this means that some shows go better than others.”
Having advised people to become lawyers, writers, accountants and doctors, what guidance would Mark give to comedians just starting out and trying to break through at this year’s Fringe? “Getting what you want is all about hard work, it’s the same for every job. You have to take every opportunity, take every job no matter how rubbish the place or the pay; basically you can’t say no.”
Mark certainly knows about gritting his teeth and pulling through a bad situation. During an early gig he came onto the stage, tripped and broke his leg yet managed to keep the audience laughing until the ambulance arrived. This can be seen as his big break (excuse the pun) creating publicity and providing a good story to set him apart from other comedians. Less well known is the fact that Mark was offered the opportunity to screen test for the part of Gareth in the BBC’s show ‘The Office’. Does he see this as a missed chance? “I’ve been friends with Stephen Merchant since I was fourteen. After one of my shows in Bristol he told me about this new programme he wanted to produce. At the time I was a little unimpressed, there seemed to be a lot of mediocre office-based comedy around at the time, so I didn’t do the screen test. I sometimes wonder how different a Gareth I would have been, although now I can’t imagine anyone topping Mackenzie Crook’s performance. Gareth is a weird looking West Country man, and that’s exactly me: while Mackenzie Crook may play it, I live that role!”
Being a Bristol man, born and bred, how is Mark enjoying being in Edinburgh for his third solo show? “I was feeling a little deflated last week, but now I’m loving it. The Festival audience is different to my usual crowd. Here, I can tell more stories and it’s great to have an hour-long set rather than twenty minutes.”
Will he be doing any more walking? “Absolutely, it’s a great way to see the countryside and I’m hoping to climb Arthur’s Seat while I’m here.” So, keep an eye out for him along the Crags.
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Mark Olver's 'Ramble On' was on at the Underbelly.
published: Oct-2008
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