Comedian plans 2,005-minute show

Watson aims to leave much of his 2005-minute routine unscripted

A comedian who completed a 24-hour stand-up routine last year plans to top it with a 2,005-minute solo show.

Mark Watson plans to spend over 33 hours onstage at the Edinburgh Fringe, aiming to explain history since calendar year zero.

"It's as much an artistic challenge as an endurance challenge," he said.

"I want to represent one year per minute, so doing a routine about the first thousand years will be tough but it will then get much easier."

'Ridiculously long'

Mr Watson plans to leave much of his 2,005-minute show unscripted, hoping to be guided by responses from his audience at the festival.

"I like the idea of doing a show that is so ridiculously long and trying to keep some sort of coherence throughout," he said.

"I may try to sneak in a little nap onstage if no-one is looking."

The winner of the 2002 Open Mic comedy award, Mr Watson ended last year's 24-hour challenge by proposing to his fiancee Emily Howes.

"It has been suggested that I can only top that by announcing she is pregnant at the end of this year's challenge," he said, "but there is a limit to how much of your life you can incorporate into a performance".

The show begins at The Dome at the Pleasance, Edinburgh, on 15 August.