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Mark Thomas, 'The Red
Shed'
Photograph by Tracey Moberley
THE Red Shed is the 3rd part of our
favourite campaigning comic's theatrical trilogy, following the much revered
Bravo Figaro and Cuckooed. Mark returns to the place where it all began; the Red
Shed, a labour club in Wakefield; to celebrate the club's 50th Birthday as he
concludes this tour of his award winning, highly acclaimed performance.
The Shed, home to Mark's 1st public performances, is also a home to dissent, to
organising and to progressive politics, and so it was here that Mark's true
political prowess began. An iconic and vital place for its patrons, this is
where the true meaning of solidarity is found and where you can be part of
history and part of the struggle. A south London lad, born to a Thatcherite
world of self employed builders, labourers and tradesman like his father where
the individual is key, Wakefield's alien traditional labour community awoke a
new determination in Mark and changed his life forever.
Interviewing old friends and comrades, Mark pieces together the club's history
and works alongside it to campaign with some of the poorest workers in the
country. It is the story of the battle for hope and the survival of a community.
It is a tale of :-strikes, fights, dinner ladies, crap beer, good beer, burger
slingers, pickets, placards, commies, friendship, love, history, dreams and,
above all, remembering. Part theatre, part stand up, part journalism, part
activism, Mark realises his obsession with community and struggle.
With every one of his previous solo shows selling out their Edinburgh runs,
snapping up awards and nominations and becoming Radio 4 series, the Fringe would
not be the same without this 'alleged comedian's' explorations.
He's won a Herald Angel award, the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression
award and The Red Shed this year won him is third Scotsman Fringe First
alongside The Stage Special Award. He's stopped arms deals, created a manifesto
and brought the winning policy to parliament, walked the entire length of the
Israeli wall in the West Bank, filmed his own Channel 4 series, written books,
won more awards, held Guinness World Records, investigated everything from
Coca-Cola to Inheritance Tax avoidance, given evidence to Parliamentary Select
Committees, stopped multinational infrastructure deals, been arrested on
numerous occasions and founded a new definition for the word 'Farage.'
More information can be found
online.
Tour dates:-
► Tuesday, 19 September 2017 - READING, South Street:- 0118 937 3456.
► Wednesday, 20 September 2017 - Southport, The Atkinson:- 01704 533 333.
► Friday, 22 September 2017 - GOOLE, Junction:- 01405 763652.
► Saturday, 23 September 2017 - WAKEFIELD, Theatre Royal:- 01924 211311.
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