The Red Shed is the third part of our favourite campaigning comic’s theatrical trilogy, which began with the multi award winning, critically acclaimed Bravo Figaro and Cuckooed, and concludes in yet another nationwide tour this autumn as Mark returns to the place where it all began – the Red Shed, a labour club in Wakefield – to celebrate the club’s 50th birthday.
The Shed, home to Mark’s first 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 two Scotsman Fringe Firsts. 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’.
www.markthomasinfo.com / TWITTER: @markthomasinfo
★★★★★ “Inspirational…Mark has his audience roaring and cheering” SCOTSGAY
★★★★★ “A full and full-on hour of everything you’d expect” ONE4REVIEW.CO.UK
★★★★★ “As ever it’s a fine mix of humour and startling facts about the powers that be” THE MUMBLE
★★★★ ½ “Raw and passionate… Thomas is an excellent raconteur” PUBLIC REVIEWS
★★★★ “Plenty to amuse and worry you…he makes his point… and keeps us laughing as he does… too inventive and impassioned to deny” THE TIMES
★★★★ “As always, Thomas’s powerful, persuasive storytelling shines through… a galvanising hour” METRO
★★★★ “Trespass proves first and foremost that he’s a consummate comic and crackerjack storyteller with heroically undimmed principles” THE SCOTSMAN
★★★★ “Making you laugh, making you think and making you angry is a fine mix, one which Mark Thomas perfected long ago” THREEWEEKS
★★★★ “If you look up the word “raconteur” in the dictionary, I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw Mark Thomas smiling impishly out from the pages… Trespass is a great piece of feel-good stand up” BROADWAY BABY
★★★★ “He is, as ever, a man with a mission to shake us out of our acquiescence to ‘things as they are’.” EDINBURGH GUIDE
★★★★ “Inspiring… a brilliant model of performance, art and politics” TO DO LIST
“Timely, important and inspiring” CHORTLE
TOUR DATES
SEPTEMBER VENUE BOX OFFICE
Fri 16th-Sat 17th LIVERPOOL, Everyman 0151 709 4776
Tues 20th-Thurs 22nd BRISTOL, Redgrave Theatre 0117 315 7602
Fri 23rd-Sat 24th NOTTINGHAM, Lakeside Arts Centre (2 shows per day) 0115 846 7777
Weds 28th CAMBRIDGE, Junction 01223 511 511
Thurs 29th MILTON KEYNES Stables 01908 280800
Fri 30th COLCHESTER, Arts Centre 01206 500900
OCTOBER
Tues 4 th LONDON, North Finchley Arts Depot 020 8369 5454
Thurs 6th-Sat 8th GLASGOW, Tron 0141 552 4267
Tues 11th WINCHESTER, Theatre Royal 01962 840440
Thurs 13th SALE, Waterside Arts Centre 0161 9125616
Tues 18th -Weds 19th BIRMINGHAM, MAC (2 shows per day) 0121 446 3232
Fri 21st DIDCOT, Cornerstone 01235 515144
Sat 22nd SOUTHAMPTON, Nuffield Theatre 023 8067 1771
Thurs 27th SOUTHEND ON SEA, Comedy Festival
NOVEMBER
Tues 1st STOCKTON, Arc 01642 525199
Weds 2nd -Fri 4th LEEDS, West Yorkshire playhouse 0113 213 7700
Tues 8th HOVE, The Old Market (2 shows) 01273 201 800
Weds 9th HASTINGS, St Mary in the Castle 01424 715880
Tues 15th LINCOLN, Drill Hall 01522 873894
Weds 16th LEICESTER, The Y 0116 2557066
Thurs 17th CHELTENHAM, Bacon Theatre 01242 258002
Fri 18th FROME, Merlin Theatre 01373 465949
Tues 22nd PENRITH, Old fire Station 01768 899444
Weds 23rd KENDAL, Brewery Arts Centre 01539 725 133
Thurs 24th READING, South Street (2 shows) 0118 960 6060
Tues 29th BLACKWOOD, Miners Institute 01495 227206
Weds 30th BRIDPORT, Arts Centre 01308 424 204
DECEMBER
Thurs 1st BRIDGWATER, Macmillan Theatre 01278 556677
Tues 6th FOLKESTONE, Quarterhouse Arts Centre 01303 858500
Thurs 8th STRATFORD, Arts House 01789 207100
Fri 9th HALIFAX, Square Chapel Arts Centre 01422 349422
Sat 10th LANCASTER, The Dukes 01524 598500