Mark Steel will be bringing a touch of musical comedy – and a bit of politics – when he stars at Southport Comedy Festival 2023 this autumn.
The acclaimed stand-up comedian has been there and done that. He always delivers something new, from shows in French and hot takes on the state of the nation to stories about his colourful long lost family. Who would have thought this working class lad from Kent’s biological father was a millionaire backgammon player who knew Lord Lucan?
And then there is his topical podcast What The F*** Is Going On…?. and, of course, his Mark Steel’s In Town shows which have become a Radio 4 hit. Expect a flavour of that local humour and more on Steel’s latest tour, An Evening And A Little Bit of A Morning. The title comes courtesy of his late friend Jeremy Hardy, who joked about the length of Steel’s sets. There’s no need to pack your pyjamas though, you’ll be home in time for bed with a smile on your face after a night with Steel.
You can catch him at Southport Comedy Festival in association with Halliwell Jones BMW on Friday 13th October 2023 with tickets on sale now.
The event takes place in their heated and seated Elite Marquees luxury marquee at Victoria Park in Southport.
During the 17-day festival (29th September 2023 – 15th October 12023), Mark Steel will be joined by comedy stars including Irish funnymen and festival favourites Jason Byrne and Jimeoin, world-famous prankster and Lee Nelson creator Simon Brodkin, star of I’m a Celebrity Seann Walsh, Phoenix Nights Clinton Baptiste and King of the one liner and star of Mock the Week Gary Delaney among others.
Mark Steel is on tour this year. Click here for dates: marksteelinfo.com/tour/
Tell me about your new show. I’ve heard that it might include singing and even a spot of piano.
I used to play the piano many moons ago and I decided to do that again. I also sing. I’m planning three songs at the moment, though there may be more – or less if it goes really badly.
Is this going to be Mark Steel Does Elton John?
The comedian Elis James said I should be playing the piano as people arrive. I did a gig at Blackheath Halls recently and there was a grand piano there so I did that at the start of the second half and people were singing along and I thought ‘my god, this is fun’. I do My Old Man’s A Dustman, Mardy Bum by The Arctic Monkeys, The Cure’s Love Cats, some Nick Cave…
Are you muscling in on Bill Bailey’s territory?
The difference is he is a musician and I’m not.
But it does sound like your most showbiz show yet.
I want it to be a show, not just someone shuffling about. Though there is something beautiful about the purity of stand-up, someone just coming on and forming these words. There’s no big set. No sword fight. No one’s going to appear and be put in a box or be chopped in half.
And when you aren’t singing what will you be talking about?
I’m planning to discuss how we should get on with people rather than just scream and yell. I think that most arguments now, especially on social media, seem to be about screaming and yelling and calling people thick and racist. Can’t we try and win people over and and make our case and see if we can convince people rather than just call people names?
But what I want to do onstage most of all is do silly voices and do jokes.
I presume you agree then that the most important thing in comedy is to be funny?
My son Elliot, who is also a stand-up, shows me these clips and says ‘dad, watch this amazing comedian from America’ and after 20 minutes I’m thinking a joke wouldn’t go amiss. Elliot says ‘but comedy is much more than jokes’ and I say, ‘yes, but there’s got to be some…’ Otherwise it’s like going to see a band and you say ‘well, they didn’t do any songs. But they did make a lovely spaghetti carbonara.’
How would you say comedy has changed since you were his age?
He’s currently doing gigs in a ski resort in France. I think the equivalent for me when I was his age was getting very excited when I got told that I had a gig in Ipswich.
People have talked recently about “nepo babies’ – children getting careers because of their parent’s connections. Is Elliot a nepo baby?
Definitely not. You can’t give someone a job as a comedian out of nepotism. They have to be funny. But I do think he grew up around comedy with comedians in the house and I think because of that maybe he thought it was a world that was possible, the same way as if you grew up around accountants, lawyers or astronauts.
Maybe comedy is in his genes…
He did his first gig at Old Rope near Oxford Circus when he was 16 and he was so confident straight away. He took the mic out of the stand perfectly. It took me about a year to learn to do that.
Talking of genetics, have you found out more about your biological family following the discovery that your natural father used to play backgammon with Lord Lucan at the Clermont Club?
My half-sister Cairo Dwek is a model and an artist. And my older half-sister Alexandra used to live in the same Belgravia flat as Koo Stark, who went out with Prince Andrew. I’ve done an audio book about my family, maybe one day I’ll do a show about them.
One of the many things about you that impresses me is that you keep evolving. Do you see yourself as a political comedian these days?
I’m quite puzzled when I’m referred to as a satirist. I don’t think I ever have been that political. Maybe the opening ten minutes of my show at the moment is a bit of a topical rant, but that’s it. I think the very phrase ‘political comedy’ is flawed because I think that all comedy is political in some senses. Maybe not someone like Tommy Cooper, who I loved, but any comedy that’s offering a view. Talking about your family can be political. Someone like Jason Manford you wouldn’t think of as a political comic, but I think he’s very political.
The biggest change in comedy in recent years has probably been the size of gigs. Would you like to play arena shows?
That would be fantastic. I’m really lucky to be able to play theatres. It could be a lot worse. I’m really not going to grumble. But I don’t think I’d like the paraphernalia of being a modern superstar who has to pay someone to make sure that they’re in the newspapers every single day telling everyone about their cat.
You are surrounded by comedy, which must keep you on your toes. As well as your son, your partner is comedian Shaparak Khorsandi? Do you feel like a celebrity couple?
I think we are doing Celebrity Pointless, but we definitely don’t want to be some goofy celebrity couple doing duets on television. God forbid that we’re ever in Hello! magazine, doing a photoshoot with someone going ‘OK, can you just look into each other’s eyes? And can we change the rug and dress the tree for you. And bring a dog in?’
Show details
An Evening and A Little Bit of a Morning With Mark Steel
Friday 13th October 2023
Southport Comedy Festival under canvas at Victoria Park in Southport, Esplanade, Southport, PR8 1RX
Tickets £17+ BF
Age restriction:14+ PG
Doors: 7pm
Show: 8pm
For information and tickets visit southportcomedyfestival.com
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