Mark Thomas has been announced as the latest big name to star at the 2024 Southport Comedy Festival in association with Halliwell Jones MINI.
Mark will bring his new Gaffa Tapes tour to the heated and seated marquee at Victoria Park in Southport on Saturday, 28th September 2024.
Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes will see the doors open at 7pm and the show starting at 8pm, with tickets (£18.50) available via the Skiddle website: skiddle.com/e/39065513
Tickets for Mark’s show go on sale on Friday 17th May 2024 at 10am.
Age: 16+
Southport Comedy Festival Directors Brendan Riley and Val Brady said: “We are delighted to announce yet another big name for this year’s Southport Comedy Festival in association with Halliwell Jones MINI.
“Comedy legend Mark Thomas makes a return to the festival with a brand new show Gaffa Tapes. Expect Jokes, rants, politics, play and the occasional sing-song.
“If you don’t know what he does, ask your parents.
“In his time he has won multiple awards, forced a politician to resign, changed laws on tax and protest, become Guinness Book of Records world record holder for number of protests in 24 hours, taken the police to court three times and won, walked the length of the Israeli Wall in the West Bank and generally mucked about trying to have fun and upset the right people.
“This show is more of the above.”
“You’ll leave recommitted to the fight against this appalling authoritarian government, to keep that tradition alive.” Guardian 2021
Mark’s now famous mix of stand-up comedy, theatre, journalism and the odd bout of performance art has made him one of our oldest surviving alternative comics.
Often referred to as the ‘godfather of political comedy’ (amidst many other things), Mark has been performing comedy for nearly 40 years.
With a recentish step towards theatre in his last few shows, Mark is back to his finest stand-up form and anti-Tory sentiment in Gaffa Tapes as he sets out on the road this autumn.
In his time, he has won eight awards for performing, three for human rights work… and one he invented for himself.
He has made six series of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product and three Dispatches for Channel 4, made five series of the Manifesto for Radio 4, written five books and four playscripts, curated and authored two art exhibitions with artist Tracey Moberly and was commissioned to write a show for the Royal Opera House.
Mark Thomas joins an already stellar line-up at this year’s Southport Comedy Festival to include undisputed godfather of modern stand-Up Ben Elton, Persian Comedy Powerhouse Omid Djalili, German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn, Festival favourites Jason Byrne, Jimeoin and Star of ITV’S The Chase Paul Sinha ‘The Sinnerman’, comedy stars of TV Jo Caulfield ,Hal Cruttenden, Ria Lina and host of smash hit podcast ‘Have a Word’, Dan Nightingale.
There are even more shows to be announced over the next few weeks so keep your eyes on your inbox or follow Southport Comedy Festival on Facebook and Instagram for more exciting festival announcements.
Southport Comedy Festival Show details
Date: Saturday 28th September
Show: Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes
Door: 7pm
Show:8pm
Tickets: £18.50
Age: 16+
Ticket Link: skiddle.com/e/39065513
PRESS ON ‘ENGLAND & SON’ (2023)
✭✭✭✭✭ “A brilliant piece of political theatre at its most entertaining, engaging and effective” THE MORNING STAR
✭✭✭✭✭ “A searing one-hander that burns on long after the audience has vacated their seats” FEST MAG
✭✭✭✭✭ “A contemporary parable… passion, physicality, and deep compassion – and the performance sings from it” ENTERTAINMENT NOW
✭✭✭✭✭ “Extraordinarily powerful… a stunning performance” SCOTS GAY
✭✭✭✭✭ “A powerful cinematic journey through ecstatic highs and bone-crushing lows as if on a theatrical flying carpet” EDINBURGH REVIEWS
✭✭✭✭✭ “Veering from funny to ferocious… very humorous and deeply moving. Don’t miss this!” NORTH WEST END UK
✭✭✭✭✭ “Thomas is electrifying… an exceptional work…. England & Son is exactly such a rarity! A ‘must see’” THE RECS
✭✭✭✭ “Funny and ferocious” THE GUARDIAN
✭✭✭✭ “A ferocious script, sharply directed and magnificently delivered” THE TIMES
✭✭✭✭ “Expertly played blistering solo” THE TELEGRAPH
✭✭✭✭ “Tremendous energy and real pathos… a tremendous performance from Mark Thomas” THE STAGE
✭✭✭✭ “Exquisitely crafted… the austere moral intensity of script and performance are never compromised” THE LIST
✭✭✭✭ “Fierce and sharp… profound and moving. A triumph for all concerned” WHAT’S ON STAGE
✭✭✭✭ “Heartbreakingly powerful, sharp and tragic… he remains one of the great performer-storytellers of our time” THE SCOTSMAN
✭✭✭✭ “A devastating one-man show” ED FEST MAG
✭✭✭✭ “A harrowing story that has been sensitively written and wonderfully performed” BROADWAY WORLD
✭✭✭✭ “A hurricane of charismatic energy, leaving the audience too gripped to leave and too scared to interrupt” BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE
✭✭✭✭ “It certainly hits home with today’s audience… he has the audience in the palm of the hand” BOUQUETS & BRICKBATS
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
