Mark Thomas – A night of laughter and poignancy.
This was my first show volunteering for Marsden Mechanics and what a show it was. Mark Thomas has been in the stand-up circuit for 40 years and his humour has remained consistent, witty and all around brilliant and you can see why.
Combining stories from his life with his insightful commentary of the world today, the night started with how he found loopholes within the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 preventing the right to demonstrate within a “designated area” of up to 1km from any point in parliament square unless giving the Met Police written notice and inadvertently broke the Guinness World Record for taking part in the most protests in a single day.
Laughter filled the room as his humour shone through as he regaled the audience with the story of how he saw loopholes and turned them into rather humorous opportunities to poke holes into the law. Eventually the law was changed and during the intermission it felt like I saw a well-crafted set already, one consistent anecdote and a humour to keep the audience entertained.
When the time came for Part 2 this was a more personal set for Mark but two things were prevalent in this set hope and joy. Hope and joy at first seem like something hard to find in these times; but Mark’s humour makes it seem like it’s easy to find. Throughout the set laughter filled the room as Mark told anecdotes about London, caring for his mum alongside his sister and how he finds hope in the world today.
He also has coined a new word for the liquid found at the bottom of a bin or a waste container… I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself.
Overall Mark’s stand-up has made an impact in his 40 years not only through his comedy but through his bold attempts at creating change. This felt like a celebration of his stand-up, activism and his selfless humanitarian work.