Mark Thomas

Comedy
*****
Mark Thomas – The Manifesto
The Stand

Anyone on the left will be familiar with Mark’s product.  He’s a campaigning, investigative journalist and writer – his books sit alongside Naomi Klein, John Pilger and Tony Cliff on the shelves of progressives.  But he is also a polished and professional stand up comedian, and so accessible to the masses.

In The Manifesto, he seeks to set a new political agenda by using policy suggestions from the audience.  At the end of the show the audience votes, and the winning policy – alongside those of the other thirteen shows – get to be debated with MSPs at a special event held at the end of the run. Fourteen shows.  Fourteen audiences.  Fourteen policies.  An innovative idea.

Mostly though, Mark and the audience are playing it for laughs. “Ban the Labour Party and other right wing groups”, and the winner for tonight: “Require the Daily Mail to print the following on every front page: ‘This is a fictional representation of the news.  Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental’ ” are typical of the fare on offer from us, the audience.  Mark’s prepared material though, of which there is plenty, is exceptionally good stuff.  This is genuinely hysterical campaigning satire which finds the funny in the absurdity of capitalism – with multinationals, MPs, the police, Bob Geldolf and arms dealers all getting the treatment.  Where he is different – and better – than any other popular satirist around today, is that we are left with no doubt about WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

This show, laugh for laugh, has to be, for me, the best of the best on this fringe.  The fact that it’s also a call to arms has to mean that five stars aren’t enough.

MW