I’d spent the past two weeks working my way into gigs for free and I was pretty worried that Mark Thomas was going to be one of the more tricky additions. Having been axed from my unpaid position at DIY festival blog 'the mumble' I figured that I'd be hitting the free fringe train if I was going to be practicing my brand of journalism. Mark was doing a free talk at Word Power Books in Newington so I headed over there to a crammed room. Its events like this that let you know who the good guys are. Aye, Marks selling books right enough but he's always had an unprecedented drive toward making change in the world while he's at it. Doing free things like this is one way of proving this, especially when your main gig is selling out on every occasion.
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| Mark Thomas at Word Power Books |
Thomas isn't your regular stereotypical ‘A’ wearing anarchist, he disguises the word in a sea of political knowledge that many people don't associate with it. He describes some of his associates and one of them happens to be with potential Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who he had just been photographed with along with fellow comedian Mark Steel. At this event, in this tiny but brilliantly stocked book shop, Mark talks of his excitement generated by the recent Scottish Referendum and the even more recent Labour leadership race. Being an anarchist he reaches out to those things he perceives as having the highest likely hood of social change, veering away from capitalism, and it is interesting that Corbyn has latched on to such comedians while at the Edinburgh fringe. After years of Tory liar Labour, Corbyn is a breath of fresh air. Although he is entrenched in the Labour Party he seeks the approval of those who appreciate Marks words. One perfect, unpremeditated and wordy response in how Thomas perceived the referendum was 'it wasn't about tracing your ancestors back to the peaty soil of Skye,' and it's true for us Scots it wasn't about that, why would it be. In fact his words included 'absolutely fantastic' and that's coming from a London centric.
Mark lists his influences as comedians such as Dave Allen, Alexie Sayle and Peter Cook. Punk rock music, particularly Crass and the Fluxus art movement of the 1960's. All of these being political in nature it becomes obvious that this humorous and artistic view into world of politics had begun at an early age. He professes that it was Dave Allen that taught him what apartheid was when he had appeared on television. He'd asked his own Dad what is was all about but I know how hard it was directing such questions to an adult in the eighties, far less in the 70's! T.V., for all its flaws, finds its way to be a teacher. Mark uses this as an opportunity to introduce his book, 'As used on the Famous Nelson Mandela,'(2007) the gritty and frightening world of the arms trade. He then introduces 'The People's Manifesto,' (2010) which brims over with hilarious ideas for new political policies coming directly from his audiences. At this stage we see a transformation in the style of performance and data collection. It turns into being more about getting people to think for themselves instead of going out into a dangerous world to gather it, and it’s funny, really funny. That's what is so great about Marks kind of humour and all this has to stem from his political beliefs. He is taking these ideas and putting them in books, he doesn't profess them to be his own however. He admitted to me that he was vain the other day, as in he reads all his own tweets. A truly vain person would have kept all those ideas for his own, but he is happier laughing and being part of the group. Names of places and people reeled out so that the credit becomes shared. This lack of self-centeredness was in evidence at his show at the fringe last year. Even after being betrayed by a friend, who was working undercover to infiltrate his group, vengeance didn't overcome him. Exposing the system that created the problem became the issue. This is true even in his writing, just as much as he likes to take centre stage it's always about a much bigger picture than just himself and I get to see this put into action again at his show, Trespass.
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| Mark at Tresspass +Summerhall |
Suddenly while sitting in Edinburgh's Summerhall we are slapped back down in London. But Mark has maps and beautiful descriptions of these places that he loves and walks around. He talks about many of my favourite things, performance art, Guerrilla Gardening, the KLF and Gonzo journalism so even though I've not spent much time in London it's not going to matter, I know where he's coming from. He notices over time how public spaces are gradually getting stolen by gated communities and corporations, this isn't exclusive to London. Edinburgh has its fair share of this kind of thing going on. What better way to object to these things than by taking them back, and if you’re going to take them back then let’s do it in a ridiculous way. The actions Mark describes take on a surreal bent, it’s a lot like what Withnail would be like if his concerns were less to do with alcohol and more to do with making the world a bit more fair and Marks Londoner accent does seem to chime along with that of stoner Danny from the movie. We are witness to him naming his friends, people he wouldn't be without once again and although he's in the centre of it all it’s not just about him. He even names the projectionist by name and it was endearing to me that this was a mate of mine, Chris. He'd been at the door as I'd tried to sneak in and gave me a hug. I'd been a bit worried Mark would be disappointed at my lack of ability at sneaking in (the show is called Trespass after all) but I'd have to admit the girl collecting tickets was just way to on it for any Jedi mind tricks this time round.
He describes playing a game of cat and mouse at The Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in London and really winds the door staff there up. Walking around a restricted triangle of asphalt instead of on it, and getting his friends to join in at a later date. He heads to Oxford where the council plans to ban buskers from the most central part of the city. He draws with chalk round said line capturing the attention of city officials before heading into town where 'I must not write with chalk on the pavement' ends up being exactly what is written all over the pavement. Not just by himself but by crowds of people, including a school from Poland whose teacher said it would be good for their English. This is true in more than one way. Later he dresses up as Shaun the sheep, jogging, only to get arrested but I guess this is what happens when people know you are Mark Thomas. They know it’s bound to be a protest, even if it wasn't the intention you've been able to do so many annoying things to the establishment that they see you coming from 50 miles away. A sad, sad state of affairs, but I guess that why these shows, or performances, can just keep on getting sillier and for Mark I'm sure he's going to take great enjoyment in all of this. Being that he is an inventive person I can’t see it stopping anytime soon. Like the spoon in the Matrix the law is only there to be bent in Thomas' mind and with the police as well as the NHS and fire service taking cuts they could probably all do with the help of those that oppose what’s becoming increasingly monetary based corporate law. Mark leaves the stage dripping with sweat. The show is testament to his passionate response to this world that we find ourselves and I couldn’t rate it more highly.
To try to work round the fringes of the law and to try to capture the imagination of others while doing so is a way to get people to participate in cultural change. By encouraging people to think differently. To show what is possible and try and demonstrate how society is failing vulnerable people in favour of the monetary benefit of a few is what Mark is telling us by producing this show. It's a statement about how life can be a lot better by working together, by not dismissing people because of their flaws. In a failing system sometimes laughter is the only way to deal with things. Everyone has something valuable to give and it’s important to recognize those people who sometime give too much to their own detriment. Mark Thomas is a perfect example of a person who has managed to strike a balance with these things and he will always be one of my hero's, thanks Mr. Thomas for being one of the good guys!
If you've read this far Mark then I thought you might appreciate this, this is the cop I photographed last year during the fringe when we were demonstrating against the bombardment of Palestine, thought he might be a contender for the arsey pigs calendar. Me and my cousin just ended up getting right up his nose by constantly asking for the phone number of the tattooed one behind him. In fact I'd go as far as to say we attempted stalking him, it was very funny walking up to the vans and giving a description of him to be told that he wasn't going to be out that day. I've no doubt he was hiding in a van some place. Thanks so much for allowing me to review your show. It was brilliant and restored my faith in art actions! |
| David Cameron sucks! |
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