News / Mark Steel’s coming to town
POPULAR comedian and writer Mark Steel will be applying his sharp wit to all things Shetland when he visits for a stand-up show in Lerwick at the end of March.
‘Mark Steel’s in Town’, based on a BBC Radio 4 series in which he writes a show centred around different towns across the UK, will come to Mareel on Wednesday 25 March.
Steel is a regular on BBC television programmes such as Have I Got News For You and presented the BAFTA-nominated Mark Steel Lectures for BBC2.
He has also written several acclaimed books including ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ and ‘What’s Going On’, while he writes a humorous weekly column for The Independent newspaper.
Talking about ‘Mark Steel’s in Town’, the man himself says it is “a sparkling verdict on humanity that I’ve mocked them all and somehow am still alive”.
“I’ve stood behind a Londoner on a cliff in Dorset, who said to his wife ‘That lighthouse is getting on my bloody wick’,” Steel said. “I’ve seen rivalries such as that in Corby: when I thanked a librarian for finding me a book and she replied ‘Yes, because here we’re not like those miserable arses from Kettering’.
“I’ve even read a book called ‘A History of the Railway in Didcot’ that starts ‘This book is in no way a history of the railway in Didcot’.”
He added: “For this show I’ve found dozens more towns to humiliate, as well as pledging to discover what makes your own town ridiculous.
“There will be pictures, and ranting, some people will call things out, and you’ll be a far better audience than the miserable arses from down the road.”
The show is being presented by Off the Kerb Productions in association with Ragged Wood and Shetland Arts.
Neil Riddell of Ragged Wood said: “This should be a unique opportunity to hear a top class comedian focusing his rapier wit on local matters. I’m sure he won’t find it too difficult to find some things in Shetland to gently poke fun at.”
- Tickets for ‘Mark Steel’s in Town’ at Mareel on Wednesday 25 March are priced £15 and are on sale now at Shetland Box Office.
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