Mark Thomas (I)

Mark Thomas interview

Mark Thomas has been winding people up for three decades. He is currently appearing at the Leicester Square Theatre with his new show, 100 Acts of Minor Dissent, which charts his ongoing project of a century of protests, from busking illegally in Camden to putting stickers with slogans where they shouldn't be put.

Mark Thomas's top ten stand-up comedians

Mischievous political comedy maestro comic Mark Thomas is back in the West End with a brand new show, 100 Acts of Minor Dissent. But which stand-ups does he rate himself? He talks us through his top ten comedians.

Mark Thomas: My mum's given up on me growing out of it

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas is back to doing what he does best - agitating for change.

Mark Thomas on his latest show

Mark Thomas hardly looks like a revolutionary. He's more ageing mod in his buttoned Crombie and polished Dr Martens. But when we meet on a Sunday morning he reveals that he's been out since 5am chipping away at the capitalist system.

Who would be in your comedy dream team?

Which comedians who work best together? Mark Thomas with Doug Stanhope? Bill Bailey and Richard Ayoade? John Oliver alongside Peter Cook?

A post-Occupy Trigger Happy TV? Mark Thomas minus the Dave Spart earnestness? Politicised pranksters Heydon Prowse and Jolyon Rubinstein return for a second series tonight and, even if their stunts inevitably miss as often as they hit, it's easy to give them the benefit of the doubt.

For a start, they usually pick good targets - a glance at a list of PR company Bell Pottinger's recent clients suggests they're deserving candidates for the kind of treatment they receive here - but also, there is so little current TV with a remotely subversive agenda.

If you suspect that keeping calm and carrying on has become shorthand for enduring - without complaint - any amount of shit being dumped on us by government, vested interests and high finance, this is for you. The Revolution Will Be Televised isn't subtle, but maybe it doesn't need to be. Maybe it's enough to know that someone's still awake.

Mark Thomas's latest comedy product

Prior to it reaching Junction Goole, I spoke to Mark (who sounds uncannily like film director Alan Parker) about his act, influences and what happens when he's completed his 100 acts.

Comedians out in force to protest kazoo ban

Led by comedians Mark Thomas and Bill Bailey, alongside Billy Bragg, the crowd were demonstrating over proposals by Camden Council to require buskers to hold a licence to play a wind and percussion instrument.

Review: Mark Thomas: 100 Acts Of Minor Dissent

Each irritation is met with a retaliation, and Thomas has some great ideas on how everyone can fight back by stickering overpriced or unfairly traded items, or returning junk mail to sender.

Mark Thomas interview

Mark Thomas says "My relationship with TV these days is one of mutual contempt."