Top political comedian Mark to talk at Lit Fest

Date:18th January 2016. Picture James Hardisty.
Mark Thomas, comedian and political campaigner who is making a film and a show about the role the Labour Club in Wakefield has played in his life and that of the trade unions in the area. — Date:18th January 2016. Picture James Hardisty. Mark Thomas, comedian and political campaigner who is making a film and a show about the role the Labour Club in Wakefield has played in his life and that of the trade unions in the area.

He has won awards for his stage work including a Special Fringe Award for Outstanding Contribution to Edinburgh and for his human rights work.

He has written and presented six series of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product for Channel 4 and five series of The Manifesto for Radio 4.

He is the author of five books on subjects as diverse as the arms trade, Coca-Cola and the Israeli Wall in the West Bank.

His work has changed the law, kyboshed politicians’ careers and has been performed across the world.

As part of Castleford Lit Fest Castleford Born & Bread at Queen’s Mill on Saturday May 20, Mark will be reading from and talking about his new book of plays The Liar’s Quartet.

Funny, provocative and moving, The Liar’s Quartet includes the scripts from Thomas’s most acclaimed comic-political theatre, including The Red Shed about the Wakefield venue at the height of the miner’s strike.

He will then be interviewed by well-known local celebrity broadcaster and writer Ian Clayton.

“I took Mark round all the local old mines when he was researching his play about the miner’s strike and Wakefield’s Red Shed. He had a hazy memory of a particular mine… and I helped him to find it.”

Lorna Malkin, Chief Executive of Castleford’s Heritage Trust based at Queen’s Mill said: “We’re so excited that Mark is coming to back to Castleford, and that the wonderful Ian Clayton will be interviewing him.

“Mark spent a lot of time up here when he was researching Red Shed and it will be great to welcome him back as part of our one day festival as part of our partnership with Beam.

“With Ian and Mark together, we think it’s going to be jam-packed at Queen’s Mill, and we expect the tickets to go very quickly.”

There will be free events - stories, art, music, at Queen’s Mill all day from 10am onwards.

Family friendly events take place from 10am - 3.30pm, adult literary events and licensed bar from 4pm onwards.

The Mark Thomas event starts at 7.30pm, tickets are £5 and booking is essential from either https://www.wakefieldlitfest.org.uk/castleford-born-bread

Castleford Born & Bread is organised by Beam in partnership with Castleford Heritage Trust and funded by Arts Council England.