Review: Mark Thomas, It’s the Stupid Economy, Galway Arts Festival 2009
I first saw Mark Thomas during the Galway Arts Festival two years ago, promoting his book As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela. He was animated, funny, angry and- not really reaching the audience. Last Saturday night I realised why: most people there didn’t give a shit about loopholes in international arms law unless they parked a tank in their sittingroom and shelled the widescreen television. This was in contrast to the palpable tension and raw energy of last week’s audience in the Radisson Hotel. The reason? Thomas was railing against banks, the credit orgy and the failure of the political class, common ground for everyone there.
Thomas was in full voice as soon as he took to the stage, possibly the benefit of having played here before, and also of having a show that wasn’t a retreading of vast tracts of his book (a symptom of his last show: I’d read the book beforehand and practically all the material came word for word from it). The show was largely audience driven: Thomas is currently drawing up and campaigning for a people’s manifesto based on the suggestions from the audience. All suggestions were welcome, no matter how outlandish, and the outlandish came thick and fast; one woman wanted the right to several husbands, to which Thomas replied just have an affair, don’t marry them. Another suggestion was that teenagers be temporarily sterilised- “how the fuck do you temporarily sterilise someone?” He had a keen ear for the heckler too, a few people muttering were made present the findings of their mutter to the rest of the audience.
Thomas solution to impotence is action. In the case of the expenses scandal in the UK, where one MP had a moat installed courtesy of the taxpayer, Thomas went for a swim in it, being a taxpaying part owner. Another MP had one of her bay plants taken, which is now on a tour of the UK: she’s receiving postcards from it every so often. Based on another show’s suggestion, he’s of the opinion that a state funeral for Margaret Thatcher might not be the best idea. As the decision on state funerals rests with the Queen, Thomas has helpfully started a postcard campaign, and asked the Irish audience to help by sending one of the postcards:
You can click on that and print it off if you want to confuse the Queen with postcards from Ireland.
The show was rowdy, powerful stuff, and Thomas was engaging, charming, loud and fearless. There were several suggestions vying to be included in his in pile, and the audience vote was so close it was hard to call. But as someone pointed out from the audience, this is Ireland, you can vote until you get it right. Thomas placed all of the remainders in the in pile, smiled and said, yes, this is Ireland, you can vote as many times as you like. They’re all in!
(An aside: it needs to be said, the Radisson barstaff who were completely useless, taking 20 minutes to serve flat stout and attempting to close the bar before having served people who’d queued half and hour.)
Thanks to Gwen in the Galway Arts Festival press office for the tickets.
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Great review, I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Thomas soon.
I wish he was back on the telly. The Mark Thomas Comedy Product was fantastic.