Added on October 20, 2013  Edward James

Review: Mark Thomas: 100 Acts Of Minor Dissent – Newcastle Stand

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Mark Thomas’s 100 Acts of Minor Dissent is part-stand up show, part-anarchist manifesto.

The acts of dissent in question form a challenge with a positive outcome (a one-off show followed by a tie-in art installation) and a negative outcome (Thomas donates £1000 to UKIP).

As of Saturday’s show, Thomas has committed 34 acts of minor dissent, so he’s got quite a way to go before May 2014 if he doesn’t want to give any of his hard-earned cash to Nigel Farage.

The show follows a very loose format, in two halves without a warm-up act. Thomas opens by giving some context, explaining how children commit acts of minor dissent with no awareness – in the case of his own children, when they want to stand up to teachers or when they want a new pet.

In his typical confident, open, and natural style, Thomas brings the audience onside with observations on the daily irritations of junk mail, tax dodgers, and chain stores.

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.

The central section of the show focusses on these take-home ideas for minor dissent, encouraging the audience to donate for a set of the stickers he has pre-prepared and place them throughout their local chain shops.

He also advertises a very sensible counterattack on ATOS, the government body who have been denying benefits to the disabled.

After an extended run through the acts of dissent already committed (and the legal reasons they’re allowed), complete with powerpointed photographic evidence, the final part of the show focuses on the ongoing portion of Thomas’ challenge.

He has until May 2014 to reach his goal of 100 acts of dissent, and if he succeeds I for one am very tempted to travel to London for the final art show.

Mark Thomas: 100 Acts of Minor Dissent is a brilliant, laugh-out-loud funny performance by one of the UK’s leading Marxist comedians.

Mind you, if you’re offended by swearing I’d give it a miss.

Date of live review: Saturday 19 October 2013

by Edward James

  • Sharon

    Great gig in Newcastle and the review here is a very sanitised account of the evening which had us laughing constantly for 2 hours from start to finish.

    Mark Thomas’s energy and drive for this project really shine through and I sincerely hope he succeeds. His promise of a one-off 5-hour gig (where he will make everyone’s tea) detailing the 100 Acts he will have committed by then, is too much of a temptation for me not to go and see it.

    His comedy is intelligent, switched on and committed to stamping out injustice wherever it occurs. Definitely food for thought for even the most casual comedy-goer.

    If you’re offended by swearing then what are you doing going to see stand-up?! It’s grown-up comedy from someone passionate about what he believes in and the language used emphasises this to get the message across.