On Friday night the sold out Corn Exchange in Dorchester was treated to two and half hours of Mark’s wit, humour, observations and satirical analysis. His ‘In Town’ series now almost six years old has covered the length and breadth of the country including Portland and Bridport. From the obsession with the ‘melancholy’ Thomas Hardy to the barren monstrosity that is Poundbury to the escape made by the Martyrs from the action packed Tolpuddle to Australia and Canada, Dorchester and the surrounding area was given the treatment. Forming the second half of the show the exposition of the town followed stories from other towns and also his inimitable storytelling from the world of politics and sport….
This was my fifth time time seeing Mark which have in the past included his French Revolution show and having a 15 minute chat about his beloved Crystal Palace at the Brighton People’s Assembly meeting. Always approachable (although I did feel a not so subtle animosity when many years ago I asked him where I could get hold of the recordings of his Mark Steel Lecture series – probably because he was entirely fed up with being asked) he has given his time generously over the years to those causes seeking to make society a much fairer place.
Excellent audience interaction especially after the alcohol break gave the second half a spikiness that can be the difference between good and very good. I was very surprised though that some of the audience had not heard of him. In particular his Independent column and his lecture series on BBC4 and Radio 4 (all are now on youtube). Required reading and viewing for all I would enthuse.
Get to know him and buy a ticket when he is back in your town.
Jason Cridland
