Mark Thomas: 40 in Stand Up Years

Mark Thomas is back at Komedia on Monday 2 November, with a new stand-up show celebrating 40 years at the mic. He's billed as one of the oldest surviving alternative comics, and the night is a look back at four decades of performing. He's picked up eight awards for his comedy and another four for his human rights work, and the show is described as a mix of political and personal mayhem, jokes, rants and a state of the nation broadcast.

If you've only come across him through the TV, there's a fair bit more to the story. He did six series of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product for Channel 4, five series of The Manifesto on Radio 4, and three Dispatches for Channel 4. He's written six books and five play scripts, and he's sued the police and won three times. He also curated and authored two art exhibitions with artist Tracey Moberly and holds a Guinness World Record for holding 20 protests in 24 hours.

There's a strong activist streak running through it all, too. He walked 724km around the length of the Israel Wall in the West Bank, started a comedy club in Palestine with Dr Sam Beale, and campaigned for trade union recognition for cinema workers. This show brings that mix of the political and the personal together on stage.

It's at Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN, on Monday 2 November.