Mark Steel's In Town. Mark Steel. Image credit: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Mark Steel's In Town

Mark Steel's In Town - In The Press

Recent stories from our news team:

Radio weekly #7 - Mark Steel's in Town

This week saw the return of the multi-award winning stand-up radio series Mark Steel's in Town, in which the socialist comic performs some specially tailored stand-up to the locals of a particular town.

Written by Ian Wolf. Giggle Beats, 12th December 2011

Legend has it that when the Crimean War came to an end, Berwick-upon-Tweed - which, caught between England and Scotland, always had to be mentioned separately in legal documents - was left off the end of the Treaty of Paris, and so remained at war with Russia.

In 1966 the UK correspondent of Pravda travelled north to declare peace, but Mark Steel wrote to the Foreign Office to clarify matters anyway.

It responded: "If Berwick-upon-Tweed is at war with Russia they certainly haven't informed us."

It sounds as if they were entering into the spirit of Mark Steel's in Town, a jolly romp around places that are off the beaten comedy-gig track, in which he mugs up on the location and delivers a bespoke show. The third series kicked off in Berwick, whose split identity makes it an assured winner in the comedy department. It has switched allegiance 13 times, Steel reported. "The last time, the mayor said, 'Thank Christ for that - I couldn't stand another bloody Scottish winter.'"

It's not just an Anglo-Scots thing, he observed: it's Border Scots versus North-east England: "When you see salmon swimming up the Tweed, you must be unsure whether to sit on the riverbank, gently fishing for them, or wade through the river shouting, 'Who are you looking at, yer pink bastard?'"

I hope Steel wouldn't mind my saying, though, that for all his good work - and it is consistently the funniest programme on the radio - the best remark was from a local woman: "If Berwick was an animal I think it would be an octopus. Because it looks quite simple just lying here, but when it moves it moves in all directions."

Chris Maume, The Independent on Sunday, 11th December 2011

Mark Steel's In Town, by Mark Steel

Many books are compared to Priestley's English Journey but Steel is as perceptive as JB and far funnier.

Written by Christopher Hirst. The Independent, 2nd December 2011

Mark Steel reveals why UK towns are anything but boring

They might have identikit chain stores and car parks - but every town in Britain has a distinct character. So argues comedian Mark Steel, who has made provincial pilgrimages from Basingstoke to Wigan.

Written by Mark Steel. The Independent, 5th November 2011

Local colour takes Mark Steel's comedy out of routine

Comedian Mark Steel certainly enjoys a challenge - he's performing a different gig at every location on his tour. As he swots up on material for Cardiff, he shares some local anecdotes with Dave Freak.

Written by Karen Price. Western Mail, 19th February 2011

Mark Steel's in Town- the review

On Friday night popular TV and radio comedian Mark Steel performed to a packed house in the New Phoenix Cinema. The performance was recorded as the last show in his BBC Radio 4 series 'Mark Steel's in Town' which will be broadcast on 12th May at 6.30pm.

All About Orkney, 3rd May 2010

Mark Steel's in Town drops into Dumfries and Kirkwall

For Mark Steel's in Town, the comic drops into six UK locations to discover what makes them and their inhabitants peculiarly unique.

Written by Brian Donaldson. The List, 16th April 2010

Stand-up almost always fails on radio, simply because at some point during the transfer between stage and studio, a keen comedy producer decides that there should be a concept. Why not have the comedian pretend to be an agony aunt? Or get the audience to shout out news topics? Or - and this is truly shuddersome - how about taking a few jokes and turning them into sketches?

Mark Steel's in Town has the dreaded concept: veteran comic Mark Steel turns up at a nondescript UK municipality, spends time there and creates a bespoke stand-up show. But this concept works because we hear none of the research, nothing of Mark chatting to locals, hanging out in local libraries and pubs. We just get a straightforward stand-up show with a receptive audience. It's great.

On Wednesday, in the first of his new series, Steel took us to Dartford in Kent. The resulting very funny half-hour took in gypsy tart, the pedants' revolt and - I was very impressed by this - an email from Mick Jagger, on holiday in Mustique, comparing the joys of his vacation location to the delights of Dartford, where he was born. Neither snotty nor sycophantic, Steel tied it all together with generous humour. Next week he visits my home town of Wilmslow. I am on tenterhooks (most uncomfortable, I must say).

Miranda Sawyer, The Observer, 11th April 2010

Radio Review: Mark Steel's in Town

A little local knowledge helps Mark Steel dish the dirt on Dartford, writes Elisabeth Mahoney.

Written by Elisabeth Mahoney. The Guardian, 8th April 2010

Mark Steel in "The Knightsbridge of the north"

Mark Steel was in town last night to perform his stand up comedy show all about Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.



Written by Lisa Reeves. Wilmslow.co.uk, 13th February 2010

A new series and rabbits and Chas 'n' Dave

A few weeks ago I began the awkward business of starting work on a second series.

Written by Mark Steel. Mark Steel Info, 13th January 2010

A wry look at life on Portland

Comedian Mark Steel won over Portlanders with a wry look at island life. His routine, which will be broadcast on Radio 4 next Wednesday, featured the Echo's Portland Correspondent Hilda Swinney and local historian Stuart Morris.

Written by Diarmuid MacDonagh. The Dorset Echo, 18th April 2009

Mark Steel says Merthyr Tydfil has lost its fighting spirit

Comedian Mark Steel's current Radio 4 series sees him performing bespoke gigs in Britain's less celebrated towns. Gavin Allen talks to him about tonight's show which he recorded in Merthyr Tydfil.

Written by Gavin Allen. South Wales Echo, 15th April 2009

Mark Steel interview

Comedian Mark Steel talks about his latest radio venture, his reality show dreams with Anne Widdecombe, and what he's up to next...

Written by Simon Brew. Den of Geek, 1st April 2009

And I should mention Mark Steel's In Town, in which the comedian visits small towns across the UK and tailor-makes a stand-up routine for the locals. Last week was Boston, which bore Steel's mickey-taking about its lack of hills with amusement. A simple idea, kindly and wittily executed by another unfashionably humane Englishman. Thank Gaia they still exist.

Miranda Sawyer, The Observer, 29th March 2009

Mark Steel gets the Yorkshire relish

No Yorkshire stereotype was left untapped when Mark Steel tried to make them laugh in Skipton - and succeeded.

Written by Chris Campling. The Times, 24th March 2009

Writer and comedian Mark Steel goes on tour, visiting six different towns across the UK and tuning into their foibles.

After delving into the history of each town, and getting to know the people, he creates a bespoke stand-up show which is performed before a local audience.

His destinations are Lewes, Skipton, Boston, Walsall, Merthyr Tydfil and one more yet to be confirmed. Maybe it's your town.

Alan Cookman, The Sentinel, 18th March 2009

Mark Steel: The significance of a concrete hippo in Walsall

Each year, if you travel round the country, you see every town becoming more depressingly impersonal and identical. You could be in Inverness, Plymouth or Norwich and guarantee the shopping precinct consisted of a Body Shop, H&M, Clinton Cards, a shut-down Woolworths, a Wetherspoon, a fake Irish pub, a Nando's, a Pizza Hut with yawning teenager and glass screw-top jar of stuck-together parmesan cheese, River Island, Boots, Vodafone, a student in plastic bib overly keen to sign you up for Amnesty International and a bunch of Peruvians playing "I just Called To Say I Love You" on the poxy pan-pipes.

Written by Mark Steel. The Independent, 18th March 2009

Comedian puts Skipton in the spotlight

Radio Four listeners will be transported to Skipton next week. For, on Wednesday, they will be able to hear the first of a new six-part series by veteran stand-up comedian, author and commentator Mark Steel. For the series, Mark visits six UK towns and delves into their history, people and idiosyncrasies to try to work out what makes the place distinctive. And Skipton is his first port of call.

Carven Herald and Pioneer, 13th March 2009