h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"Aye, there's the rub" - my mate Bill

The audience for satirists is always going to be people who choose to watch them. Once a reputation is established, people who don't like the performer won't go to see them. Therefore they preach to the converted. That's the problem. The trick, if you can do it, is to take the satire out to where it should be heard. Bremner can't do that anymore, and to a great extent neither can Mark Thomas.

Shame.

Geoff

"Sometimes he bases his show around minor government abuses of some little law and comes across more as a nit-picking bureaucrat than an anarchic truth-seeker."

If you ever get the chance to see him live, then do so. His recent 'Dambusters' show in Edinburgh was fantastic, and dealt with the abuse of the Kurdish people in Turkey - not something that can be described as minor. His show could probably described as more political than funny - at points it was pretty uncomfortable - but was better because of that, no need to be 'funny' to satisfy post-Frasier viewers (or whenever he was on).

Yeah, that's the stuff I think he's best at

A friend of mine went to see Mark Thomas in Manchester recently (I was performing myself that night or I'd have gone myself)

He's a fan, but came away quite disappointed; if you pay umpteen quid at the Comedy Store you expect to be entertained. Challenged? yes; provoked? yes; even offended; but entertained. You shouldn't have to pay to attend a political rally, which is what my friend felt he was at. And bear in mind that he's a fan.

Perhaps I was more prepared, what with seeing Naomi Klein at the book festival, and Jello Biafra in the months before.