Mark’s now famous mix of standup, theatre, journalism and the odd bout of performance art has made him one of our oldest surviving alternative comics. Often referred to as the ‘godfather of political comedy’ (amidst many other things), Mark has been performing comedy for nearly 40 years. With a recentish step towards theatre in his last few shows, Mark is back to his finest stand-up form and anti-Tory sentiment in Gaffa Tapes, his latest Edinburgh offering.
If you don’t know what Mark does, ask your parents. In his time, he has won 8 awards for performing, 3 for human rights work… and 1 he invented for himself. He has made 6 series of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product and 3 Dispatches for Channel 4, made 5 series of the Manifesto for Radio 4, written 5 books and 4 playscripts, curated and authored 2 art exhibitions with artist Tracey Moberly and was commissioned to write a show for the Royal Opera House. He has forced a politician to resign, changed laws on tax and protest, become the Guinness Book of Records world-record holder for number of protests in 24 hours, taken the police to court three times and won (the fourth is in the pipeline), walked the length of the Israeli Wall in the West Bank (that’s 724km), and generally mucked about trying to have fun and upset (shall we say) the right people.
Image Credit: Steve Ullathorne
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Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Join us at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh for a mixed-bill five act show every Saturday!
READ MORELet your hair down at the end of the week with fabulous Friday fun at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh!
READ MORESusan Morrison, host of BBC Radio Scotland's 'Time Travels', will take you through some of Scotland's seediest, skankiest and scandalous history. And the funniest.
READ MOREMarvel as resident duo Stu & Garry weave comedy magic from your suggestions in this long-running improvised show at The Stand Edinburgh!
READ MORETwo of Scotlands stand out stars, Jay Lafferty and Liam Withnail, preview their work in progress shows at The Stand Edinburgh.
READ MORERound off the weekend with our comedy cocktail which has the emphasis on the chilled and the laid back. At least five acts on each bill ensure variety and great value.
READ MOREKrystal Evans and Sam Lake bring you dirty previews of their pretty new shows to prepare for their big launch at the Edinburgh Fringe.
READ MOREAyo Adenekan makes his highly anticipated Fringe debut with a hilarious and heartfelt show about growing up in Scotland.
READ MOREAward-winning writer, podcaster, comedian and BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Matt Chorley, brings his new show to The Stand Edinburgh on Wednesday 9th July!
READ MOREBack with an all female cast, Singin I'm No a Billy SHE'S a Tim will have you laughing and crying so hard, you'll be begging for full time!
READ MOREOne of the world’s most celebrated improv shows EVER heads back to the Fringe for its 19th year with a brand new and as-yet unknown run of original, hilarious, and unpredictable one-off musicals!
READ MOREShamilton, one of the most popular shows at the festival is back after selling out its previous three years and accumulating a Fringe fan-base that has never been seen before.
READ MOREMaking her debut from Melbourne Australia, let Robyn Reynolds PLUNGE you into a hilarious (and deeply personal) show at the Assembly Roxy this August.
READ MORESTARDUST is a Fringe debut from Punchdrunk’s Kat McGarr, in which we see Kat transform personal grief into something absurd, funny, and profound.
READ MOREThe solid gold, diamante-studded hit is back, bigger and more sparkly than ever in a run at the Fringe from 30 July – 24 August!
READ MORELola is a vibrant new dance musical fusing passionate contemporary flamenco with the rousing rhythms of Latin pop and jazz. Catch it at the EICC as part of the Fringe!
READ MORENobody Cares is a hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest tribute to recovering ingenues, mothers, and anybody working on themselves.
READ MOREJohn Wick. John Wick Chapter 2. John Wick Chapter 3. What do these movies have in common? Woody Fu has seen them. Now, he’s embodying the world’s favourite Canadian action star Keanu Reeves.
READ MOREThe Edinburgh Fringe returns from 30th July to 25th August 2025 with artists and performers taking to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste.
READ MOREA New York Times Critic's Pick! This is a marriage farce by Edward Einhorn about Stein and Toklas in which four actors play over 30 characters. Catch it at the Fringe!
READ MOREGarry Starr is back! The multi-award-winning, sartorially shy comic wunderkind returns to the Fringe with his acclaimed anarchic masterclass: Garry Starr: Classic Penguins!
READ MORE69 sketches in an hour! The UK's fastest sketch show returns to the Fringe for its sixth year, featuring new sketches for 2025!
READ MOREIn a landmark moment for the UAE comedy scene, Saaniya Abbas is set to become the first local comic to officially debut a solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe this August.
READ MOREMartin Brock is back at the Fringe with an electrifying, one-of-a-kind spectacle of slick, mind-bending magic, laugh-out-loud comedy, cutting-edge video production and astonishing illusions!
READ MORETrainspotting Live returns to The Pleasance at EICC for the Edinburgh Fringe 2025! Early booking recommended!
READ MOREGooses Quizzes, Edinburgh’s premier quiz company, has announced the return of its popular show, The Elimination Game, to the Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
READ MOREFeaturing brand-new routines for 2025! You'll leave astounded at the speed of MC Hammersmith's brain, the spontaneity of his punchlines, and the stability of his upbringing.
READ MOREMarnina and Micah just got married, and except for some bed bugs, a judgy couples therapist and their wedding venue burning down, everything was pitch perfect.
READ MOREVacuum Girl is a live presentation of a television pilot that follows a woman living through surreal dissociations in New York.
READ MOREJessica Durand is (very bravely) staging her very own self-insert Downton Abbey fanfiction for a live audience as part of the Fringe Festival!
READ MOREReturning to the Fringe from Montréal acclaimed company, We All Fall Down Interdisciplinary Creations, presents Because You Never Asked in the intimate surroundings of Summerhall’s Main Hall.
READ MOREThe 900 are the UK’s first and only Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater cover band and you can catch them at La Belle Angele on 1st August!
READ MOREForth on the Fringe is the annual one stop shop for all the essential acts you need to see at this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Catch it at Edinburgh Playhouse on 1st & 2nd August!
READ MOREAnatomy of Pain is beautifully crafted and deeply moving, an interdisciplinary performance must-see for anyone seeking to understand the human cost of systemic failings.
READ MOREContinuing the creative spirit, Theatre Ronin recreates folklore and emotional landscapes. A practice of Zen awaits you!
READ MOREJourney through the life and work of these enigmatic artists back to the place when you first heard the remarkable sounds of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
READ MORECome behind the scenes at your least favourite dating apps and meet the girl who's pulling the strings!
READ MOREFrank Sanazi storms back into Edinburgh to deliver his signature mix of darkly hilarious tunes and extreme comedy!
READ MOREAfter a sell-out run last year, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon planetarium experience is back at the Fringe!
READ MOREUsing words, dance and song these two uncompromising performers offer us an alternative love story... don't miss Chunky Jewellery at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe!
READ MOREAfter a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, Mythography return with their urgent and haunting production of Jean Anouilh’s Antigone!
READ MOREThis visual performance, created for children under 6 and their carers, combines multilingual storytelling (Scottish Gaelic, French, English), puppetry and original live music.
READ MOREThe Rising brings the music of Springsteen to the Fringe in the most dynamic and energetic way. A must for Boss fans and fans of live music!
READ MOREThis August, Brewhemia’s Big Fringe Drag Brunch turns up the heat – with touring queens from across the UK flying in exclusively for the Fringe.
READ MOREMoonlight Concerts return to the Edinburgh Fringe with a technological breakthrough in musical composition!
READ MOREThe Lady Boys of Bangkok return to Edinburgh with a sensationally glamorous new show, a must-see new production for 2025 packed with fun filled comedy and outrageous cheekiness!
READ MORE(whalesong), at BrewDog DogHouse, is a sound play about the noises and voices in the oceans, created and performed by award-winning sound artist and technologist Xavier Velastín.
READ MOREPhil Green, one of the circuit’s most personable comedians, delves into the psyche of the middle-aged male and sets himself the simple task of guiding them into the world of self-help.
READ MOREAward-winning queer cabaret icon and performance tour-de-force Aidan Sadler is set to stage the best ever LGBTQIA+ party at the Edinburgh Fringe at Big Gay Afterparty!
READ MOREOpen your heart and ears to love as award-winning concert pianist Matthew Shiel exposes the scandalous love affairs of the great composers at St Vincent's Chapel this August!
READ MORELet’s celebrate Robert Burns with a real Hootenanny – a Scottish party of words, music and song!
READ MOREAward-winning pianist-conductor Matthew Shiel leads his acclaimed jazz band on a swinging, toe-tapping odyssey by candlelight!
READ MOREBC Camplight, considered one of indie music’s most forward-thinking artists, plays La Belle Angele on Sunday 3rd August!
READ MOREThe distinguished Moonlight Concerts series proudly returns to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025, presenting virtuoso pianist Matthew Shiel in a sophisticated program of Beethoven's profound compositions.
READ MOREInspired by ‘Interstellar,’ this show time-warps cinema history, intersplicing modern film music with silent cinematography with live music as we travel through cinema history!
READ MORECome along to St Vincent's Chapel for an immersive musical experience inspired by Studio Ghibli’s anime Spirited Away, Einaudi's meditative piano pieces, and Japanese Zen stories!
READ MORESex sells, or so the saying goes, but when did it start selling musical instruments? Join Dr Sarah Deters for this lecture on 6th August!
READ MOREThe Piano Teacher is a frank and brutal account of highs and lows of a misunderstood and undervalued profession by award-winning pianist-storyteller Matthew Shiel.
READ MOREJoin Moonlight Concerts at St Vincent's Chapel Edinburgh for the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" this August!
READ MOREExperimental piano troupe performs finger gymnastics and rarely heard music for three pianists playing one piano together!
READ MORECome and discover how notoriously bad coffee, book stacks and a Glasgow group were ignitors of today’s Edinburgh Fringe and International Book Festivals.
READ MOREDon't miss singer-songwriter, actor, entertainer and public speaker Emmanuel Kelly at La Belle Angele on August 7th as part of the Fringe Festival!
READ MOREFrom emails and WhatsApps to handwritten notes, join Not Cricket Productions in exploring the bizarre, heartfelt and hilarious letters of lost love at The Royal Scots Club!
READ MOREEnjoy one of the most magical experiences at the Fringe as three expert magicians illustrate Lauriston Castle’s intriguing past with magic, illusions and sleight-of-hand!
READ MOREStep into the world of speakeasies with Siobhan Sellers, whisky expert, as she takes us on a journey through the Prohibition era.
READ MOREJoin Scottish artist and musician Lomond Campbell for a unique live performance of MUO, an audiovisual experience powered by the universe itself.
READ MOREMUO is an immersive audiovisual installation by Lomond Campbell which makes use of muon detectors, sensing harmless radiation in the atmosphere.
READ MOREArnaud Askoy brings Chanson Francaise icon Jacques Brel to life at the Institut francais d'Ecosse a part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
READ MOREProject Smok have fast become a recognised and household name in the traditional music scene, catch them live at La Belle Angele on 9th August as part of the Fringe!
READ MOREMiriam Margolyes returns to the Fringe with more – more characters, more Dickens, and more fascinating stories about the man behind the classics!
READ MORENot Cricket Production's 2024 sell-out production returns to the Fringe with a brand-new interactive murder mystery event!
READ MORECatch Svaneborg Kardyb are Nikolaj Svaneborg, a multi award winning duo from Denmark at La Belle Angele on Sunday 10 August as part of the Fringe!
READ MOREWith his unmistakable baritone voice and 6-and-a-half-foot charm, Chali 2na has established himself as one of hip-hop’s most celebrated and charismatic personalities.
READ MOREPeter Doherty plays La Belle Angele on August 12th as part of their Big Nights at the Fringe Festival!
READ MOREIn this lively and revealing discussion on 13th August, let us dissect how accurately professions are portrayed in romance and erotica .
READ MOREThis talk given by Daisy Cunynghame on 14th August will explore the history of alchemy, its role in medicine and Scotland’s place in the development of this mystical science!
READ MOREMoonlight Concerts triumphantly returns to Edinburgh Fringe with an all-new children's concert featuring Hans Christian Andersen's timeless fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling"!
READ MOREJoin food historian Dr Lindsay Middleton as she explores why the 19th-century reception of tinned foods was tainted by worries about poisoning, foreignness, and taste.
READ MOREEnjoy an afternoon with Solea, one of Scotland's finest guitar duos, making their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe on Saturday 16th August!
READ MOREThumpasaurus have announced they'll bring their Existential Dread tour to La Belle Angele on Wednesday 20th August as part of the Fringe!
READ MOREDon't miss When rivers Meet on Monday 18th August as part of La Belle Angele's Big Nights at the Fringe Festival!
READ MOREJoin historian Ruth Boreham to discover how Mary’s Somerville thirst for knowledge never dimmed, no matter what her age!
READ MOREDan Willson (Withered Hand) is joined by a host of very special guests for another of his legendary festival line-ups on Thursday 21st August at The Queen's Hall Edinburgh!
READ MOREJoin Gillian Paterson, Museum Engagement Officer for this talk on The Turbulent Tales of the Original Bank of Scotland Investors at The Royal Scots Club on 21st August!
READ MOREJoin Dr Kate Stephenson, Freelance Historian, to find out what really went on in the blackouts of the Second World War and how the war impacted relationships and sexual freedoms during the 1940s.
READ MORE80s pop icons Men Without Hats join us at La Belle Angele on August 22nd for a special Fringe headliner!
READ MORELanterns on the Lake will perform live at La Belle Angele on Saturday 23 August as part of the Fringe!
READ MORECalling all Dancing Queens! Join us at Brewhemia’s ABBA Sing-A-Long Brunch for a sparkling Saturday of live vocals, bubbles and cocktails, tasty food and all your favourite hits.
READ MOREWith Baby Lasagna, Marko Purisic has finally found a niche within which he can combine incompatible genres and create new audio sounds that are both fresh and exciting.
READ MOREIf you thought you didn't like the banjo, This Is The Kit – the alias singer, songwriter and banjo enthusiast Kate Stables – may very likely prove you wrong!
READ MORECatch South East London's finest grime duo Pete & Bas when they play La Belle Angele on Saturday 30 August!
READ MOREJoin Neil Delamere as he takes on life's absurdities in his own inimitable way when he brings his show, Achilles Neil, to The Stand Edinburgh!
READ MORECork’s own Chris Kent returns with a brand new show ‘Offline’ and brings it to The Stand Edinburgh on Thursday 11th September!
READ MOREAfter sell out shows across Australia, America and Europe in 2024, Monty Franklin returns in 2025 with a brand new show, ‘Is That Your Mate’. Catch him at the Stand Edinburgh on 14th September!
READ MORECatch British comedian and MC Maff Brown at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh on Thursday 25th September!
READ MOREAfter bursting on to the comedy scene with his razor-sharp wit and a string of viral videos, Josh Baulf embarks on his debut solo tour and brings it to The Stand Edinburgh on Thursday 2nd October!
READ MOREAfter a phenomenal, sold-out international tour, the man who asked us, Do you ski? is turning everything upside down and asking, Do you scuba? as Tom Houghton brings his new tour to Edinburgh!
READ MOREJoin Hayley as she navigates middle age - and as everyone agrees, the middle of anything is always the most delicious part!
READ MOREExpect a fast-paced whirlwind of punchlines from Glenn Moore, one of the greatest joke-writers of his generation, at The Stand Edinburgh on Sunday 12th October!
READ MOREJohn Robertson brings his new 2025 tour to The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh on Wednesday 15th October!
READ MORESmash hit Irish comedian Emma Doran hits the road once again taking her brand-new show Emmaculate across the UK and Ireland, with a date at The Stand Edinburgh on 18th October!
READ MOREMichelle de Swarte is back with her entourage of trademark razor-sharp wit and no-holds-barred storytelling.
READ MOREDon't miss this brand new stand-up show from Angela Barnes, star of Mock The Week and Live at The Apollo, at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh on 22nd October!
READ MOREFollowing his debut sell-out national tour, online comedy star Matt returns with brand new jokes about the state of politics, the world and himself.
READ MORELewis Spears has been creating fake stories to trick his way onto mainstream media outlets his entire career. These are his stories.
READ MOREJoin Carl Hutchinson at The Stand Edinburgh as he celebrates 10 years of touring as he presents his best and favourite routines from over the years.
READ MOREEmmanuel Sonubi brings his hilarious and heartfelt new show, Life After Near Death, to The Stand Edinburgh on Thursday 20th November!
READ MOREAdam Rowe will be doing 30-45 minutes of new material and maybe a bit of crowd work when he comes to The Stand Edinburgh on Sunday 23rd November!
READ MOREProfessional oddball Paul F Taylor returns to The Stand Edinburgh with a brand new show on Thursday 27th November.
READ MOREJoin star of Taskmaster Rosie Jones as she heads back out on the road with her brand-new stand-up show, coming to The Stand Edinburgh on Thursday 4th December!
READ MOREPhil Nichol has been getting better at comedy since March 1987. One of these days he may just get it right. Catch him at The Stand Edinburgh on 9th December!
READ MOREDirect from the Edinburgh festival, and his last smash-hit nationwide tour, Tom Stade, the legendary Canadian stand-up star, is back on the road with a brand-new show.
READ MOREForget wearing paper hats and eating over-priced turkey – instead come and get some Christmas cheer from the very best comics from the UK and beyond at The Stand Edinburgh!
READ MOREGet ready to wave goodbye to the old and start a fresh with some much need comedy at the Stand Edinburgh!
READ MOREJoin Stephen K Amos when he brings his new show to The Stand Edinburgh on Saturday 24 January!
READ MOREBack with a bang, award-winning comedian Sam Avery returns with his electrifying new show, Thunderstorm! Catch him at The Stand Edinburgh on Sunday 25 January!
READ MORESchalk Bezuidenhout is back with a brand-new show... his first and (hopefully, for the love of all things good) only show post-divorce.
READ MOREMulti award winning Scottish stand up Mark Nelson brings his brand new show, Liquid Gold, to The Stand Edinburgh on Thursday 12th March 2026!
READ MOREAward-winning Comedian and Award-winning Product Designer, Scott Bennett is desperately trying to cleanse his life of stuff, but is this even possible anymore?
READ MOREJoin award-winning writer and comedian Marc Burrows for a multi-media stand up celebration of one of British music’s most iconic and enduring movements!
READ MOREEnjoy a night of top stand-up comedy at The Big Show every weekend at Monkey Barrel Comedy, come see a line-up featuring outstanding local, national, and international comedians!
READ MOREJoin us at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh for a mixed-bill five act show every Saturday!
READ MOREActor, writer and tour guide Alex Staniforth invents a horror story every night at Stand Up Horror... you decide what the characters do, find and sometimes - yes sometimes - even love!
READ MOREFree For All is back at Monkey Barrel - with a fresh new vibe! Full-on, no holds barred live comedy for anyone and everyone.
READ MORECatch the comedy stars of the future and pro comics trying out new material every Wednesday night at Monkey Barrel Comedy's 'Top Banana'!
READ MOREDon't miss out on Spandex Comedy! Join us every Tuesday night for a top night of laughs featuring stand up comedians from across the country dropping in to liven up the start of your week!
READ MORELet your hair down at the end of the week with fabulous Friday fun at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh!
READ MORESusan Morrison, host of BBC Radio Scotland's 'Time Travels', will take you through some of Scotland's seediest, skankiest and scandalous history. And the funniest.
READ MORE