FONDLY referred to by the Metropolitan Police as "general rabble-rouser" and "alleged comedian", the very same Mark Thomas has found time over the past 12 months, in between his endless touring in both the UK and New Zealand, to create yet another show, which reaches Tyneside in April.

Trespass, which once again total sold-out at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, carries on from where his previous show 100 Acts of Minor Dissent left off. Combining his usual mix of theatre, stand up, activism, a dash of journalism and dollop of mayhem, Mark asks the question: “If the ramblers of the 1930s were here now, what would they do to open up the cities? How do we turn the skyscrapers and corporate squares into our playgrounds?”

Inspired by the mass trespass of Kinder Scout in 1932, he turns his eye to how the government have sold off the majority of communal spaces, from playing fields to public rights of way, and sets out to try and carve a small space in the urban world where mischief and random chance can lurk.

Mark's has garnered critical acclaim, snapped up awards and nominations and earned commissions to become a BBC Radio 4 series. He’s won a Herald Angel award, the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression award and two Scotsman Fringe Firsts. Cuckooed toured Australia and New Zealand in spring last year, and then New York in November.

Having stopped arms deals, created a manifesto and brought the winning policy to parliament, walked the entire length of the Israeli wall in the West Bank, filmed his own Channel 4 series, written books, won awards, held Guinness World Records, investigated everything from Coca-Cola to inheritance tax avoidance, given evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees, stopped multinational infrastructure deals, been arrested on numerous occasions and found a new definition for the word Farage, there is simply no way of knowing where Mark will Trespass next.

Peter Dixon, of promoters Funny Way To Be, says: "Mark Thomas' shows are always a wonderfully odd mix of theatre, stand-up and activism, with a dash of journalism, and a big dollop of mayhem."
markthomasinfo.com/ TWITTER: @markthomasinfo
* Sat, April 16, Funny Way To Be, The Witham, Banard Castle. Box Office: funnywaytobe.com. 

* Thurs, April 21, Newcastle, Northern Stage. Box Office: 0191-230-5151

Viv Hardwick