Mark Steel's in Town
The words "Mark Steel's in Town: Series 1" on the left-hand side of the image, with a photo of Mark Steel on the right-hand side.
Image from the downloadable version of the first series of Mark Steel's in Town.
GenreStand-up comedy
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Radio 4
StarringMark Steel
Written byMark Steel
Pete Sinclair
Produced byJulia McKenzie (Series 1–2)
Sam Bryant (Series 3–4)
Ed Morrish (Series 5)
Carl Cooper (Series 6–present)
Original release18 March 2009 –
present
No. of series11 + 1 special
No. of episodes59
Opening theme"Eat My Goal" by Collapsed Lung (Series 1–3)
"Rock This Town" by Stray Cats (Series 4–)

Mark Steel's in Town is a stand-up comedy show on BBC Radio 4, co-written and performed by Mark Steel. The series, which was first broadcast on 18 March 2009, is recorded in various towns and cities in the United Kingdom and occasionally elsewhere. Each episode is tailored to the town in which it is recorded, and the show is performed in front of a local audience.[1]

The programme received positive reviews from critics because of Steel's observations of the locals,[2] and that the series took place in multiple locations, compared to the majority of stand-up shows on radio and television, which are normally recorded in a single location.[1][3][4] In 2010, Mark Steel's in Town won a Silver Award for "Best Comedy" in the Sony Radio Academy Awards, and two years later won the Gold Award in the same category.[5][6] Also in 2010, the show won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for "Best Radio Comedy / Light Entertainment".[7] The series was voted "Best Radio Entertainment Show" in the Comedy.co.uk Awards held by the British Comedy Guide in 2012 and 2015.[8][9][10]

Format

Mark Steel standing under a road warning sign in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, which is warning people of "Otters crossing for next 600 yards."
Steel in Kirkwall, Orkney, standing under a warning sign telling road users to look out for otters.

Before each episode, Steel researches the history of the place in which he is going to perform. His research interests include local notable people, landmarks, customs and humorous anecdotes. The majority of the research sometimes took place close to the actual recording date. For example, Steel carried out almost no research for his episode in Walsall until ten days before the recording.[11] In Merthyr Tydfil he spent three days in the town, where he carried out research and met locals.[12] He then performs a tailor-made show about the town in front of a local audience. The style of the programme is similar to other shows starring Steel, such as The Mark Steel Lectures, in which Steel presented a humorous lecture about a famous person in history.[1]

Production

Due to the small budget, there were certain places the show could not be recorded during the first series. For example, no episodes in the first series were recorded in Scotland. Steel said in an interview:

"One of the restrictions we've got is that the budget for radio we've got going is so unbelievably, comically tiny, that we couldn't go to Scotland because the fare is too much. It is like some student fanzine. "Mum, can I borrow some money because I want to go to Scotland."

"So, I'm hoping, if we do another series, because I'd love to go to the Shetlands. I'd be really excited at going to the Shetlands. Because it is just like a fascinating place to be at the moment. Or even one of these sort of weird places in Cornwall. But that was too far as well."[11]

The second series did feature two episodes recorded in Scotland: one in Dumfries, on the Scottish border, and one in Kirkwall, Orkney.[1]

Other than Steel, Pete Sinclair was the only other writer, providing additional material. Julia McKenzie produced the first two series,[13] while Sam Bryant produced series 3 & 4. Ed Morrish produced Series 5; Carl Cooper produced series 6 to 9. Also working on the show were studio manager Jerry Peal, and production co-ordinators Sarah Sharpe, Trudi Stephens, Hayley Sterling and Beverly Tagg.[5]

Reception

The majority of the reaction towards Mark Steel's in Town has been positive. In May 2010, the programme was given the Silver Award for "Best Comedy" in the Sony Radio Academy Awards.[5] In May 2012, it won the Gold Award in the same category.[6] In November 2010 it won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for "Best Radio Comedy / Light Entertainment".[7] In January 2013, it won the "Best Radio Entertainment Show" award in the 2012 Comedy.co.uk Awards held by the British Comedy Guide.[8][9] It won the same award in 2015.[10]

Chris Campling in The Times wrote a review of a show recorded in Skipton: "A tough gig? More like shooting fish in a barrel, to judge from the reception he received from the honest burghers of Skipton, North Yorkshire. From the moment he remarked on the fact that the hall in which he was performing was used as a cattle market during the day and was hosed out before the show – and got a roar of approving laughter – Steel must have known that he could do no wrong."[14]

"This programme is stand-up comedy at its very best. Stand-up on radio is immensely challenging – and often unsuccessful – but this programme is intelligent and rich in content, well paced and, moreover, funny. Although it is clear that a lot of preparation went into making this programme, the result is fluent, natural and exciting. It was also generous to its audience and to its location – and very much in tune with the sound and appeal of the network."[5]

The Sony Radio Academy Awards

Campling and other critics have commented that one of the main features of the show is the ability of the locals to laugh at themselves and their eccentricities. Campling wrote of the Skipton show: "The ability to laugh at itself is one of this country's finest attributes, but the Skipton mob were only too happy to celebrate their insularity."[14] Elisabeth Mahoney of The Guardian, who reviewed the Dartford episode, said: "Going to a place and insulting it takes guts and careful strategies. Steel made use of the fact that he is from nearby Swanley, both to signal that he knows the area but also that – whatever he was about to say about Dartford – it was better than his hometown."[15] Another journalist, reviewing the Penzance episode in the North Devon Journal commented: "Why do we like programmes that laugh at us? Because, I hope, we laugh at ourselves. We're not ignorant of our stereotypes. West Cornwall? Aaarrrrr!"[16]

Miranda Sawyer in The Observer also praised the show saying it was, "A simple idea, kindly and wittily executed by another unfashionably humane Englishman. Thank Gaia they still exist."[17]

Hilda Swinney, the Portland correspondent for the Dorset Echo, said that at the recording on the Isle of Portland: "The audience, mostly Portlanders, were appreciative and very responsive to his humour and his views on 'their special island'. They left him in no doubt that a return of Mark Steel's in Town would be very welcome."[2]

Stuart Morris, a historian who helped to provide research for Steel for the Portland show, commented: "I was amazed that he should have absorbed so much of the island's history in the short period of time that he had. He joked about the Portland winds, saying that in comparison, islanders wouldn't even have bothered to take out their kites in the face of Hurricane Katrina. He made a few remarks about Portland/Weymouth rivalry and our Weymouth friends present laughed as much as the rest of us."[2]

Ian Wolf from the British Comedy Guide commented that: "The fact that the series moved from town to town was very impressive – as it meant Steel had to write a unique half-hour routine for each venue (compare this to most stand-ups, who only have to come up with about an hour of strong material a year!)."[1]

Episodes

Series 1

# Title Original airdate
1–1"Skipton"18 March 2009 (2009-03-18)
Recorded at the Mart Theatre, which also acts as a livestock auction hall, Steel visits Skipton, North Yorkshire, in which he talks about the local canals, cattle and Skipton Castle.
1–2"Boston"25 March 2009 (2009-03-25)
Recorded at the Blackfriars Arts Centre, Steel visits Boston, Lincolnshire, and discusses the town's love of Brussels sprouts, its links with Puritanism and the story of the Boston Stump.
1–3"Lewes"1 April 2009 (2009-04-01)
Recorded at the All Saints Centre, Steel visits Lewes, East Sussex, and chats about its bonfires, its history of pub fights and the local stroppiness.
1–4"Walsall"8 April 2009 (2009-04-08)
Recorded at the local town hall, Steel visits Walsall, West Midlands, and brings up the subject of the local anarchists who were framed by the police, a concrete statue of a hippo and how Walsall has nothing whatsoever to do with Birmingham.
1–5"Merthyr Tydfil"15 April 2009 (2009-04-15)
Recorded at the Myfanwy Theatre, Steel visits Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, and looks at the Merthyr Rising, the boxers and the Welsh roots of Donny Osmond.
1–6"Portland"22 April 2009 (2009-04-22)
Recorded at the Portland Spa Hotel and Conference Centre, Steel visits the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and chats about the history of Portland stone, its military history, and the local hatred of a certain fluffy animal beginning with "R".

Series 2

# Title Original airdate
2–1"Dartford"7 April 2010 (2010-04-07)
Recorded at The Mick Jagger Centre, Steel performs in Dartford in his home county of Kent, discussing the Peasants' Revolt, gypsy tart, and what one resident calls the "Road To Hell".
2–2"Wilmslow"14 April 2010 (2010-04-14)
Recorded at the Green Room Theatre, Steel performs in Wilmslow, Cheshire, where he talks about footballers' mansions, 3D eyelashes and the rhyming Wizard of Alderley Edge.
2–3"Dumfries"21 April 2010 (2010-04-21)
Recorded at the Theatre Royal, Steel performs in Dumfries, on the Scottish border, where Steel looks at the town's hatred of seagulls and love of Robert Burns.
2–4"Penzance"28 April 2010 (2010-04-28)
Recorded at the Acorn Arts Centre, Steel performs in Penzance, Cornwall, where he looks at the town's remoteness and pasties, as well as the Newlyn fish riots and an unusual civil war concerning a ferry terminal.
2–5"Gateshead"5 May 2010 (2010-05-05)
Recorded at the Old Town Hall, Steel performs in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, in which he talks about the local art, a famous car park, and how the town is definitely not Newcastle.
2–6"Kirkwall"12 May 2010 (2010-05-12)
Recorded at The Pickaquoy Centre, Steel performs in Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, where he talks about a violent ball game, Thorfinn The Skullsplitter and why the weather makes it pointless being a hairdresser on the archipelago.

Series 3

# Title Original airdate
3–1"Berwick-Upon-Tweed"6 December 2011 (2011-12-06)
Recorded at The Maltings Theatre & Cinema in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, Mark talks about the town's war with Russia, its Scottish rivalries and local slang.
3–2"Holyhead"13 December 2011 (2011-12-13)
Recorded at the Canolfan Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead, Anglesey, Mark talks about ferries, foot nibbling and Kate and Wills.
3–3"Basingstoke"20 December 2011 (2011-12-20)
Recorded at The Haymarket in Basingstoke, Hampshire, where he talks about prehistoric roundabouts and a rather unusual world record set in a shopping centre.
3–4"Douglas (Isle of Man)"27 December 2011 (2011-12-27)
Recorded at the Villa Marina & Gaiety Theatre in Douglas, Isle of Man, where he talks about space travel, fairy bridges and the mystery of Gef the Talking Mongoose.
3–5"Bungay"3 January 2012 (2012-01-03)
Recorded at The Fisher Centre in Bungay, Suffolk, where he talks about non-existent castles, haunted pubs and chicken roundabouts.
3–6"Wigan"10 January 2012 (2012-01-10)
Recorded at The Orwell in Wigan, Greater Manchester, where he talks about entering pie eating competitions, living under floorboards, and the radicalism of George Formby.

Edinburgh Fringe Special

# Title Original airdate
3–7"Leith"21 August 2012 (2012-08-21)
Recorded at the BBC's venue at Potterow, Edinburgh, Mark devotes to an episode to the city's district of Leith, where he talks about port workers, pub fights and a hatred of trams.

Series 4

# Title Original airdate
4–1"Whitehaven"28 November 2012 (2012-11-28)
Recorded at the Rosehill Theatre in Whitehaven, Cumbria.
4–2"Tobermory"5 December 2012 (2012-12-05)
Recorded at the Mull Theatre in Tobermory, the Isle of Mull, the Inner Hebrides.
4–3"Handsworth"12 December 2012 (2012-12-12)
Recorded at the Drum Centre, Handsworth, Birmingham.
4–4"Ottery St Mary"19 December 2012 (2012-12-19)
Recorded at King's School, Ottery St Mary, Devon.
4–5"Corby"26 December 2012 (2012-12-26)
Recorded at The Corby Cube, Corby, Northamptonshire.
4–6"Chipping Norton"2 January 2013 (2013-01-02)
Recorded at The Theatre, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

Series 5

# Title Original airdate
5–1"Glastonbury"8 January 2014 (2014-01-08)
Mark visits Glastonbury to talk about the legend of King Arthur, visits the only two chain shops on the High Street, and makes a crucial mistake involving cider.
5–2"Derry"15 January 2014 (2014-01-15)
Mark's problems start with deciding which name to actually use, and reflects on the town being named the City of Culture.
5–3"St Davids"22 January 2014 (2014-01-22)
Mark is in the smallest city in Britain, where the locals are sometimes very rude but sometimes almost too friendly.
5–4"Southall"29 January 2014 (2014-01-29)
Mark visits the part of London also known as "Little India", visiting and eating at the local Sikh temple, and meets an astrologer with a terrible cold.
5–5"Birkenhead"5 February 2014 (2014-02-05)
Mark talks about Tranmere Rovers, the band Half Man Half Biscuit, and visits a pub which is inside a barbers.
5–6"Huddersfield"12 February 2014 (2014-02-12)
Mark comes to the town which is the historical home of rugby league, the Luddites and Last of the Summer Wine.

Series 6

# Title Original airdate
6–1"Fleetwood"19 May 2015 (2015-05-19)
Mark performs from the Marine Hall in Fleetwood, Lancashire.
6–2"Melton Mowbray"26 May 2015 (2015-05-26)
Mark performs from the Melton Theatre in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
6–3"Shrewsbury"2 June 2015 (2015-06-02)
Mark performs from the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
6–4"Barnard Castle"9 June 2015 (2015-06-09)
Mark performs from The Witham in Barnard Castle, County Durham.
6–5"Paisley"16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
Mark performs from Spires Drama Studios in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
6–6"Saint Anne"23 June 2015 (2015-06-23)
Mark performs from The Island Hall in Saint Anne, capital of Alderney in the Channel Islands.

Series 7

# Title Original airdate
7–1"Stockport"7 September 2016 (2016-09-07)
Mark performs at the Garrick Theatre in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
7–2"Colchester"14 September 2016 (2016-09-14)
Mark performs in Colchester, Essex, the first town in Britain - then Boudicca burnt it to the ground.
7–3"Hebden Bridge"21 September 2016 (2016-09-21)
Mark performs at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
7–4"Kingston-on-Thames"28 September 2016 (2016-09-28)
Mark performs in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, south-west London.
7–5"Lynton"5 October 2016 (2016-10-05)
Mark performs in Lynton, Devon.
7–6"Gibraltar"12 October 2016 (2016-10-12)
Mark performs in St. Michael's Cave inside the Rock of Gibraltar.

[18] [19][20]

Series 8

# Title Original airdate
8–1"Bedford"5 December 2017 (2017-12-05)
8–2"Matlock Bath"12 December 2017 (2017-12-12)
8–3"Inverness"19 December 2017 (2017-12-19)
8–4"Portishead, Somerset"26 December 2017 (2017-12-26)
8–5"Kingston upon Hull"2 January 2018 (2018-01-02)
8–6"Ventnor"9 January 2018 (2018-01-09)

[21]

Series 9

# Title Original airdate
9–1"Hastings"17 January 2019 (2019-01-17)
Mark Steel visits Hastings in East Sussex and performs for the locals.
9–2"Kings Lynn"24 January 2019 (2019-01-24)
Mark Steel visits the Norfolk town of King's Lynn and performs a bespoke comedy show for the local residents.
9–3"Carlisle"31 January 2019 (2019-01-31)
Mark Steel visits Carlisle in Cumbria and performs a bespoke comedy show for the local residents.
9–4"Aberystwyth"7 February 2019 (2019-02-07)
Mark Steel visits Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales, and performs a bespoke comedy show for the local residents.
9–5"The Forest of Dean"14 February 2019 (2019-02-14)
Mark Steel visits the Forest of Dean and performs a bespoke comedy show for the local residents at the historic Speech House located between Coleford and Cinderford.
9–6"Malta"21 February 2019 (2019-02-21)
Mark Steel visits Malta and performs a bespoke comedy show for the local residents.

[21]

Series 10

# Title Original airdate
10–1"Brighton"12 November 2020 (2020-11-12)
10–2"Stratford-upon-Avon"19 November 2020 (2020-11-19)
10–3"Online"26 November 2020 (2020-11-26)

[21]

Series 11

# Title Original airdate
11–1"Blyth"1 December 2021 (2021-12-01)
11–2"Walthamstow"8 December 2021 (2021-12-08)
11–3"Whitby"15 December 2021 (2021-12-15)

[21]

Series 12

# Title Original airdate
12–1"Nottingham"22 August 2022 (2022-08-22)
12–2"Tring"29 August 2022 (2022-08-29)
12–3"The Isles of Scilly"5 September 2022 (2022-09-05)
12–4"Salisbury"12 September 2022 (2022-09-12)
12–5"Newport"21 September 2022 (2022-09-21)
12–6"Paris"26 September 2022 (2022-09-26)
This episode was also broadcast in French.

Merchandise

The first series of Mark Steel's in Town was released for download on 1 March 2010. The series has yet to be released on CD,.[22] However, all 11 series can be streamed free on the BBC Sounds website.[23]

A book accompanying the series, entitled Mark Steel's in Town and published by Fourth Estate, was released on 27 October 2011.[22]

See also

References

General

  • Lavalie, John (13 May 2010). "Mark Steel's in Town". epguides.com. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  • Wolf, Ian. "Mark Steel's in Town – Episode Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  • Wolf, Ian. "Mark Steel's in Town – Production Details, Plus Regular Cast and Crew". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  • "Mark Steel's in Town – Episodes, 2009". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  • "Mark Steel's in Town – Episodes, 2010". BBC. Retrieved 13 May 2010.

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wolf, Ian. "Mark Steel's in Town". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 MacDonagh, Dairmuid (18 April 2009). "A wry look at life on Portland". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  3. ↑ Reeves, Lisa (13 February 2010). "Mark Steel in "The Knightsbridge of the north"". Wilmslow.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Reeves, Lisa (13 February 2010). "Mark Steel at his rudest". AlderleyEdge.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Best Comedy – 2010". Sony Radio Academy Awards. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Best Comedy - 2012". Sony Radio Academy Awards. 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Writers' Guild Awards 2010 – winners announced". Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  8. 1 2 Brown, Aaron (23 January 2013). "Miranda picks up top Comedy.co.uk Awards titles". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  9. 1 2 Boosey, Mark (21 January 2013). "The Comedy.co.uk Awards 2012". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 Boosey, Mark (7 February 2016). "The Comedy.co.uk Awards 2015". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  11. 1 2 Brew, Simon (1 April 2009). "Mark Steel interview". Den of Geek. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  12. ↑ Allen, Gavin (15 April 2009). "Mark Steel says Merthyr Tydfil has lost its fighting spirit". The South Wales Echo. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  13. ↑ Wolf, Ian. "Mark Steel's in Town – Production Details, Plus Regular Cast and Crew". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  14. 1 2 Campling, Chris (24 March 2009). "Mark Steel gets the Yorkshire relish". The Times. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  15. ↑ Mahoney, Elisabeth (8 April 2010). "Mark Steel's in Town". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  16. ↑ "Having the last laugh... at ourselves". North Devon Journal. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  17. ↑ Sawyer, Miranda (29 March 2009). "Mix blood and powdered egg to make ... an English hero". The Observer. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  18. ↑ "Mark Steel's in Town Colchester".
  19. ↑ Steel, Mark (7 June 2016). "The towns in the next series, which starts in September, are Colchester, Stockport, Hebden Bridge, Lynton, Kingston-on-Thames and Gibraltar".
  20. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Mark Steel's in Town Series 7, Episode 1 - Stockport". British Comedy Guide.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "BBC Radio 4 - Mark Steel's in Town - Episode guide". BBC.
  22. 1 2 "'Mark Steel's in Town' Merchandise". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  23. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Mark Steel's in Town - Available now". BBC.

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