Mark Steel's in Town
Mark Steel is a comedian who travels to towns across the United Kingdom to meet local residents and learn about their community. He then writes and performs a stand-up comedy show about each town, tailored specifically for the people who live there. The podcast captures these performances and the conversations that inspire them, offering a humorous and affectionate look at British town life.
Episodes
6. Unst (Shetland part 2)
6/6 - Unst - 'The Island Above All Others'. After performing in Lerwick earlier in the series, Mark’s Shetland adventure concludes in Unst, as far north as you can get. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC Sounds.Written and performed by Mark SteelAdditional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinators Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum
Sound Manager Jerry Peal
P
5. Lerwick (Shetland part 1)
For the fifth stop of the series, Mark travels to Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, perched at the far edge of Britain, where everyone’s on first-name terms with the fog.It’s a place where Viking heritage meets oil rigs and knitting patterns, where the winter fire festival Up Helly Aa lights up the darkness, and where the locals are masters of making their own fun. This is the first of Mark’s two
4. Cambridge
Mark Steel visits Cambridge and creates a show for the local audience.There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds.Written and performed by Mark Steel
Additional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum
Sound Manager Jerry Peal
Producer Carl CooperA BBC Studios production for Radio 4
3. Lewisham
Mark Steel visits Lewisham in south London and creates a show for the local audience.There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds.Written and performed by Mark SteelAdditional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum
Sound Manager Chris Maclean
Producer Carl CooperA BBC Studios production for Radio 4
2. Wrexham
Second stop of the new series is Wrexham in North Wales. Wrexham has gone from industrial workhorse to global celebrity, thanks to two Hollywood actors who bought the local football club.
It’s a place where five of the Seven Wonders of Wales are apparently within walking distance of a Screwfix, where children learn “risk management” on playgrounds made from drainpipes salvaged at the council tip,
1. Oakham
First stop of the new series is Oakham, nestled in the UK’s smallest county – Rutland.Rutland has a village that's proudly twinned with Paris (even if the Parisians don’t know), has Europe’s largest man-made lake (which required flooding a local village) and hangs its horseshoes the other way round (so the devil falls out, obviously).Joining Mark is Clare Balding, who’s also in town to take him on
Coleraine
Mark Steel’s award-winning show where he travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience"...Coleraine is a big town and is ready for City status..." Mark visits the town of Coleraine in Northern Ireland.Written and performed by Mark SteelAdditional mate
Nether Edge
Mark Steel’s award-winning show where he travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.“...a place where all the baristas know your name ... "Next stop, Mark is in Nether Edge, a leafy suburb of Sheffield which wants to become a village. Here he sampl
Stoke-on-Trent
The award-winning show where Mark Steel travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Next stop, Mark visits the city of Stoke-on-Trent, part of the industrial area know as The Potteries. Mark chats to the locals about their town, hears about how fri
East Grinstead
The award-winning show where Mark Steel travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Next stop, Mark visits East Grinstead and chats to locals about their town, and discovers its places of interest, including the historic high street. Plus its connec
Malvern
The award-winning show where Mark Steel travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Next stop, Mark visits the Malvern hills in Worcestershire. “...if ever after I'm dead you hear someone whistling this tune on the Malvern Hills, don't be alarmed, i
Margate
Mark Steel is back with the 13th series of his award-winning show where he travels around the UK visiting towns with nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.First stop, Mark packs his bucket and spade and visits the lovely seaside town of Margate in the Thanet district of Kent.“...a ni
Paris (English and French)
Mark Steel's In Town - ParisMark Steel is back with the 12th series of his award-winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.In this final episode Mark visits Paris. Yeah, that Paris. The one in France. Where he performs
Paris
Mark Steel continues his award winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each location, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Mark brushes up on his French and visits Paris. Yeah, that Paris. The one in France. He's set to perform an evening of comedy on board a boat
Newport
Mark Steel continues his award-winning show travelling around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, he writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Mark is in Newport in South Wales and uncovers some of the history and local stories and people.Written and performed by Mark Steel.Additional materia
Salisbury
Mark Steel continues his award-winning show travelling around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, he writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Mark is in Wiltshire's cathedral city of Salisbury - situated near the edge of Salisbury Plain.Written and performed by Mark Steel.Additional material
The Isles of Scilly
Mark Steel continues his award-winning show travelling around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, he writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Mark arrives on the Isles of Scilly, dipping into local history and tales of shipwrecks. Written and performed by Mark SteelAdditional material by Pet
Tring
Mark Steel continues his award-winning show travelling around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, he writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.Mark moves on to Tring in Hertfordshire and discovers the home of the Natural History Museum, and the former private museum of Walter Rothschild, wher
Nottingham
"Ay up me duck!"Mark Steel returns with the 12th series of his award winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness.After thoroughly researching each town, he writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience. Mark is kicking off with a visit to Nottingham in the East Midlands. It's a contrarian city, full of heroes,
Whitby
There’s one thing you definitely can’t miss in Whitby and that’s the ruined abbey up on a cliff looking down on the town. It’s also hard to miss the jawbone of a blue whale set atop the opposite hill and the fact that Dracula was a researched and written here by Bram Stoker. You’ll not go wanting if you are in search of a chip either. Mark Steel manages to dodge the seagulls and presents his findi
Walthamstow, London
Walthamstow has got plenty going for it - "it has the requisite villagey middle-class bit, but with a proper gor-blimey guv'nor East End heart" says one newspaper article and Mark finds a town mid-gentrification. The dog track has gone, the famously long market remains but there is also a Viking Shop and an extraordinary showroom and workshop with a vast range of neon light fittings called God's O
Blyth, Northumberland
The famous Blyth Staithes (created for off-loading coal into ships) were the backdrop for one of the grimmest scenes in the Michael Caine classic Get Carter - the smoggy industrial view at the time described by the director as an "absolute vision of hell". Undaunted, comedian Mark Steel travels to this part of Northumberland and finds a fascinating industrial legacy, a posh pub, a very nice beach
Gibraltar
"I've done loads of these, but I've never done one where I couldn't get into my dressing room because of monkeys."In the last episode of the series, Mark visits the British overseas territory of Gibraltar where he performs in the spectacular setting of St Michael's Cave, inside The Rock. He explores Gibraltar's relationship with Spain, visits a British phone box, has some British fish and chips an
Lynton and Lynmouth
Don't mention the goats!Mark visits the lovely seaside towns of Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon, lovely that is until he mentions the goats, then the rest of the show doesn't go entirely to plan. Mark Steel's seventh series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and p
Kingston-upon-Thames
Mark visits The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. He takes a trip on a river boat, rides the longest single truss escalator in the world and spends an evening in and the suburb of New Malden, home to the largest population of South Koreans outside Korea where he samples the delights of Kimchi and sings in a Noraebang. Mark Steel's seventh series of the award winning show that travels around t
Hebden Bridge
"That was So Hebden Bridge" Mark visits the beautiful Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge, where he discovers how this former mill town and one time home of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath become the new age, multi cafe, hippie friendly, lesbian capital of Britain that it is today.Mark Steel's award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns th
Colchester
Colchester - The oldest recorded town in BritainMark Steel returns for a seventh series of the award-winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. "The oldest hot cross bun in the world was baked in Colchester"Mark visits the
Stockport
"Welcome to Stockport - Home of Stockport College"Mark Steel returns for a seventh series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. In the first programme, Mark visits the Greater Manchester town of Stockport
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