ENGLAND & SON Comes to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre in November

England & Son, a one-man show starring Mark Thomas which was highly acclaimed at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, comes to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre next month.

Prepare to be taken on a kaleidoscopic odyssey where disaster capitalism, empire, stolen youth and stolen wealth merge into the simple tale of a working-class boy who just wants his dad to smile at him.

England & Son, at the SJT on 8 and 9 November, was written specifically for Mark by award-winning playwright Ed Edwards, whose previous play The Political History of Smack and Crack garnered great critical acclaim in 2018. This is Mark’s first ever tour in a production that he has not written himself. The show is directed by Cressida Brown.

With some deep, dark laughs – and some deep, dark love – along the way, this is a one-man play based on characters from Mark’s own childhood as well as Ed's personal experience in jail.

Having garnered five-star reviews and even more awards this Fringe, Mark Thomas is now as reputed in theatre as he is in comedy. He’s done shows about visiting the West Bank, starting a comedy club in Jenin, espionage, lobbying Parliament, walking in the footsteps of the highest NHS officials, playing at The Royal Opera House, stopping arms deals and creating manifestos.

He had six series of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product on Channel 4, several television documentaries and radio series, written some books, grabbed a Guinness World Record, toured sell-out tours, won numerous awards, nabbed himself a Medal of Honour and succeeded in changing some laws along the way. He has most recently been awarded his London bus pass, an honour he is possibly prouder of than any of the above.

Ed Edwards started his creative career as a circus performer but stopped at the age when you start to think: “This is actually dangerous”. Ed now juggles a writing career, lecturing, making films and child-rearing, the latter being far more potentially injurious than slack-rope walking because these are two boys who share a love of violence.

Virtually illiterate at the age of 11, Ed eventually managed to educate himself, get to university and become a professional writer. He is now only one-third illiterate. 

He did three-and-a-half years in prison in the early 90s for drugs offences where he published his first novel.  He has now published five novels, a children’s book and worked for several continuing TV dramas including Holby City and the now defunct Brookside and The Bill, though he maintains his having worked for these shows isn’t why they died.

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With several original plays broadcast on Radio 4 as well as short films on Channel 4 and BBC 2, Ed has recently turned to guerrilla film-making and has recently directed a number of short films and co-directed and produced the feature film Scrambled. His most recent play The Political History of Smack and Crack garnered critical acclaim nationwide. He misses the Soviet Union and Fidel Castro. He also loves making jam and writing about himself in the third person.

England & Son can be seen at the SJT at 7.30pm on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 November. Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com

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