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BBC Radio 4


Comedian Mark Steel visits towns across the UK, meets the locals, and creates a stand up show for them - and us - about the town.


Mark Steel's in Town

Welcome to Mark Steel’s In Town, Radio 4’s comedy road trip across the UK. Join Mark as he visits a new town, meets the locals, finds out what makes the town unique and then performs a show to the people who live there. He makes fun of them, they make fun of him - and sometimes it gets pretty lively.

Mark Steel’s In Town is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to Mark Steel’s In Town!

Comedian Mark Steel visits the attractive market town of Skipton in Yorkshire and presents a show from a livestock auction hall to discover what makes the town and its inhabitants distinctive. 

Producer: Julia McKenzie.

A BBC Radio Comedy Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2009.

Skipton

Mark Steel performs for the residents of Boston.

During his visit to the Lincolnshire town, he takes a look at the Stump and sprouts and sees for himself why the inhabitants have no need of a handbrake. 

Mark tries to work out what makes the town so distinctive. 

With a guest appearance from a Boston rapper. 

Series in which the comedian visits towns across the UK and creates a stand-up show for the locals.

Producer: Julia McKenzie

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.

Boston

Mark Steel performs for the residents of Lewes.

During his visit, he also celebrates the East Sussex town's fires, pub fights and stroppiness. 

Series in which the comedian visits towns across the UK and creates a stand-up show for the locals.

Producer: Julia McKenzie

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.

Lewes

This week, Mark performs the local Town Hall in Walsall, West Midlands: a town which has nothing to do with Birmingham.

Mark discusses their statue of a concrete hippo, smaller than he expected and the fact that people keep moving it. Mark also jokes about the statue of Princess Diana that turned black. 

Mark then talks about the leather trade and the local leather museum. Then there's the Walsall man who shot himself with his own taser.

Mark explores the town's history - mining and how he visited a very hot iron foundry. We hear about the creation of St. Monday, in which people tried to get the Monday off from work. Sister Dora was the "Civilian Florence Nightingale" helping to improve health care for the poor, who also has a statue.

Mark tells us about the Walsall Anarchists who were framed by the police and probably the most famous anarchists in British history. And we can't forget Walsall's very own football club, who defeated the unstoppable Arsenal 2-0 in the 1930s - one of the biggest upsets in football history.

Produced by Julia McKenzie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.

Walsall

From the Myfanwy Theatre, Mark Steel performs for the residents of Merthyr Tydfil – the town in South Wales with a love of boxers and revolution.

Mark checks out the town’s history and compares it with Cardiff.

And he investigates the Welsh language – talking to a teacher, who compares it to modern Welsh. He also takes a look at the local pubs – and is surprised to discover that Merthyr Tydfil is the home of the Welsh Mormons.

Mark finds out about the impact of the Merthyr Rising, which was the biggest insurrection in British history since the Civil War. Plus, the history of boxing in Merthyr Tydfil. 

Series in which the comedian visits towns across the UK and creates a stand-up show for the locals.

Producer: Julia McKenzie 

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.

Merthyr Tydfil

Comedian Mark Steel gets to grips with the bird observatory, stone quarries and customs of the Isle of Portland in order to find out what makes it so distinctive. 

Find out why the locals are obsessed with obelisks and why you must never say the 'r' word. 

Series in which the comedian visits towns across the UK and creates a stand-up show for the locals.

Producer: Julia McKenzie

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.

Portland

Comedian Mark Steel returns to visit 6 more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive. 

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for each town and performs the show in front of a local audience. 

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

For starters, Mark performs a show for the residents of Dartford in Kent.

He talks about the peasants' revolt, gypsy tart, Mick Jagger and what one resident calls "the Road To Hell". 

Written by Mark Steel

With additional material by Pete Sinclair. 

Producer: Julia McKenzie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010.

Dartford

Comedian Mark Steel returns to visit more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive.

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for each town and performs the show in front of a local audience.

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

This time Mark performs a show for the residents of Wilmslow in Cheshire.

He gets to grips with Footballers Mansions, 3D eyelashes and the rhyming Wizard of Alderley Edge.

Written by Mark Steel

With additional material by Pete Sinclair.

Producer: Julia McKenzie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010.

Wilmslow

Comedian Mark Steel returns to visit more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive.

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for each town and performs the show in front of a local audience.

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

This time Mark travels to the Scottish border town of Dumfries.

Here he discovers a bloodthirsty history and seagull-hating inhabitants who are obsessed with the poet Robert Burns.

Written by Mark Steel.

With additional material by Pete Sinclair.

Producer: Julia McKenzie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010.

Dumfries

Comedian Mark Steel returns to visit more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive.

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for each town and performs the show in front of a local audience.

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

Mark travels to Kirkwall in Orkney.

He encounters Thorfinn The Skullsplitter; an extraordinarily violent ball game and why it's pointless being a hairdresser on the island.

Written by Mark Steel.

With additional material by Pete Sinclair.

Producer: Julia McKenzie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2010.

Kirkwall

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