"General rabble rouser and alleged comedian"

Before I start, let me just state, quite unequivocally, that I am a huge fan of Mark Thomas. I admire his ethics, his intelligence, his writing and his actions, including those minor acts of dissent he has already committed as part of his year long plan (running until May next year). Got that? Right, let’s proceed.

I have to say that the evening didn’t start well. For a start, the Manchester rush hour meant that The Minx, who was picking up Hannah from university, didn’t arrive in time for the start and that we could only meet up at the interval. And secondly, The Dukes wouldn’t let me take any photos on the grounds that Mark Thomas is “copyrighted”.

Thus I went into the show in a grumpy kind of mood, planning my own minor act of dissent regarding a photo (which I obtained during the interval).

The show itself was a funny old beast. This is in part because Thomas is not really a comedian and yet people treat him as if he is. I can honestly say that I didn’t properly LOL once although I was thoroughly amused in places.

His routine mostly consists of talking about the minor acts of dissent he has committed to date and they are all - to my mind, at least - thoroughly admirable. His disdain for the corporate, tax-avoiding behemoths on our high streets pushes all my buttons and his actions against them are all inventive and amusing. Sure, they are unlikely to change much of their targets' behaviours in themselves but, God, it would be wonderful if they could serve as a template for the rest of us.

On the downside, I found his act a little too hammy, perhaps even a little smug. And yet, if he wasn’t quite so self-congratulatory, he wouldn’t be the entertaining character we saw before us, this evening, or, indeed, the type of activist we so desperately need in these dire neo-feudal times. So, you know, no complaints.

If you can get to see him, I’d highly recommend it. But if you can’t then do read his brilliant book ‘As Used On the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade’. He's an admirable character. Or, if you prefer the police's assessment, a general rabble rouser and alleged comedian!