The Liar's Quartet: Bravo Figaro, Cuckooed and Red Shed Annotated Playscripts

by Mark Thomas (contributor)

'There is a battle of narratives. The working-class narrative is being erased. And as you erase that narrative, you erase truths with it.'Funny, provocative and moving, The Liar's Quartet includes the scripts with brand new commentary from Mark Thomas' most acclaimed comic, political theatre. Layered with political insight (and insult), and peppered with anecdote, this is a bravura performance in its own right. Each multi-award winning show examines Thomas' obsession with the bonds that bind us, those of family, friends and communities.Beginning with Bravo Figaro! , Mark puts on an opera in his dying father's living room (with the help of Royal Opera House singers) to explore their relationship. In Cuckooed , he unpicks the betrayal of a friend and a fellow activist who was in fact employed to spy for the UK's biggest arms company, BAE systems. And in The Red Shed , Mark returns to his political roots to harness the power of collective memory and celebrate the importance of working-class struggles and narratives in a story he describes as 'a topical tale about the miners' strike'.Laughter, anger and connection. Mark Thomas is more essential than ever...

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2017

About the author

Mark Clifford Thomas (born 11 April 1963) is an English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter from south London. He first became known as a guest comic on the BBC Radio 1 comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the late 1980s. He is best known for political stunts on his show, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product on Channel 4. Thomas describes himself as a "libertarian anarchist."

Reviews

[Steve Gillway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially liked "Bravo Figaro" some real bittersweet comedy regarding Mark's dad and opera. "Cuckooed" and "The Red Shed" show how Mark can eke out comedy in even the most serious issues such as corporate spying and the miner's strike.