Mark started doing stand-up in 1982, around the circuit of bizarre gigs, going on after jugglers and escapologists and people that banged nails into their ear. Then came the Comedy Store and Jongleurs and getting bottled off at The Tunnel, and then a regular slot on Radio 4’s Loose Ends.
Mark has also done weekly columns in Socialist Worker, the Guardian and the Independent. There was a book called ‘Vive le Revolution’, and he’s been on various panel shows like Have I Got News For You and QI, and on Room 101, and on Question Time he got very confused when he insulted a member of the Tory shadow cabinet, and afterwards he said Mark was splendid and invited me for a drink. And he’s spoken at lots of demonstrations and union meetings and protests, and appeared at quite a few benefits, and yet capitalism still seems to rule the world. ‘Maybe I’m a jinx’ he says…