I love the comedy on Radio Four and Radio Four Extra. From the wicked wordplay of 'Just a Minute' to the affectionate farce of 'Cabin Pressure', these stations have kept me entertained for hours at home and on my travels. Two of my favourite programmes are Mark Steel's 'Lectures', which look at historical figures with awe, fascination and an eye for the human behind the name, and 'In Town', which kind of does the same thing for British towns and cities. So I was delighted when I discovered that there was a book to go with 'Mark Steel's In Town'.
Mark Steel has criss-crossed the country performing stand up inspired by the many different and unique places he's visited. But this is a travelogue with a difference. Instead of despairing at the sameness of modern high streets and telling jokes which make audiences laugh at broad, shared experiences, he's been on the hunt for each place's passion and individuality. From Penzance to Kent, Orkney to Portland and Merthyr Tydfil to Norwich, the comic and writer finds local stories of heroes and villains, explosive celebrations and historic eccentricity. Above all, he discovers that all is not lost and that people and communities are defiantly idiosyncratic, despite the best efforts of big retail businesses and growing standardisation.
This is a great book to dip in and out of, but, to be honest, it was a bit tough to read as a whole. Mr Steel often writes as he speaks, so some of the sentences ran over so many lines that I had to go back and read them again to make sure I'd not missed anything. Fortunately, I could get around this by imagining him actually saying them, but this might be a bit hard for anyone who doesn't know what he sounds like!
It was also very tempting to just skip to the places I know. Because there's no overarching structure as such, i.e. Mr Steel is not trying to win a bet or reach a specific destination, I suppose there was nothing to stop me doing this, but I always want to do each book justice.
Overall, this book was OK and I really feel that Mr Steel's hopeful message - that despite bland modern standardisation, many communities remain as defiantly different as ever - is an important one, but, really, it's the shows that make this come across best. So, the next time Mark Steel's in town, why don't you pop along and see him for yourself?
Now, what next..?
Related Links
Back Catalogue of 'The Mark Steel Lectures'
Current Series of 'Mark Steel's In Town'
