Live Performance Review: Mark Thomas: Cuckooed (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014) Saturday 02.08.2014 20:30 Traverse Theatre, Traverse One (Unreserved Seating), Edinburgh

Another year, another Mark Thomas show (He is one of few people I consider to be a hero of mine). This one focused upon upon the Campaign Against The Arms Trade, of which Mark has been involved for many years, who some time back became aware that they had been infiltrated by a spy, who Mark had previously thought to be a close friend. It is strongly suspected that the spy was working for B.A.E. Systems, the U.K.s largest weapons manufacturer. 

The show was very engaging and focused upon betrayal and the resultant need Mark had to do a 'revenge fuck', meaning that he took actions that lead to the shutting down of several of the U.K.s weapons manufacturers. Bravo! Towards the end, Mark allowed the focus to widen to consider spying in general and incidents such as the family of Stephen Lawrence being spied upon. 

I don't consider this to be quite up there with his best work, that has to be performances such as 'Coca-Cola', 'Extreme Rambling' and 'Bravo Figaro!', though it is a return to performing with a single focus which I feel his performances benefit from. 

I suspect that part of the reasoning for it not being quite up with the best of his work, is that I have heard him cover some of the same details of his activities with the 'Campaign Against...' previously throughout the vast amount of M.T. Product that I have consumed (I still have more than 24 Hours of his programmes from Chanel 4 on video, all of which I have watched several times). So in that sense this was not entirely fresh material for me and if memory serves correctly that is a first in terms of seeing Mark Live. 

To consider the show, without regarding how I relate to it due to my eighteen year devotion to the master, it is hard not to concede that this is another show of the highest caliber from a passionate and committed performer who continues to be at the top of his game and the comedy tree. I find it hard to imagine it possible that there could be another 'comedy' show in the 'Edinburgh Festivals' this year that would top this. If you have not seen Mark before this is good entrance level stuff. The devotion continues...

Rating: 10/10.