Show Notes
The famous Blyth Staithes (created for off-loading coal into ships) were the backdrop for one of the grimmest scenes in the Michael Caine classic Get Carter - the smoggy industrial view at the time described by the director as an "absolute vision of hell". Undaunted, comedian Mark Steel travels to this part of Northumberland and finds a fascinating industrial legacy, a posh pub, a very nice beach and prominent indications of its role in the first and second World Wars. Does a town blighted by so many closures show any evidence of green shoots? Mark presents his findings to a local audience at The Phoenix Theatre and as ever gets away with just the right amount of affection rudeness and we learn more about a very distinctive coastal town in the UK. The full box set of all episodes (with well over 50 towns visited) is available now wherever you get your podcasts. Written by and starring...Mark Steel With additional material from Pete Sinclair Production Coordinator...Beverly Tagg Producer...Julia McKenzie A BBC Studios Production.
More from Mark Steel's in Town
6/6 - Unst - 'The Island Above All Others'. After performing in Lerwick earlier in the series, Mark’s Shetland adventure concludes in Unst, as far north as you can get. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC Sounds. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinators Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager Jerry Peal Producer Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
For the fifth stop of the series, Mark travels to Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, perched at the far edge of Britain, where everyone’s on first-name terms with the fog. It’s a place where Viking heritage meets oil rigs and knitting patterns, where the winter fire festival Up Helly Aa lights up the darkness, and where the locals are masters of making their own fun. This is the first of Mark’s two shows from Shetland, recorded in front of an audience in Lerwick. Later in the series he’ll also be visiting Unst, the UK’s most northerly inhabited island. This is the 14th series of Mark's award winning show where he travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience. As well as Shetland, in this series, Mark be will also be popping to Oakham in Rutland, Wrexham, Lewisham and Cambridge. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC Sounds. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinators Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager Jerry Peal Producer Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
Mark Steel visits Cambridge and creates a show for the local audience. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager Jerry Peal Producer Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
Mark Steel visits Lewisham in south London and creates a show for the local audience. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager Chris Maclean Producer Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
Second stop of the new series is Wrexham in North Wales. Wrexham has gone from industrial workhorse to global celebrity, thanks to two Hollywood actors who bought the local football club. It’s a place where five of the Seven Wonders of Wales are apparently within walking distance of a Screwfix, where children learn “risk management” on playgrounds made from drainpipes salvaged at the council tip, and where an underground tunnel network may or may not have been built for priests sneaking to the pub... or for inmates tunnelling into prison for a game of pool. This is the 14th series of Mark's award-winning show where he travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience. As well as Wrexham, in this series, Mark be will also be popping to Oakham, Cambridge, Lewisham and, Lerwick and Unst in Shetland. There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager Jerry Peal Producer Carl Cooper A BBC Studios production for Radio 4