WINNER – FRINGE FIRST 2023
WINNER – LUSTRUM AWARD WINNER 2023 for unforgettable festival shows
WINNER – WOW (Entertainment Now) Edinburgh Festival Week 1 Best Theatre Show
“A nation that devours another will one day devour itself”.
Set when The Great Devouring comes home, England & Son is a one-man play written specifically for the award-winning political comedian Mark Thomas by award-winning playwright Ed Edwards (The Political History of Smack and Crack, Paines Plough’s Roundabout, Soho and UK tour).
This is the first play Mark has ever performed in that he has not written himself.
With some deep, dark laughs – and some deep, dark love – along the way, England & Son emerges from characters Mark knew in his childhood and Ed’s lived experience in jail. Prepare for Mark to take you on a kaleidoscopic odyssey where disaster capitalism, empire, stolen youth and stolen wealth merge into the simple tale of a working-class boy who just wants his dad to smile at him.
"a powerful cinematic journey through ecstatic highs and bone-crushing lows… The pacing is impeccable, the dialogue is note-perfect… he carries the audience through ecstatic highs and bone-crushing lows as if on a theatrical flying carpet"Edinburgh Reviews
"a contemporary parable… passion, physicality, and deep compassion – and the performance sings from it"Entertainment Now
"From funny to ferocious... very humorous and deeply moving. Don’t miss this!”North West End
"a searing one-hander that burns on long after the audience has vacated their seats"Fest Mag
"Thomas is electrifying…an exceptional work…. England and Son is exactly such a rarity! A must see"The Recs
"a brilliant piece of political theatre… at its most entertaining, engaging and effective"Morning Star Online
"extraordinarily powerful…a stunning performance"Scots Gay Arts
"funny and ferocious"The Guardian
"Tremendous energy and real pathos… a tremendous performance from Mark Thomas"The Stage
"fierce and sharp… profound and moving. A triumph for all concerned"WhatsOnStage
"heartbreakingly powerful, sharp and tragic… he remains one of the great performer-storytellers of our time"The Scotsman
"a ferocious script, sharply directed and magnificently delivered"The Times
"expertly played blistering solo"The Telegraph
“a hurricane of charismatic energy, leaving the audience too gripped to leave and too scared to interrupt”British Theatre Guide
