Episodes

  • KEYWORDS Episode 5 - Paying The Price

    KEYWORDS Episode 5 - Paying The Price
    Jul 26 2021
    In this 6-part series, comedian and activist Mark Thomas, in his typical style of drawing attention to things the government might rather we forget, talks to essential workers about how they carried on, continuing to hold things together, while the government, in the words of Boris Johnson was ’totally fucking hopeless”. Mark asks what changed for them, what stayed the same, and what the future holds.This week Mark asks key workers about the financial and health impact of covid 19 on their lives. Talking to pub workers, McDonalds staff, carers, bus drivers and cleaners about the financial burdens they have borne this week we ask: What is the knock on effect of the UK having the worst sick pay rate in Europe? How can Johnson claim the arms of the state were put around the working class when 8 million people fall through the gaps of Statutory Sick Pay levels and eligibility? We all knew that Black and Asian workers were disproportionately effected by Covid 19 but what was done about it? Mark's previous podcast collecting working peoples testimony was for the Wellcome Collection - Mark Thomas’s Lockdown Check Up - which followed NHS and care staff through the first lockdown has now been put into the Wellcome Collection permanent archive.www.markthomasinfo.com

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    26 mins
  • KEYWORDS Episode 4 - Holdng On

    KEYWORDS Episode 4 - Holdng On
    Jul 15 2021
    In this 6-part series, comedian and activist Mark Thomas, in his typical style of drawing attention to things the government might rather we forget, talks to essential workers about how they carried on, continuing to hold things together, while the government, in the words of Boris Johnson was ’totally fucking hopeless”. Mark asks what changed for them, what stayed the same, and what the future holds.With testimony from Amazon workers, carers and a host of other key workers about how they survived work through the pandemic. How did they manage their lives and their work when so many public services had been cut by austerity? Mark talks to firefighters about the importance of humour and care workers about making their own PPE with knicker elastic. Mark's previous podcast collecting working peoples testimony was for the Wellcome Collection - Mark Thomas’s Lockdown Check Up - which followed NHS and care staff through the first lockdown has now been put into the Wellcome Collection permanent archive.www.markthomasinfo.com

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    25 mins
  • KEYWORDS Episode 3 - Keeping Your Distance

    KEYWORDS Episode 3 - Keeping Your Distance
    Jul 8 2021
    In this 6-part series, comedian and activist Mark Thomas, in his typical style of drawing attention to things the government might rather we forget, talks to essential workers about how they carried on, continuing to hold things together, while the government, in the words of Boris Johnson was ’totally fucking hopeless”. Mark asks what changed for them, what stayed the same, and what the future holds.In this episode Mark asks Key Workers how they managed with social distancing. The best way of beating Covid 19 is not catching the virus, a task that eluded the Prime Minister, the Health secretary and the Chief Medical Officer all at the same time....They may not be the best bench mark for how easy it is to catch the virus but you get the point.... From cleaners to bus drivers, waiters to carers Mark asks workers how they held it all together, kept the country going and stayed safe?Mark's previous podcast collecting working peoples testimony was for the Wellcome Collection - Mark Thomas’s Lockdown Check Up - which followed NHS and care staff through the first lockdown has now been put into the Wellcome Collection permanent archive.www.markthomasinfo.com

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    24 mins
  • KEYWORDS Episode 2 - Going The Extra Mile

    KEYWORDS Episode 2 - Going The Extra Mile
    Jun 30 2021
    In this 6-part series, comedian and activist Mark Thomas, in his typical style of drawing attention to things the government might rather we forget, talks to essential workers about how they carried on, continuing to hold things together, while the government, in the words of Boris Johnson was ’totally fucking hopeless”. Mark asks what changed for them, what stayed the same, and what the future holds.This week firefighters, cleaners, and carers , amongst others, talk to Mark about how they worked to help their communities through Covid 19. Workers have gone the extra mile for a long time covering the gaps caused by austerity and with the advent of the pandemic they have been asked once again to head to the frontline and make that extra effort.Mark's previous podcast collecting working peoples testimony was for the Wellcome Collection - Mark Thomas’s Lockdown Check Up - which followed NHS and care staff through the first lockdown has now been put into the Wellcome Collection permanent archive.www.markthomasinfo.com

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    24 mins
  • KEYWORDS Episode 1 - In Plain Sight

    KEYWORDS Episode 1 - In Plain Sight
    Jun 23 2021
    In this 6-part series, comedian and activist Mark Thomas, in his typical style of drawing attention to things the government might rather we forget, talks to essential workers about how they carried on, continuing to hold things together, while the government, in the words of Boris Johnson was ’totally fucking hopeless”. Mark asks what changed for them, what stayed the same, and what the future holds.This week Mark talks to carers, refuse collectors, tube drivers, amazon drivers and teachers about how Covid 19 shone a light on Key Workers. One minute they were deemed ‘low skilled’ the next the Prime Minister is clapping his hands on the doorstep of Downing St, hailing NHS and Key Workers. So what how happened? Did Britain reevaluate the working class? How were Key Workers seen buy public and government? And will any changes last?Mark's previous podcast collecting working peoples testimony was for the Wellcome Collection - Mark Thomas’s Lockdown Check Up - which followed NHS and care staff through the first lockdown has now been put into the Wellcome Collection permanent archive. www.markthomasinfo.com

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    25 mins
  • The Things About Us: The Charter of the Forest

    The Things About Us: The Charter of the Forest
    Jun 7 2020
    The Things About Us examines British identity: what are we like, what do we think we're like, and what's in the gap in between?This week, Mark looks at the land of our nation: who owns it, what can we do on it? And with the help of the SOAS's Guy Standing, he looks at the most significant document you've probably never heard of: The Charter of the Forest. The Things About Us is written and presented by Mark Thomas. It was recorded on tour at the Darwen Library Theatre, and at King's Place as part of the London Podcast Festival. It was produced by Susan McNicholas and Ed Morrish. Thanks to Lush for their support, and to Dr. Feelgood for the use of their music.If you want to say hello on social media, Mark Thomas is @markthomasinfo.Mark's photo is by Steve Ullathorne (ullathorne.photoshelter.com/index) and the design is by Greg Matthews (designbygreg.uk/)

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    29 mins
  • The Things About Us: Slavery

    The Things About Us: Slavery
    Jun 1 2020
    The Things About Us examines British identity: what are we like, what do we think we're like, and what's in the gap in between?This week, Mark returns to his native Clapham, in the company of historian SI Martin, to explore its unspoken history of profiting from enslavement. In particular, they look at the Church of the Holy Trinity - the Wilberforce Church - and find out that its admission of complicity is literally written on the walls. With added insight from historians Dr Madge Dresser and Dr Katie Donnington, he reveals uncomfortable truths about the place he grew up and, by extension, the country. He also speaks to Omar Khan from the Runnymede Trust about Oku Ekpenyon's Memorial 2007 campaign to erect a statue that commemorates enslaved Africans and their descendants.The Things About Us is written and presented by Mark Thomas. It was recorded at the Museum of Comedy in London by Tim Bazell, and produced by Susan McNicholas and Ed Morrish. Thanks to Lush for their support, and to Dr. Feelgood for the use of their music.The church music is by Momplaisir, and is used under a Creative Commons license. To donate to Memorial 2007, please visit http://www.memorial2007.org.uk/If you want to say hello on social media, Mark Thomas is @markthomasinfo and SI Martin is @simartin.Mark's photo is by Steve Ullathorne (ullathorne.photoshelter.com/index) and the design is by Greg Matthews (designbygreg.uk/)

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    54 mins
  • The Things About Us: The Chagos Islands

    The Things About Us: The Chagos Islands
    May 25 2020
    The Things About Us examines British identity: what are we like, what do we think we're like, and what's in the gap in between?This week Mark asks: what happens when Britain decides you're not British any more? This is what happened to the people of the Chagos Islands, in the Indian Ocean: they remained British when Mauritius won Independence in the 1960s, but were handed over to America, who built a military base on the island of Diego Garcia. How did this happen - and what did Britain do to the people who lived there?The Things About Us is written and presented by Mark Thomas. It was recorded at the Museum of Comedy in London by Tim Bazell, and produced by Susan McNicholas and Ed Morrish. Thanks to Lush for their support, and to Dr. Feelgood for the use of their music.The Chagossian music is by Group Tanbour Chagos, and is used under a Creative Commons license. Please visit their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKafAfVWeN341WkKw0X3PugIf you want to say hello on social media, Mark Thomas is @markthomasinfo.Mark's photo is by Steve Ullathorne (ullathorne.photoshelter.com/index) and the design is by Greg Matthews (designbygreg.uk/)

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    37 mins