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The Lectures
- Narrated by: Mark Steel
- Length: 1 hr and 52 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Audio Performances & Dramatisations
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In each episode of this BBC Radio 4 series Mark Steel visits a UK town and researches its history, heritage and culture, after which he performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Mark's destinations in Series 1 & 2 are Skipton; Boston; Lewes; Walsall; Merthyr Tydfil; Portland; Dartford; Wilmslow; Dumfries; Penzance; Gateshead and Kirkwall. Duration: 6 hours approx.
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Fun and moreish!
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I always enjoy these
- By B.W. on 26-06-19
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Mark Steel's in Town: Series 5 & 6
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best history lessons ever
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Mark Steel's In Town: Series 1 & 2
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- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In each episode of this BBC Radio 4 series Mark Steel visits a UK town and researches its history, heritage and culture, after which he performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Mark's destinations in Series 1 & 2 are Skipton; Boston; Lewes; Walsall; Merthyr Tydfil; Portland; Dartford; Wilmslow; Dumfries; Penzance; Gateshead and Kirkwall. Duration: 6 hours approx.
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Fun and moreish!
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Mark Steel's in Town: Series 7 & 8
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- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In each episode of this award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, comedian Mark Steel visits a UK town and researches its history, heritage and culture, after which he performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Mark's destinations in series 7 and 8 are: Stockport, Colchester, Hebden Bridge, Kingston upon Thames, Lynton and Lynmouth, Gibraltar, Bedford, Matlock and Matlock Bath, Inverness, Portishead, Hull and Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.
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I always enjoy these
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Mark Steel's in Town: Series 5 & 6
- The BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series
- By: Mark Steel
- Narrated by: Mark Steel
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In each episode of this BBC Radio 4 series, Mark Steel visits a UK town and researches its history, heritage and culture, after which he performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Mark's destinations in series 5 and 6 are Glastonbury, Derry/Londonderry, St. Davids, Southall, Birkenhead, Huddersfield, Melton Mowbray, Fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Barnard Castle and Saint Anne.
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best history lessons ever
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In each episode of this BBC Radio 4 series, Mark Steel visits a UK town and researches its history, heritage and culture, after which he performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. Mark's destinations in series 3 & 4 are Berwick-upon-Tweed; Holyhead; Basingstoke; Douglas on the Isle of Man; Bungay; Wigan; Whitehaven; Tobermory; Corby; Handsworth; Ottery St. Mary and Chipping Norton. There's also a special episode recorded at the Edinburgh Festival.
-
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Gets better every year
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- By: Jeremy Hardy
- Narrated by: Jeremy Hardy
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Jeremy Hardy returns with a brand-new series that not only seconds that emotion but explains it, too. Yes, BBC Radio 4's most passionate polemicist returns to the airwaves with a new format which promises to be both personal and profound, and to present sides of Jeremy you won't have heard before. He may even sing. (He won't sing.)
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Brilliantly funny as usual
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Overall
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Pure gold.
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Welcome to the all-encompassing Museum of Everything – feel free to take a wander round our infinite gallery of strange exhibits, stranger exhibitors, disgruntled guides and obsessed visitors. The items on display range from the Elgin Tiddlywinks to the birds and the bees, and you can learn about the history of wicker and the origins of scampi, enjoy a display featuring the worst-selling author of Victorian times, get inducted into the Mock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and discover the real identity of Jack the Ripper.
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Old Harry's Game
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Andy Hamilton's complete 4th Series of this comedy winner from Radio 4. Satan's got the health inspector in and it seems that the lighting in hell isn't up to scratch but that's the least of his worries, with bad Feng-Shui, no sleep and some atrocious poetry not even Helen of Troy can perk up his day. Another hex-allent series from one of the writers of Revolting People and Trevor's World of Sport.
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Hilarious from beginning to end
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Summary
"Or that Tom Paine wrote a book pointing out all the places where the Bible contradicts itself and was accused of "preaching atheism". How do you "preach atheism"? Do you knock on the doors of religious people on Sunday mornings, and when they answer say, 'Have you heard the bad news?'
"The subjects of this audio programme - Lord Byron, Aristotle, Billie Holiday and Che Guevara - are classic examples of the flawed, brilliant, courageous, slightly barking, but beautifully human characters from history that can inspire the rest of us, which you certainly won't get from looking at our current leaders. It's unlikely, for example, that anyone has ever said, 'The man who really inspires me is Jack Straw.'"
Mark Steel
What listeners say about The Lectures
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Matthew
- 08-09-12
Dont bother
These are great, they really are.
However all are available for free from his website so paying for them is just stupid.
15 people found this helpful
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Overall
- I. Jamie
- 22-02-09
Biting, inciteful, educational
If you have seen or heard Mark Steele before, you'll know you're in for a treat. If not, give him a go! 30-minute oral essays on famous characters from history. Mr Hatton's history lessons were never like this!!
5 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Demeter
- 27-02-11
Brilliant!
In this series of four lectures Mark Steel is at his superb best. Mark's chosen characters range from Aristotle to Billy Holiday. We are given as much genuine information about 'People of Passion' as it is possible to absorb in one go, and it ail done with fantastic humour and a truly genuine understanding of the historical context.
4 people found this helpful
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- annette
- 21-03-15
Absolutely brilliant! Very very funny!
Mark Steel as always is funny and clever. All lectures should be delivered this way.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Colin
- 24-04-09
I'm missing something
I can't believe I paid for this...
2 people found this helpful
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- Catherine
- 25-07-15
The most unpatronising lecture I've ever heard.
If you could sum up The Lectures in three words, what would they be?
Brilliant. All lectures should be as irreverent and lively as this. A passionate narrator that chose passionate people to talk about. What an entertaining way to listen and learn!
What other book might you compare The Lectures to, and why?
The quality of the information presented in the lectures are on a par with anything the Modern Scholar series might provide.
I think those who are fans of the "Museum of Curiosity" might also like this book for its insightful quirkiness.
Which character – as performed by Mark Steel – was your favourite?
Mark's presentation of Aristotle was my favourite.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes. Up to this point all that I've ever really known about Byron was that he was "mad, bad, and dangerous to know," The portrait presented here of the man does not contradict that but rather qualifies it by indicating when, why and to whom Byron was all these things. I found it touching that a man should fall in love so easily.
Any additional comments?
Yes. Where is Volume 1?