SWINDON LITERARY FESTIVAL REVIEW: MARK Thomas stand up comedian and political activist performed his own brand of satire to a sell out show at the Arts Centre.

Fans of his Channel Four series The Mark Thomas Product would not have been disappointed at his energetic denouncement of anything he sees as hypocrisy.

Nothing was safe from the butt of his wit whether it be George W Bush, the Iraqi information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the Spice Girls or the Socialist Workers Party.

As for reality television programmes he said he would transport a bunch of celebrities such as Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Noel Edmonds and the Spice Girls to a distant jungle and then leave them there after switching the TV cameras off.

His uncompromising anti-war stance will not be shared by all, especially with newspaper opinion polls stating the Iraqi people are pleased with the end result. But those who have a concern for human rights and social justice will be enraged and entertained at the same time.

And the audience on the night responded in hysterics to his blend of sarcasm and mockery.

Balancing humour with the thought of fatalities in a war is no mean feat.

Thomas manages to subtly weave political points into series of gags that would appeal to your average stand-up comedy fan.

Whatever you think of him polemical or inspirational Thomas is a born performer who clearly loves being in front of an audience.

But whether he inspires you to follow the path of civil disobedience would depend on whether you shared his uncompromising political stance.

By Bhavani Vadde