COMEDIAN, political activist, TV and radio host, writer - Mark Thomas has earned a reputation for being a funnyman with a message.
And his latest show - Extreme Rambling (Walking The Wall) - is no exception, chronicling his experiences as he trekked along the entire length of the Israeli Separation Barrier in the Middle East.
The Entertainer caught up with the establishment bothering comic ahead of his performance at Llandudno's Venue Cymru.
What's the show about?
What I do is very simple - I go off and have adventures, I come back and tell people. I did one show about how I became an arms dealer, one show about how I became a world record holder. That's what I do.
In this one I attempted to go off and walk the border Israel and Palestine, and I talked to people. This is what I talk about.
Did you go out there with any preconceptions?
I would be mad if I didn't go out with some preconceptions, and I'd be insane if I'd come back without them being changed. It was really nuts.
Everything's different. You think it's a desert, but you get hailed on. You pick wild asparagus, you find tangerine groves and everything - it's not what you expect.
We'd go out and everyday something will happen. You find yourself picking up live ammunition thinking it's mushrooms, meet people and get stoned [with rocks].
I was glad to get home though to a place with no hummus. I can only take so much hummus.
Why did you want to do it?
It seemed like a good idea. Making sure I had the right people on side was important. Some days it was a tough walk. But some walks... amazing
I managed to get arrested six times, but that probably says more about the Israeli guards than my behaviour.
Walking too near the wall got me arrested. I was held at gun point. But at one point a soldier hears by accent and shouts over 'Alright mate - what part of London are you from?'. Turns out he was a Londoner.
What has the reaction to the show been like?
We did a version at Glastonbury on the main cabaret stage. It's the first time anybody has done a two hour set. There was a standing ovation - 2,000 people going bananas.
It's an all singing, all dancing show, but it is fairly full on. Some stories are funny - when you're standing next to a mime artists and getting bombarded with tear gas, it kind of writes itself. There's lot of surrealism.
You've taken it to a few places.
At this stage I've done 117 gigs and travelled everywhere. When coming to the end I get to a stage where I've got to make sure these last ones are the best gigs. People can get a bit lazy towards the end of a tour. I've performed for 26 years and I know, because I've done it.
Once the tour comes to an end, what is next for you?
I've got a new series on Radio 4. But I've got an original commission from the Royal Opera House. How weird is that? There's not really much I can say about it at the moment, just that it's going to be... unexpected.
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Mark Thomas will be appearing at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Wednesday, September 28. For more information or to book tickets contact the Box Office on 01492 872000 or visit the website at www.venuecymru.co.uk