Mark is laughing in the face of adversity

On the face of it Beeston resident Mark Wilson hasn’t got a lot to laugh about. Still in his forties he suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and Charcot Marie Tooth disease.

Mark Wilson“I was a taxi driver and one day I just couldn’t focus. I went to doctor and found out I had Parkinson’s.

“I can be hard to live with and I sometimes get depressed” he says. “I’ve always enjoyed comedy and one night at a show in Huddersfield Jonathan Mayor made me laugh so much I forgot about my symptoms.” Mark went to thank Jonathan after the show and struck up a friendship, it turns out Jonathan’s husband suffers from Parkinson’s too.

Mark took things a stage further by organising his own comedy nights. In March he put on a show at the Marriott Hotel in Leeds featuring Gary Delaney, who you might have seen on Mock The Week. Together with a second show at Armley Liberal Club, it raised over £2,500 for Parkinson’s Research.

Mark has raised a further £4,000 in street collections – you might have seen him at B&M or Asda in Middleton.

“It’s not just about raising money, I want people to come to the show and enjoy themselves.”

Mark’s next show will be on Sunday 13 March 2016 and the £10 tickets are selling fast. On the bill are Allyson June Smith, Alex Boardman, Angela Barnes and compere Monty Burns. To get your ticket go to: www.leedslaughterspectacular.eventbrite.co.uk.

Keep up to date with developments on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Leedslaughterspectacular

This post has been corrected since it was originally posted.

 

 

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