Sign in

Mark Ludmon

@markludmon.bsky.social
436 followers 269 following 880 posts

Freelance journalist, editor & ghostwriter, writing on theatre, drinks, bars etc. Theatre studies MA from Central School of Speech & Drama. Early modern literature & history postgrad. Včasih slovensko, parfois français, always European. 🌈 he/him

PostsRepliesMedia
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The updated production of Manfred Karge’s Man To Man (Jacke wie Hose) at the Royal Court is an unforgettable piece of theatre. A masterful mesmerising performance by Tilda Swinton. 📸 Tristram Kenton
Tilda Swinton in red underpants and a dirty white vest on stage in Man To Man with 1960s- or 1970s-style furnishings on a white background splattered with red.
0102
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) @europeanjournalists.org · 05/10/2026
#Slovenia: We stand with our Slovenian affiliates SNS and DNS ahead of Sunday's referendum on abolishing the RTV contribution. Scrapping it without a guaranteed alternative puts RTV Slovenija's independence at risk and goes against EMFA. Vote PROTI (AGAINST) on 11 October.
europeanjournalists.org
Slovenia must protect independent and sustainable funding for RTV Slovenija
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands with its Slovenian affiliates, the Trade Union of Slovenian Journalists (SNS) and the Slovenian ...
051
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
The Stage @thestage.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Theatre will become “one of the most valuable forms of art there is” due to its immunity from AI interference, actor Danielle Fiamanya has claimed. Read more 👇
thestage.co.uk
Danielle Fiamanya: Theatre will be more valuable in wake of AI
011
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Twenty years on, revisiting (an updated) Avenue Q — still fun, still a little bit racist.
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Not sure what OpenAI will get from digesting the private letters of the 19th-century novelist Maria Edgeworth…
021
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
The Booker Prizes @thebookerprizes.com · 22/09/2026
Presenting the Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. Find out more about the books and authors that make up this year's list. thebookerprizes.com/bp2026
The Booker Prize 2026 shortlist in full:

The End of Everything by M. John Harrison
The Disappearers by Marlon James
Black Bag by Luke Kennard
May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
John of John by Douglas Stuart
411870
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Kieran Hurley @kieranhurley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
And here, of course, is Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul: In order for me to write poetry that isn't political I must listen to the birds And in order to hear the birds The warplanes must be silent
03510
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Danes zvečer gledal sem film Fantasy iz Slovenije in Severne Makedonije v kinu v Barbicanu v Londonu. Film je posnela režiserka Kukla. Je dober, lep in zanimiv, igralke so odlične. Saw Kukla’s new Slovenian-North Macedonian film Fantasy at the Barbican tonight. It was great and so were the cast.
100
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
BREAKING: Julie and the Phantoms will no longer be opening for Ed Sheeran
010
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Twonks @twonks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
2020 v 2026
6764551293
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Future me watching over-optimistic me committing to massive work projects for next to no money.
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Farewell The Glitch… Hello “LowMAC” — the newly renamed café-bar-theatre from Vault Creative Arts in Waterloo
001
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
𝕯𝖆𝖓🍂🎃🕸️ @arepublic86.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Charlotte Wainwright restoring and saving old/ancient books. www.wainwrightbookbinding.com
524191195441
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Catching up on Anna Maxwell Martin’s joyful and moving Desert Island Discs from June. Worth a listen. 🌴🥥 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
Desert Island Discs - Anna Maxwell Martin, actor - BBC Sounds
Anna Maxwell Martin, actor, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.
000
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Discontinued FoOoOods! 👻🎃 @discontinuedfoods.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Any of my soupheads out there agree?
A clipping from a newspaper article about PF soups, noting that to a soup-lover, money means little if a truly fine soup is purchased
1945968
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
The Stage @thestage.co.uk · 30/08/2026
ICYMI: Hugh Bonneville, Nicola Coughlan, Denise Gough, Pearl Mackie and Amanda Abbington are among the actors to have written to the prime minister demanding artists’ voices be protected against "theft" by AI. Read more 👇
thestage.co.uk
AI voice clones could 'decimate' industry, stars warn
161
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Krystina Nellis @krystinanellis.com · 25/08/2026
no but you don’t understand it is a *tiny kitten* wearing a tiny hi-vis and *a tiny hard hat* 😭😭😭
052
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Matt Tedford is phenomenal in Margaret Thatcher Queen of Hollywood, a satire about misogyny in Hollywood and Thatcher’s anti-feminism — an entertaining follow-up to the savage Queen of Soho tackling Section 28. It’s at Assembly George Square Gardens at Edinburgh Fringe to 30 Aug. #edfringe
021
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Tonight I attended the launch of the Imperial War Museum’s new exhibition Children In War — I was on the advisory panel, so I thought I knew what to expect, but I found it deeply moving. It’s suitable for families with children aged 8+ www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘There was absolutely no chance of being a kid’: new exhibition explores how war shapes children’s lives
Childhood in War examines what life looks like when play, education and family life is disrupted by hostilities
816941
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
This is sad: museums should be places for children to enjoy.
030
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The new Prime Minister is writing a "10-year plan" for the UK. The arts & culture MUST be part of it. I've signed @campaignforthearts.org's petition urging @andyburnham.bsky.social to revitalise the arts – to revitalise the whole nation 🌱 Join me: www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/10-year-plan/
campaignforthearts.org
Prime Minister – put the arts in your 10-year plan for the UK | Campaign for the Arts
Sign our petition urging the UK Government to build a country where the arts are available from childhood, accessible to all and thriving everywhere.
022
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Wonderful to see M John Harrison on the Booker longlist after 60+ years of writing. I remember discovering him and reading his Viriconium novels back long ago when I worked for his publisher, Gollancz.
000
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
The Stage @thestage.co.uk · 21/07/2026
The former producers of the now-defunct Vault Festival are renaming their Waterloo venue the Glitch as Lower Marsh Arts Club. 👇
thestage.co.uk
Vault Festival producers’ venue the Glitch to rebrand as Lower Marsh Arts Club
022
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
It’s that time of year again. What to see at Edinburgh Fringe…? #edfringe
110
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
New musical Pride at the National Theatre is a powerful show, at times funny, at times moving, demonstrating how solidarity and community can bring hope and solace when times are dark and divisive.
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Ralph Fiennes gives a masterful performance as actor-manager Henry Irving in David Hare’s Grace Pervades at Theatre Royal Haymarket. A fascinating play for a theatre history geek like me — Jordan Metcalfe’s Edward Gordon Craig is a particular joy.
Miranda Raison as Ellen Terry and Ralph Fiennes as Henry Irving in Grace Pervades. Photo by Marc BrennerJordan Metcalfe as Edward Gordon Craig in Grace Pervades. Photo by Marc Brenner
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
After school taught me history was all about kings and wars, I was so excited to discover the microhistories of historians like Carlo Ginzburg. His books were fascinating from The Cheese and the Worms onwards.
011
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
James @zemblamatic.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Hopefuly we are getting to the point that the PM will just be a giant wicker figurine that can be burned ritually every year to stop the crops from failing
15553145
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Čas za še eno knjigo Gorana Vojnovića… fortunately translated into English by Noah Charney and published by London’s Istros Books - with a useful map.
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Three episodes into Two Weeks in August on BBC iPlayer and loving it. Catherine Shepherd’s writing is spot on, and the cast is superb — especially Jessica Raine whose character, Zoe, feels a bit too close to home. #TwoWeeksInAugust
011
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Ana Ilievska Zavrsnik @ailievskazavrsnik.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
If you’re thinking “why not try #Slovene tomorrow?” - this is your sign. 😄 Join me/us for a taster class. It’s free of charge, thanks to the #BritishCouncil so your wallet is safe and your curiosity is welcome. londoncityoflanguages.org.uk/event-listin...
londoncityoflanguages.org.uk
A taster in … Slovene! - London: City of Languages
Step into a language where grammar still keeps a special seat just for two, perfect for best friends, couples, or duos. It’s a rare feature in modern Europe and a great conversation starter for UK aud...
031
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
As someone who travels by train a lot for work, I say this cannot come soon enough. I spent 4 hours on East Midlands Railway trains yesterday with no working WiFi, travelling on routes with little or no phone data coverage. And EMR is the norm, not the exception. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Why Britain's notoriously bad train wi-fi might soon be a thing of the past
How bad is the signal on our trains? We spoke to commuters to find out.
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Maybe it’s because I’m an 80s kid but I loved new Netflix series The Boroughs. Amazing cast, finely crafted storytelling and a great mix of thrills, wit and heart, playing with ideas around ageism and ageing. #TheBoroughs
020
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
A fascinating Q&A today with Slovenian writer & director Miha Mazzini after a screening of his powerful award-winning 2018 film Erased (Izbrisana) at the lovely ActOne Cinema in Acton in London at the start of a UK tour to mark the publication of the English translation of Erased the novel.
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Še en dan, še en slovenski roman… Looking forward to reading Slovenian writer Ana Schnabl’s novel, “Flood Tide” (tj. Plima), newly published in English translation by Divided Publishing, after a super book launch and Q&A at London’s Brick Lane Bookshop this evening.
Ana Schnabl on the right sat with Katharina in a bookshop talkingPiles of Ana Schnabl’s book, Flood Tide, in Brick Lane BookshopAn A-board outside Brick Lane Bookshop promoting the book launch for Ana Schnabl’s Flood Tide
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Rosie Holt is at her brilliant best in the sharply satirical, painfully topical and very funny Churchill’s Urinal at the King’s Head Theatre, giving us a Rachel Reeves in glorious meltdown. @kingsheadtheatre.bsky.social #LondonTheatre
The entrance to the King’s Head Theatre with a large poster for Churchill’s Urinal featuring Rosie Holt holding a Chancellor of the Exchequer red box
001
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
The kids are alright 👍
41166
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Looking forward to seeing Churchill’s Urinal… www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/m...
theguardian.com
A leak at No 11: Rachel Reeves and the satire about the urinal she couldn’t get rid of
When she broke through the glass ceiling and became chancellor, Reeves found her office had its own latrine. Rosie Holt reveals why she turned the story into a play called Churchill’s Urinal
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Enjoyed Kiran Deol’s funny and thought-provoking show, Assault on Comedy, at Soho Theatre tonight, turning her experience of a violent assault into darkly comic storytelling.
Kiran Deol in a hospital gown in a publicity shot for her show
110
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
The Isaac Who Came In From the Butler @isaacbutler.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
For American Theatre I spoke to a whole mess of people in the new play world about what has and hasn't changed over the last two decades since the study Outrageous Fortune sought to comprehensively document the problems in the New Play sector (1/???): www.americantheatre.org/2026/05/11/s...
americantheatre.org
State of Play
Why the theatre industry’s new-play push hasn’t improved the playwrights’ lot.
23912
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Research suggests AI platforms are open to “manipulation and poor-quality news”. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
AI platforms reference Nigel Farage more than other leaders when prompted on UK politics, study shows
Reform UK is ‘doing something right when it comes to visibility’ on multiple AI systems, say researchers
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Looking forward to reading Slovenian writer Katarina Gomboc Čeh’s novel, Nobody Knows Anybody (Nihče nikogar ne spozna) after last night’s launch event for the new English translation from Printim Editions at Brick Lane Bookshop in London.
Katarina Gomboc Čeh with her novel, Nobody Knows AnybodyKatarina Gomboc Čeh’s novel, Nobody Knows Anybody, on display next to Ana Schnabl’s Flood TidePiles of Katarina Gomboc Čeh’s novel, Nobody Knows Anybody
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
There’s a new Belgian detective in town using his little grey cells to solve a murder in a country house in 1930s England — and it’s René Magritte… Starting in on watching surreal cosy crime series This Is Not a Murder Mystery on U. #ThisIsNotAMurderMystery
Donna Banya as DC Mary Quant with a notepad, Pierre Gervais as Magritte with a pipe and Stephen Tompkinson as DCI Thistletwaite with a magnifying glass
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
At The Stage’s #FutureOfTheatre, The Devil Wears Prada’s Vanessa Williams, producer Jamie Wilson, writer Ryan Calais Cameron & director Luke Sheppard are about to tell us how to create a West End hit!
Five people on a panel at a conference
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Excellent panel on sound design at @thestage.co.uk’s #FutureOfTheatre conference including calls for industry-wide standards on technology for accessibility for people with impaired hearing — and factoring in sound design, vocal coaching and accessibility as early as possible when staging a show.
Six people on an industry panel on stage on a laptop screen
010
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Obviously a lot of love for A.C. (Alli) Smith’s Big Idea of a Playwrights’ Library, presented at @thestage.co.uk’s #FutureOfTheatre conference. Let’s do it! playwrightslibrary.com
Laptop screen saying “A home for writers by playwrights for playwrights”
000
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
A powerful, insightful start to @thestage.co.uk’s #FutureOfTheatre conference: Daniel Evans, Tamara Harvey & Andrew Leveson of the RSC on the importance of theatre to society, from social cohesion to wellbeing, and the many challenges ahead.
020
Mark Ludmon @markludmon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Ready to join The Stage’s Future of Theatre conference at Soho Theatre Walthamstow (from my desk)
Welcome screen on a laptop for The Stage Future of Theatre event
000
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Rebekah King @rebekahking.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Happy Shakespeare’s birthday everyone! In VERY exciting news, I’ve been asked to adapt The Tempest for a 60-minute performance on The Golden Hinde, a floating museum moored on the Thames. If you’re in London this September, come and see a (shortened) Shakespeare play on an actual ship!
Poster superimposed over a painting of the Hinde, a sixteenth century ship. It reads 'Happy Shakespeare's Day: The Tempest aboard The Golden Hinde Tuesday 8 & 22 September 2026.' The poop deck of the ship. The gun deck of the ship.The ship's hold.
4258
Reposted by Mark Ludmon
Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Péter Magyar victory speech: "We want to make a country where no one is persecuted because they think differently or because someone loves in a different way to others." He may not have campaigned as a liberal. But this is a huge change of direction and rhetoric from Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ+ crusade.
122131182854