Mark Thomas is to star in a new theatre production about our ‘chaotic inner thoughts’, co-written by fellow comic Jessica Fostekew.

48 Thoughts Per Minute is based on real-life testimonies about people’s internal monologues. Audiences will have the option to join in too, sharing their thoughts via smartphone. 

Created by The Paper Birds – a company known for creating verbatim theatre – the production ‘transforms the stage into a human brain, with staging, sound, and visuals shifting at breakneck speed’.

Thomas stars alongside The Paper Birds’ Kylie Perry, who, with her company co-director Jemma McDonnell, helped Fostekew turn the first-person accounts into the script. A team of academic experts also contributed.

Fostekew – who is currently presenting Radio 4’s popular science show The Infinite Monkey Cage – said: ‘Collaborating with Jemma and Kylie on this project has been the most excellent fun. They are a joy to build characters and worlds with. 

‘I have particularly loved the academic research involved in the making of this play and learning so much about thinking, internal experience and what that looks like in scientific terms. 

‘It’s been so mind-bending that it has been like becoming a philosopher and a child-again all at once. And I’m proud of how funny we have been able to make this show too, especially considering the messy complexity of the subject matter. I’m excited to set it free and see it fly.’

Jess Fostekew

The title refers to the rate at which researchers believe the average human brain generates thoughts.

48 Thoughts Per Minute explores what happens in just three minutes inside a woman’s mind as she awaits potentially life-changing news. Producers describe it as a ‘high-speed, humorous, relatable and stirring journey’.

McDonnell said: ‘The way our minds work is rarely neat and tidy, dark thoughts and humour regularly co-exist alongside the chaotic and the absurd.

‘Collaborating with exceptional stand-up comedians has allowed us to explore heavier themes including grief and infertility through a comedic lens, proving that it is possible to tell profound, thought-provoking stories while generating belly laughs and ensuring that audiences not only have a fantastic night out, but also leave with brilliant conversation starters.’

The show starts at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, which co-produced the project, on January 27 and 28.

The rest of the tour dates are 

February 2-3: MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton
February 9-10: Corn Exchange, Newbury
February 17-18: Jersey Arts Centre, Saint Helier
February 23-24: Derby Theatre 
February 25-26: Sheffield Theatres
March 3-4: Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
March 9-10: Chelmsford Theatre
March 15-16:  Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
March 18-19: Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
March 23-24: HOME, Manchester: