About

What a great show. With the aid of a chair, bag and a prayer scarf I was transported back 2000 years. A must see.
Dynamic storytelling
Your mini recital [of Chapter 5 of Mark’s Gospel] was lovely. You captured the facial expressions of the demented man brilliantly.
The embodied storytelling of Stefan Smart made time fly and the word of the Gospel come to life!
Perfect Fringe-fare. A mighty performance!
Magnificent! I’m not just saying that…Magnificent!
Just saw this at the Edinburgh Fringe. What a fantastic job Stefan Smart did. Thoroughly recommend it!
A stunning, dramatic retelling.
Keep up the good work!
A profoundly moving experience. You didn’t just ‘tell’ the gospel, you ‘preached’ it. An older wiser mentor once said to me that “a sermon prepared in the mind speaks to the mind, but only a sermon prepared in the heart will ever speak to people’s hearts”. I believe that this is what you did the other night.
An outstanding show! Powerful and moving.
It made my Easter.
A fresh exposure to a believable report of true history by a consumate story teller.
The passion of the story sneaks up on you, as emotions are provoked through this wholly engaging work.
Wow, like really, wow! You have created something really…actually, I don’t have the words yet as I’m still letting the evening soak in.
A wonderful performance reinforced by some thoughtful and insightful comments in the Q&A. I would happily see it again.
It was such a privilege having Stefan with us in Shrewsbury. He made a great impact on the students – they really enjoyed having him and were challenged by his presentation. The Year 6 RS lesson afterwards went superbly, and the children responded so well. It was all meant to be!
Fabulous show. Absolutely wonderful.
A great quality, engaging performance. Our guests found it thought provoking whether or not they had faith in God; many said they “loved it”, “it was amazing” and “it gave me a new way to think about the stories of Jesus”. The Q&A time was particularly powerful and on another occasion we might have allowed even more time for that.
A wonderful presentation. The highlight of our Festival experience!
A carefully nuanced, but entirely sincere and believable interpretation of Mark’s breakneck-speed drama, which comforted, surprised and challenged us – just as it was designed to do for his first readers. I AM MARK will remain long in this congregation’s collective memory.
From the first word, Stefan captured the gathered listeners’ attention, as the Churches of the region were joined by the general public. Here was a Good Friday event, out in the shopping precinct, that was worth stopping to listen to. Truly memorable!
Let me highly recommend a different and effective outreach evening with Stefan Smart – his rendition of the gospel of Mark is thought-provoking and in places gripping and moving. As a Pastor or church leader you will not regret bringing the I AM MARK play to your church.
Outstanding. Inspirational. I AM MARK would befit any performance space, even the grandest stage.
Truly an extraordinary night – you really immersed us in the gospel story, prompting new insights, stirring new emotions, expanding our imaginations and I’m sure for many nudging our beliefs, discipleship and learning. I know for very many (probably all!) there, including me, your performance was extraordinarily poignant and powerful.
This is one of the darkest places on earth, and what you’ve brought today is light. We badly need the Light.
I AM MARK brings the story of Jesus to life in a unique and powerful way.
My church group ABSOLUTELY LOVED it!! Praise the Lord that He can use I AM MARK in this amazing way. I can’t wait to see the next session!
The lads who attended have not stopped talking about Stefan’s performance and word has spread around the prison about how good it was.
Respect! Stefan’s performance was very strong.
I’ve read Mark at least 40 times and I genuinely experienced it with new, deep and profound joy when Stefan performed it.
The word ‘performance’ is not enough to commend this embodied story telling.
Thank you for your brilliant performance at Kensington Temple! God has blessed you with such a special gift; thank you for not keeping it to yourself, and being willing to share it with the rest of the world!
An epic show…an absolute joy.
Gripping, authentic, and deeply moving.
I really appreciate your courage, love and imagination in making Jesus vibrantly real to me and I’m sure, others. Thank you for your wondrous, life-giving work!
I was just ‘there’. It broke my heart.
Many thanks for the inspiring workshop with my Year 10 Drama Class this morning. I hope you enjoyed their response!
A resounding success.
A great story, and an equally great performance…expect great things!
One man, a chair – and the gospel of Mark. Captivating and engaging. You could hear a pin drop. See this production if you can, you won’t be disappointed!
Uncle Alec [McCowen] would have been very proud.
Captivating, bringing the Gospel to life. Stefan Smart is clearly a master of his art.
An impressive feat of the memory and a truly immersive experience. The story of Jesus as you’ve never heard it before.
What a wonderful man, such talent and performing with just that chair…amazing!
Powerful and engaging…held the audience in Bristol Cathedral stunned.
You really do have a talent for bringing the Word to life which has obviously been combined with a lot of hard work and attention to detail to deliver a stunning presentation.
An awesome performance of Mark.
There was a deep hush as the audience were captivated by Stefan’s enactment of the story. Some of our young people were blown away by his performance. Others, on an Alpha course, were helped to come closer to faith.
Truly the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen.
This is not just a performance…it’s a gift of God’s love to all.
The gift God has given you for making scripture leap to life, and his love you communicate as you tell and retell his story is incredibly powerful and deeply touching.
Stefan succeeds in making that chair play every other character in the Gospel of Mark! Amazing!!!
Possibly the most powerful presentation of the Gospel story I’ve seen in my lifetime.
Completely captivating…almost mesmerising!
My name is Stefan Smart, actor and storyteller. Years ago I had a big dream, a dream which is actually coming true…I imagined taking one of the greatest stories ever told, the Gospel of Mark, and performing it as it was originally intended – live and in one sitting.
I AM MARK is the resulting solo performance. I’ve already had the privilege to take it to Speakers’ Corners all over the UK, to a whole range of churches, cathedrals, conferences and schools here and abroad, as well as into prisons. I AM MARK has sold out to venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and now it is even available on global TV station CMAX.
All this seems rather surreal given that it’s just me performing with one chair as a prop. But, hugely positive reviews from all kinds of audiences bring home to me the hunger for this unique performance, which started as just a dream.
It’s been amazing to talk to people who have seen I AM MARK. In these challenging times, it’s wonderful to be able to share timeless good news in a fresh new format. Indoors, outdoors, or on film, I AM MARK is a story for these times that can be performed anywhere.
My Vision
A few facts about me:
- I worked as a Drama and English teacher for nearly 30 years. My favourite memory of these times is just holding whole classes in the palm of my hand as I narrated some wonderful short stories in all their depth and power.
- I first got involved in acting while at university, and decided this could be my career path when I saw the impact of those stories on my listeners.
- My passion is to reach those outside the church with a timeless story that’s bound to change lives, and to bring a fresh telling of the Gospel to believers.
- I am married to Susie and we have three grown up children.
- I grew up in Watford, UK, and now live in Southampton, Hampshire.
I’d really love to connect with you about how we might bring I AM MARK to an audience near you. Whether you have in mind an intimate setting with a small group of friends or a large theatre or stadium with an audience of thousands, please do get in touch. The way this project has evolved means that my heart is to share I AM MARK with as many people – in as many places – as possible.