About

Perfect Fringe-fare. A mighty performance!

Patrick Hudson

The Tablet Magazine

What a great show. With the aid of a chair, bag and a prayer scarf I was transported back 2000 years. A must see.

Anne Keast

Secondary School Drama and Expressive Arts Teacher and Examiner

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.

Dr Michael Hall

Senior Preacher, Birmingham West and Oldbury Methodist Circuit

A wonderful performance reinforced by some thoughtful and insightful comments in the Q&A. I would happily see it again.

Ian Wigston

Leadership Consultant and Coach, Bright Field Counselling

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!

Angeline Bell

Audience member, Kensington Temple

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.

Mark Ryan

Senior Pastor, Kensington Temple

An epic show…an absolute joy.

Guy Pritchard

Senior Leader, Farnham Vineyard Church

Captivating, bringing the Gospel to life. Stefan Smart is clearly a master of his art.

Ian Hayter, Chairman

Lichfield Speakers’ Corner Trust

Truly the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen.

Parishioner, St Gregory the Great Catholic Church

Virginia Beach, USA

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!

Anon

Audience Member

Fabulous show. Absolutely wonderful.

Alan Gibson, Minister

Motherwell South Parish Church, Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Dynamic storytelling

Church of England Newspaper

An outstanding show! Powerful and moving.

Richard Lacey

Lead Pastor, Woodgreen Evangelical Church, Worcester

Possibly the most powerful presentation of the Gospel story I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Audience member

St Gregory’s Church, Glasgow

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.

Theatregoer

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022

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!

House Church member

Norfolk

Keep up the good work!

Ched Myers

Activist theologian and author of ‘Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus’.

I was just ‘there’. It broke my heart.

Audience member

St Nicholas Church, San Anselmo, California, USA

I’ve read Mark at least 40 times and I genuinely experienced it with new, deep and profound joy when Stefan performed it.

Daniel Goodman

Team Leader, City Church Cambridge

Respect! Stefan’s performance was very strong.

BBC Songs of Praise

An awesome performance of Mark.

The Reverend Nigel Mumford

By His Wounds Inc. and The Welcome Home Initiaive

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!

Danny Stupple, Chair

Churches Together in Eastleigh, Bishopstoke, Fair Oak & Horton Heath

Many thanks for the inspiring workshop with my Year 10 Drama Class this morning. I hope you enjoyed their response!

Keith Packham

Director of Drama, Malvern College

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.

Stephen Greasley

Pastor, Gillingham Baptist Church

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!

Revd Alex Aldous

Chaplain, Prestfelde Preparatory School, Shrewesbury

What a wonderful man, such talent and performing with just that chair…amazing!

Audience member

St James the Great, Colwall

Gripping, authentic, and deeply moving.

Chris Brockway

Team Leader, Christchurch Baptist Church

Magnificent! I’m not just saying that…Magnificent!

Audience member

SAcred Heart Church, Cumbernauld Glasgow

I AM MARK brings the story of Jesus to life in a unique and powerful way.

Fergus Scarfe, Regional Director

GOD TV

A stunning, dramatic retelling.

Joel Slater, Lead Pastor

7SF Church, San Francisco, CA

An impressive feat of the memory and a truly immersive experience. The story of Jesus as you’ve never heard it before.

Emma Fowle

Premier Christianity Magazine

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!

Revd. Adrian Diaper

Rickstones Church, Witham, ESSEX

It made my Easter.

Audience member

Sacred Heart Church, Cumbernauld, Glasgow

A wonderful presentation. The highlight of our Festival experience!

Theodore Louis Trost

Professor in Religious Studies, The University of Alabama, Edinburgh Fringe 2022

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.

Jo Hemming

SEnior Pastor, Winchester Vineyard Church

Completely captivating…almost mesmerising!

Steve Broadway

Author and Illustrator

A great story, and an equally great performance…expect great things!

Tim Jupp

Founder, ‘Big Church Day Out’

Uncle Alec [McCowen] would have been very proud.

Julie Sheldon

Niece to the celebrated actor of The Gospel According to St Mark

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.

Neil Edson

Audience member, Farnham Vineyard Church

This is not just a performance…it’s a gift of God’s love to all.

Maris O’Brien

Fordingbridge

A resounding success.

Jill Brooks

Trinity Methodist Church, East Grinstead

Just saw this at the Edinburgh Fringe. What a fantastic job Stefan Smart did. Thoroughly recommend it!

Richard Johnston

Founder of Christian Mindfulness

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.

Revd Sarah Lloyd

St Mary the Virgin, Shalford

Outstanding. Inspirational. I AM MARK would befit any performance space, even the grandest stage.

Tom Burden

Curate, St Mary’s Church, Fordinbridge

Powerful and engaging…held the audience in Bristol Cathedral stunned.

Canon Neville Boundy

Bristol Cathedral

Your mini recital [of Chapter 5 of Mark’s Gospel] was lovely. You captured the facial expressions of the demented man brilliantly.

Dame Penelope Wilton DBE

Actor, Downton Abbey & The Second Best Marigold Hotel

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.