Comedian and campaigner Mark Thomas has won The Stage Special Award at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The prize celebrates sustained excellence at the Fringe. It is part of The Stage Edinburgh Awards.

Thomas is currently performing his latest show The Red Shed at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and then takes it on tour. Details here. The show has also won a Scotsman Fringe First.

Announcing the news in The Stage reviews editor Natasha Tripney said: “His work has always straddled comedy, theatre and activism. His presence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has often made a significant impact and his current show, The Red Shed, is one of his strongest to date, revisiting his political awakening while also exploring the stories we tell ourselves and the way in which we tell them.”

The Stage Special Award will be presented to Thomas at 2pm on August 26 at the Traverse Theatre.