Episode description

Mark Steel makes the case for Charlie Chaplin being one of the most radical comedians of his time.

He reckons it's sad that most see Chaplin as that bloke who wore a bowler hat, had a funny walk, waved a cane around and wasn’t even that funny.

Mark argues that the silent film star and his "Tramp" character make sense if you look at the upheavals in society that were occurring alongside his career.

Mark is best known for the Mark Steel Lectures and Mark Steel's in Town. He says that while Chaplin was standing up for the working class, the irony was that he became the richest rebel.

With Simon Louvish - author of ‘Chaplin: The Tramps Odyssey’.

Presented by Matthew Parris.

Producer: Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Day 2018.