What makes someone a hero? For some people their hero would be their team’s star striker. Others look up to a particular pop star or rock icon. Some have a celebrity chef as their hero. Others may answer that it’s someone they follow on TikTok or YouTube.

‘For Valour’ is the story of a different type of hero. It is the story of the 1,355 men and women who have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest rank of medal in the British armed forces. This is a medal not just given for bravery. After all, every single person in the armed forces is brave. The Victoria Cross is a medal that is for awarded for extraordinary acts of bravery "in the face of the enemy."

Mark Smith is known to many as the medals and militaria expert from BBC TV’s Antiques Roadshow, where he’s captivated audiences since 2014. Mark is also acknowledged worldwide as a leading expert on the Victoria Cross, and has written five books on the Great War, cementing his place as a respected voice in military history.

‘For Valour’ is Mark’s one man show, where he brings history to life as he delves into the origins of the Victoria Cross, debunks long-standing myths, and shares jaw-dropping stories of the extraordinary heroes who earned this prestigious honour. The set-up is remarkably simple: Mark stands on the stage, microphone in hand, a small table positioned to one side, and he shares his knowledge with the audience for a couple of hours.

Several years ago, the then cabinet minister Michael Gove exclaimed: “we’ve had enough of experts”. An evening listening to Mark Smith shows just how wrong Mr Gove was. Because Mark is an expert. He is a man who has devoted his life to learning as much as he possibly can about medals, and, in particular, the Victoria Cross. But more than the medals themselves, what Mark is most passionate about is the deeds (and the people) behind each medal.

Mark’s love of medals began at the age of six when he would visit his austere grandmother and study his father’s war medals, which were kept in a wooden box in her parlour. One day she allowed him to take the medals home with him, and from there he began to collect more and more. What began as a hobby eventually turned into a career as an antiques expert, author, and museum director.

These days, he takes his incredible expertise and contagious passion to theatre stages up and down the country. At these talks he takes the audience on an unforgettable journey through courage, sacrifice, and history. Arguably the most moving part comes in the second half where he shares the stories of three incredible people: the only three people ever to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice. Three men who showed extraordinary acts of bravery in the face of the enemy, not just on one occasion, but twice.

‘For Valour’ was performed at Leeds City Varieties on Monday, March 31st. It continues to tour around the country over the coming months.

More information can be found at https://www.marksmithmedals.com/home#live