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Mark Whiteley
7
tours
104
ratings
4.6
avg. rating
award winning actor, writer and theatre producer
Englishman, based in Portugal.
About

I trained as an actor at London's prestigious Arts Educational School where I learnt about the voice and the art of telling stories. I went on to work in theatre, television and film for 10 years eventually running my own theatre company for 20 years. As a company we tried to make the work as imaginative and unique as possible, in one show we walked across the UK with no money, food or accommodation to see if humanity was kind. In another play we emigrated to Poland and used the experience for an award winning UK tour about immigration. I turned shops into theatre spaces, I performed in barns, houses, fields and many of the UK's best theatres.

In 2014 I won a prestigious Manchester theatre award for my play Thick as Thieves. I've taken three shows to the Edinburgh festival winning rave reviews along the way. In 2020 our world changed forever as COVID hit. My theatre company "went dark" and I lost my passion for it. On a whim my wife and I bought a motorhome unseen in an auction and in blink of an eye a new obsession began... travel.

To date I have been to most countries in the European union, I have parked up in woods, on cliffs in car parks. I have travelled far and wide until I picked Portugal to put down new roots. But even that wasn't easy, where do you live in a foreign land? The answer is you go out in the motorhome and look, so that's what we did. From the mountains in the north through the midlands and into Algarve we travelled for two years until we discovered Tomar.

We bought our home in 2025 and because I needed to find work I started studying Tomar's rich history and researching the stories about Templar Knights, Portuguese kings and how Portugal once discovered the world. With my background in performance and storytelling I began take travellers around Tomar sharing not only the history, but Portugal's culture too. This is what brought me to Voicemap and their excellent team and production values.

On my audio tours I take the role of your friend in whatever city we are in, I like to make you smile and see a place as a real city, not a museum piece. Seeing a place warts and all is what makes the difference between an okay tour and a great tour.

Credentials
Awards
  • Manchester Theatre Award 2014 - Thick As Thieves

  • TAPPS Comedy writing award - Burt n Joyce

  • The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award - runner up - My Community Service

Education
  • The Arts Educational London Schools

  • Robert McKee - Story Seminars

  • BBC young writers

Professional Association
  • EQUITY - Actors Union

Achievements
  • Emigrated to Poland to write a theatre show.

  • Walked coast to coast across the UK with no food, money or accommodation.

  • Completed a national theatre tour of living rooms in England

  • Completed a 55 night national theatre tour of charity shops

Commission this Publisher
Mark Whiteley is available to produce VoiceMap tours for you or your organisation.
If you'd like to find out more, get in touch.
Learn more
Crime And Mystery
Ghosts And Hauntings
Industrial Revolution
Follow ghostly footsteps through centuries of mystery in this railway village

Walking Tour

|
60 mins
UNESCO Sites
War And Military
Medieval History
Piece together the tales and traditions that connect two riverside cities

Walking Tour

|
90 mins
Religious Sites
Architecture
Top Sights
Hear about the remarkable events that transformed Fátima into a shrine

Walking Tour

|
75 mins
Local Legends
Medieval History
UNESCO Sites
Hear how warrior monks founded and defended this ancient city

Walking Tour

|
90 mins
Medieval History
Maritime Heritage
War And Military
Glimpse authentic Portuguese life in the maritime city where heritage meets hip

Walking Tour

|
90 mins
Medieval History
Colonial History
War And Military
Cavort with pirates, priests, and merchants in the old town’s cobbled streets

Walking Tour

|
90 mins
Religious Sites
Royal Heritage
Ancient History
Encounter pirates, princes, and an American pilot on this Old Town meander

Walking Tour

|
45 mins