Securing Emma was a coup for the Midlands Fringe, a stalwart of the Brighton and Ledbury festivals she had come to  promote her new show and book ,”Mid Life Lesbian”

–

Emma Clowsley  is a Queer, neurodivergent writer,  bringing rural Herefordshire to urban Wolverhampton.

–

Performing niche content to a blended  audience is always a challenge. Fortunately, her  commitment to  addressing Lesbian/Queer themes  is matched by her determination to break down societal barriers. Crucially, she understands what makes  a successful live performance . This afternoon that included gleaning material from the audience for a lesbian acrostic poem,  and inviting two audience members to compete in  finishing   a small pot yoghurt, without utensils, using only their mouths to channel their “inner lesbian”. Event organiser Steve Pottinger gamely  competed,  surprising himself on his inner lesbian credentials. She effortlessly handled a rogue mobile phone ring tone too, turning it instantly to her advantage,

–

Her poetry did not disappoint.  The content was  sometimes sexually explicit, not least on the joys of scissoring. But her best poem effortlessly bridged the diverse audience- “ How to  Break a Heart”. To paraphrase Dionne Warwick – anyone who had a heart  would understand it. Structured , immediate, and with chiming rhymes it stood out amongst the rest. Whilst proud, she also was humorously self -effacing, as  unfolded in her poem “National Trust”  which gently had fun with its lesbian stereotypes.

–

Raw, but not coarse, honest and unapologetic, she was her own woman, drawing you   into her world as seamlessly as a pair of M&S knickers ( a pair of which she had lost).  I liked her. I liked her poetry, and so did the audience.

Gary Longden