Category Archives: Behind the Arras Reviews

In this year of the Diamond Jubilee there has been much talk about defining what makes Great Britain “great”, and the English “English”, a task whose aim is as elusive as the Holy Grail, I fear. But in Malvern, nestling … Continue reading →

It was a night, and a pub, divided. You were either at home or downstairs watching England play Sweden in the Euro 2012 football tournament, or upstairs savouring the best of Burton Spoken Word whilst trying to judge what the … Continue reading →

Further to my review on the opening night, the following is from guest writer James Longden, offering a fresh perspective from someone three decades younger, true to the cross generational spirit of “The Wall”.Written without reference to the original review, … Continue reading →

Rhymes, previously a worthy and popular regular event on the Brum poetry circuit, now appears occasionally under the curatorship of poetry svengali Lorna Meehan and is as special in its irregular form as it was when it ran regularly. Tonight … Continue reading →

This event is promoted by Amanda Bonnick and Jenny Hope who last gave it an outing in 2011, and have now moved it from a cellar bar to the modern environment that is the Art House Cafe. The format is … Continue reading →

Summer finally arrived on a sweltering Black Country evening as the poetry faithful gathered for another instalment of Emma Purshouse’s Bilston Voices. Emma is something of a poetry evening alchemist, throwing together a disparate concoction of poets, and invariably coming … Continue reading →

Simon Quinn, Director of the Fired Up Theatre Company, with the help of local poet and film maker Mal Dewhirst as associate artistic director, has embarked on producing a stage version of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” which will play at … Continue reading →

Fizz is a bi-monthly poetry evening held in the august and beautiful surroundings of Polesworth Abbey which this evening was bathed in warm late spring sunshine. An all pervading sense of goodness radiated everywhere in a setting that Donne, Johnson … Continue reading →

In a pre-show chat Crystal Clear Creator co-director Maria Taylor Shindig described Shindig to me as, “no ordinary open mic”, an aside which pretty much defines this event, and should be its strap-line. Once again Crystal Clear Creators and Nine … Continue reading →