This venerable venue has a distinguished history . Grade Two listed, it was built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.125 years later, this week of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, it played host to a production of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” on a stage which has previously seen the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles perform.
The production was an ambitious collaboration between Arts Connect, Tamworth Borough Council, and the Fired Up Theatre Company to realise a show which combined the talents of musical and theatre professionals with community and school groups.
Director Simon Quinn promised not to produce a nostalgia show, and succeeded, bravely electing to update the themes of alienation and social disintegration into a Tamworth setting with a well crafted script. Assistant Director Mal Dewhirst had the onerous task of integrating fresh original contemporary poetry composed by himself and Anthony R Owen, daringly he also included an audio of vox pops, recorded at Tamworth Cafes on the theme of The Wall which worked seamlessly well.
As both an introduction to the themes of the show, and a theatrical overture, the Shoebox Theatre staged Brickbuilding the Wall led by Margaret Jackman before the main event in an engaging intergenerational piece.
Any staging of The Wall depends upon a solid musical base, which for this production was provided by Chesterfield based Pink Floyd tribute band Floydian Slip. They were magnificent. Despite having to learn new arrangements and incorporate an extra guitarist, the sound was authentic, convincing, and combined a spontaneous feel whilst staying faithful to the original score without being a slave to it.
Floydian Slip on stage at the Assembly Rooms
Two numbers always dominate this show, Another Brick in the Wall and Comfortably Numb. The former boasted a fiendishly complicated extended arrangement which they delivered with some aplomb, complete with a raging, grotesque, outsized puppet schoolmaster rising from the flanks of the stage apron.
Another Brick in the Wall
The latter boasts one of the most famous guitar solos in rock history defined by Dave Gilmour. Prior to embarking upon it I saw lead guitarist Andy Ashley mop his brow, as if to acknowledge that this was the musical make or break moment of the show. He made it with much to spare, as the glitter ball rotated, the lasers flickered and his solo succeeded in touching the ethereal heights which simply must be scaled for the number to work.
The lead character, Pink ,was played by Luke Comley who ably led the theatrical ensemble despite the difficulties of having to synchronise with lead vocalist Mark Peterson of Floydian Slip whilst having his back to him.
Pink leads the revolution
Choreographer Ami Radcliffe did a first class job of combining a core of experienced dancers with an auxiliary dancing and chorus cast of school children from Two Gates primary school in Tamworth, who enjoyed their moment in the sun with the “Brick in the Wall” chorus. Gareth Pugh seemed to enjoy playing the pompous schoolteacher in that scene as much as we enjoyed watching him. The choreographic set –piece for Hey You was particularly effective with the girl’s colour splash tights contributing to a kaleidoscopic visual delight. Full use was made of the extended front of stage apron for dance as the main stage was occupied by the band.
Mal Dewhirst composed no fewer than seven original poems for the production of which Thin Ice was the pick of the bunch. Antony R Owen contributed two poems from his collection The Dreaded Boy with the references to Afghanistan giving the words an immediacy as he delivered his work via a video recorded backdrop.
It was a terrific production which Director Simon Quinn did well to realise with so many disparate parts to draw together. Although Another Brick in the Wall and Comfortably Numb were the showstoppers of the first and second half respectively an honourable mention should also go to the performance of Mother in which the band were on fine form, the dance fitted perfectly and a touching montage of real life Tamworth mothers was projected onto the back screen – a nice touch. As a veteran Pink Floyd fan who grew up to their music I am delighted to confirm that the music and production did justice to the original conception whilst updating and contemporising it for a 21st century audience.
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 it was back for a welcome one-off poly-vocal special, featuring an eclectic mix of poets, but with an added element of group poetry, including the National Team Poetry Slams Birmingham team before they compete in Bristol on the 28th June. Past Birmingham Poet Laureate Spoz hosted the night, current Birmingham Poet Laureate Jan Watts graced the evening with some well chosen poetic contributions ,and of course Lorna could not stop performing the odd poetic gem herself, but the focus of the evening was on emerging talent, and rightly so.
Kate Walton is making rapid progress since I first saw her perform a few months ago at Poetry Bites. She has been hitting the circuit with enthusiasm, and learning fast. She performed three extended, quite different pieces ;a humorous tale of grim deeds in Melton Mowbray, a dark serious tragedy of joyriding ,and a light engaging account of when she met Carly Simon. She has the ability of a storyteller to hold an audience during an extended poem with rhymes that chime rather than grate. A warm personality and strong material will make her a formidable force on the slam circuit, and beyond, in the near future.
Elisha Owen gave a confident and exact performance of Flamenco Dance in Peckham before being joined by Ben Norris for a very clever duet using clicking fingers to replicate everything from time to drips. A duet presentation was used again when Claire Corfield joined forces with Lorna Meehan for a very funny comedy sketch in verse about Spain. Both are accomplished actresses, poets and comediennes, all three skills were utilised to fine effect. The Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate Laura Deadicoat was on hand to give what must be one of her final performances in office. Unsurprisingly her stagecraft has matured over the year and she performed three favourites to an appreciative crowd. From a distance I saw a poet on the cusp, performing good material written as a school student, but bursting to emulate the development that the university undergraduate sourced slam team had on show.
The Birmingham Slam Team performed individually, and collectively, with Ben Norris excelling with F-Bomb which I suspect will become a signature poem for him. Ostensibly inspired by the silent displeasure of a Much Wenlock poetry audience who did not care much for profanity, like all good poems it quickly broadened to say much more . He did so with wit and depth. Hannah Owen – Wright took us on a surreal trip on a bus in which it became a capsule, and a destination which I suspect was not on the authorised route. Completing the team trio was Rehema Njambi who offered a wholly different more personal and soulful dimension to the group, epitomised by her piece about her younger brother, emotionally honest, but never maudlin. They finished by performing their collective poly-vocal slam entry as a trio which spoke wonderfully of intergalactic time travel and impressed me, without me being entirely sure what it was all about!
Jan Watts spoke generously of the calibre of the talent which performed on the night. It was no platitude. Each slam poet boasted talent and identity, and inspired me with their brio and innovation. Good luck in Bristol!
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 open mic spoken word, sign up on the night, with some music thrown in. However these ladies have been around a bit, and know not to take a chance on who might just turn up by making some tactical invitations in advance, thereby ensuring a strong core platform of talent for the evening.
What struck me was the diversity of form for the evening; poetry, verse storytelling, drama, polemic, acoustic band and a classical guitarist all made an appearance. The cafe itself is light and airy with a low ceiling overhang that amplified the performer’s voice and a good range of food and drink to satisfy an always discerning poetry crowd that had turned out in some force, a testament to the pulling power of Amanda and Jenny. Indeed some had travelled from as far as Burton on Trent and Birmingham to support the event. Amanda and Jenny took it in turns to present, leaving precious little time for them to showcase their own considerable poetic skills.
Claire Walker
Two new young female poets caught my ear, Holly Magill and Claire Walker. Holly read quirky bedsit poetry with a racy frisson running through it, Claire read short neat compact concise pieces. Both offered interesting perspectives on their subject matter ,whether it was Holly and the sensual properties of cardigans, or Claire and her beguiling, slightly sinister The Woman who Loved Every Man ,with the great opener ,“I collect them.” Both should also take confidence from an enthusiastic reception, and build on their performance and projection of some strong material.
Michael W. Thomas is a poet, novelist and playwright who has lived, been widely published, and performed ,in several countries. His literary credentials are formidable , and stretch from Finland, to Florida and back to Albania, where he vies with Norman Wisdom for the international affections of the Albanian people. He now lives in Worcestershire. I last saw him perform at Shindig in Leicester. Once again I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. His tone is fond and gentle. He reminisced over a childhood teacher in Mrs Wharton, and the crap cars he had travelled in as a child. His lament over the word “especial” was never maudlin, his exploration of mental illness sensitive and moving.
One of the joys of these events is in meeting distinguished writers. Happenstance found me sat next to Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn. Her novel Unravelling was published in 2010. It won the Chapter One Promotions Book Award and came second in the International Rubery Book Award. Her novel ‘The Piano Player’s Son’ will be published by Cinnamon Press in 2013. She also runs creative writing courses and workshops. Tonight she read a drama which had been performed on BBC Radio Nottingham, They said There Would Be Silence – a bleak, powerful and compelling mini drama about an incoming telephone call to the Samaritans in which the caller announces that he will kill himself in three minutes. It was a clever dramatic device, well crafted, and an object lesson in economic writing. I reflected that I needed to practice!
Suz Winspear
Two regular performers on the Worcestershire circuit acquitted themselves well. From Great Wyrley, Ian Ward, progressed along a now very well rehearsed set from the song title laden Delta Devil Blues to his signature Rumble in the Woods. Worcester Goth Suz Winspear, wearing a dress which was a glorious riot of black taffeta and lace, reprised the arboreal theme with an excellent version of her trademark Evil Trees.
Lisa Ventura took a rest from hosting Parole Parlate, Gary Carr from identical duties with Spoken Worlds, to relax and perform for a change. Both demonstrably enjoyed themselves. Lisa railed against the idea that all Italians like hot weather in light knockabout mode. Gary delivered a quick-fire selection of short poems, each one unerringly finding its mark. Myfanwy Fox is always great fun, and did not let us down, taking time out from Wildlife World, a title she is so devoted to she even took a copy with her on stage, to amuse and entertain with her waspish wit, best showcased in The Birdie Song.
I remarked earlier that one of the drawbacks about hosting events is that inevitably one’s own poetry takes a back seat, however when you are as talented as Amanda Bonnick you simply front a band yourself, in this case “Slow Train”. Daringly, they opened the second half with the plaintiff Goffin/King composition Will You Still Love me Tomorrow which some American radio stations banned on release because they had felt the lyrics were too sexually charged – but clearly in Worcester anything goes! Please Don’t let me be Misunderstood was my favourite though, combining a vocal delivery familiar to the Nina Simone version, but a musical arrangement more akin to the Elvis Costello cover ,with a neat flute motif played by Matt Brockington, who subsequently performed a solo polemic spot.
Colin Baggs
The theme of variety dominated the second half. Naomi Paul cleverly combined stand-up comedy, poetry and music, Al Barz performed a wonderful poem with flashcards and, Ian Glass enthralled and entertained with his poetic narrative ballad How the Duvet Monster Got His Name. To close Colin Baggs delivered an instrumental tour de force of classical, flamenco tinged guitar with energy, passion, driving rhythms and beautiful melodies. It seemed only a short while previous that Sophia Dimmock had confidently opened proceedings with her poetry, yet two and a half hours had flown by.
Word and Sound is likely to next play in September, check out the facebook page for details.
Fri 1st Word and Sound,Art House Cafe, Crowngate, Worcester from 7.30pm. Entry £3, Jenny Hope officiates
Fri 1st John Hegley, Guildhall, Leicester:This Friday, June 1st, poetry hero and legend, John Hegley will make a special flying visit to Leicester to do a workshop and share his acclaimed one man show – ‘Beyond our Kennel’. His evening performance, at Leicester’s atmospheric Guildhall, will commence at 7pm. The event will also feature performances from rising star slam champions, Nathan Lunt and Cleo Henry.
Needless to say, it will be brilliant and is not to be missed.
To book your ticket ring The Guildhall on… 0116 2532569….
Workshop £8 / £6
Beyond Our Kennel £9 / £8
Joint ticket £15 / £11
MORE INFORMATION…
Animal Alphaboat Workshop 11 am – 12.30 pm
Join renowned poet and performer John Hegley for a creative workshop of his amazing Animal Alphaboat show. Hegley will facilitate a unique poetry workshop, open to both children and adults. Booking essential, to do so ring The Guildhall on 0116 2532569.
Beyond Our Kennel: 7pm
One of comedy and poetry’s modern treasures, John Hegley, presents his new show Beyond the Kennel, which is, in his words, “‘an evening of poems, sung, drawn and sauntered, with a token hamster and fig roll fun”.
John Hegley is widely known as one of the country’s most innovative comic poets with several best-selling volumes of poetry to his name. John is a regular sell-out at The Edinburgh Festival. He has performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, the USA Comedy Festival in Aspen, with Ulrika Jonsson & Anita Dobson in The Pyjama Game and on BBC R4′s Hearing With Hegley.
PRAISE FOR JOHN AND ‘BEYOND OUR KENNEL’:
‘Legendary… if you haven’t yet treated yourself to an hour in his company you really ought to put it on your to-do list.’ The Guardian
‘The poems and songs are fantastically funny… This is something special, a true joy to watch.’
***** Chortle.co.uk
Beyond our Kennel is suitable for most people over 7…
Sat 2nd Tony Harrison,launches the Ledbury Poetry Festival Programme,The Feathers Hotel,The Courtyard Room,£8 | 8pm :
Tony Harrison reflects on his work and reads some of his best loved poems. A captivating performer, one of Britain’s great poets, no
stranger to controversy for V. and Laureate’s Block, award-winning,steeped in history, versatile (he writes for theatre, film and television) and he is making a rare appearance to read in public.To Book Tickets contact:www.poetry-festival.com
Box Office: 0845 458 1743
Mon 4th Gorilla Poetry Slam Competition,DAda Bar 89 Trippet Lane (Located just off West Street), S1 4EL Sheffield,8pm:Invite everyone you know and come prepared to be entertained. 1Love Gorilla’s
Slam Rules:
•Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction.
•Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over the time, points will be deducted from the total score. ( ½ point for every 10 Seconds)
• Five judges will score the poet and the points will be added up. The best scoring will go through to the next round. The scores are between 0.0 to 10.9.
•Judges cannot be related in any way to the poet.
•If you feel the judges were wrong in there scoring you can make them aware by booing the scores. If you agree with the judges, cheer them loudly and give them some jazz hands.
•No Costumes or Props
The Winner Gets a Prize and the ‘’Gorilla Poetry Slam Trophy’’ and a half Hour slot at next poetry event. The Winner will have to come back to the next slam to defend the trophy and there right as the slam champion. At the end of the year the best eight scoring poets will enter the slam final and the winner be called the ‘’The Grand Bard Of Sheffield’’.
Mon 4th SW&N Club Open Mic Spoken word, Newhampton inn, Riches St, Wolverhampton;Spoken Word At Newhampton
Storytelling, poetry, a tune, or a song!Join us on the first Monday of every month (except August) for an evening dedicated to the spoken word.Take part, or just sit back and enjoy the many different voices that make Wolverhampton such a vibrant city.
The Newhampton Inn, Riches Street (off Newhampton Road West) Wolverhampton WV6 0DW,Arrive 7.45 for 8.00pm start.
Suggested donation £3.00 per person.For further details, or to be added to our mailing list please contact us at: chandstory@tiscali.co.uk
Tues 5th-8th “The Wall”, Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Tamworth, 7.30pm: Not only is this a great show with authentic music being reproduced by tribute band Floydian Slip but also new additional verse has been written by local poets Mal Dewhirst and Antony R Owen.
Tues 5th Slam, Bam, Thank You Ma’am 3: Anti Jubilee Special,The Riverside Pub,1 Mowbray Street, Sheffield, S3 8EN 7.30pm, £4:A poetry slam for all the rogues, rebels and anti-royalists out there (and all the loyal royalists and lapdogs too – maybe you’ll convince us!)
come and join us as Sheffield poets battle it out to be the leader of the people’s slam revolution!
The top poet will win a paid gig in the future and a fabulous trophy, but winning isn’t everything and a good time will be had by all.
The night will also feature a headline performance from slam champion and anti-valentine vanquisher Gevi Carver whose acid tongue is certain to put ol’ Liz firmly in her place…
There will be 2 rounds, each poet will get 2 minutes to perform in the first round. and will be scored by judges in the audience.
The top 5 scoring poets will then get another chance to perform, this time with up to 3 minutes each.
The top scoring poet will be named as Our Glorious Leader and be showered with praise and adoration.
Please contact Sarah Thomasin here or at wordgeeksarah@gmail.com if you’d like to compete
Tue 5th Rhymes Polyvocal Special, Station PH, Kings Heath:8pm, Rhymes is back for a one-off polyvocal special. We have the usual eclectic mix of poets, but with an added element of group poetry, including the National Team Poetry Slams Birmingham team before they compete in Bristol on the 28th June. We also have solo spots from Hayley Frances, Ddotti Bluebell, upcoming talent Kate Walton, and Birmingham Poet Laureate Jan Watts, as well as a cautionary tale of a Spanish holiday, all presided over by Rhymes Slam winner Spoz.
Tues 5th Word Y Theatre, East Street, Leicester LE1 6EY, just opposite Leicester Train Station7pm performers, 8pm, Audience, Open mic plus headliner. £6in
WORD! is the longest running poetry and spoken word night in Leicester. Based at The Y Theatre, Leicester, it takes place on the first Tuesday of every month, between 8.00 and 10.30pm. The evening is composed of an open mic, followed by a booked act.
Tues 5th Night Blue Fruit, Taylor Johns, Canal Basin, Coventry, 8pm, free in. Hosted by Antony R owen
Wed 6th KAF Creatives Launch Night -Poetry, Art & Music, Kidderminster Library,7pm: Free in,The Launch of the KAF Creatives Exhibition, in Support of the Save Kidderminster Library Gallery. Wine, nibbles, a great exhibition and live spoken word performances. Let’s get togerther and show how good this space is for both art and live performances (including music)!!
Thurs 7th Coffeehouse Poetry – Jim Sheard,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE Shrewsbury:7.30-9pm,Come and hear Jim Sheard read for us. Jim has published two collections with Cape – Scattering Eva and Dammtor. It’ll be excellent.
Thur 7th Blckdrop’s Lyric off,@ NAE Gregory Boulevard, Nottm. 8-10pm, £3:It’s Fight Night On The Mic!
Brave the stage Mother ‘n’ Milla decide your fate… …with a little help from the crowd!
Small fun ‘tax free’ cash prizes!
1st place: £20.00
2nd place: £10.00
3rd place: £5
Thurs 7th An Evening with the Bard and Friends – Stony Live!The Crown, Stony Stratford,8pm;The Bardic Council of Stony Stratford presents a cerebral celebration of performance poetry and the spoken word.
Featuring:
The Bard of Stony Stratford, Danni antagonist
with performances from:
Mark Niel
Fay Roberts
Stephen Hobbs
Vikki Laxton-Bass
and
Paul Eccentric
Hosted by Richard Frost
This show is one of many events taking place as part of Stony Live, the celebrated annual festival of music and performance in the cultural hub that is the historic town of Stony Stratford. Please go to the official website for more info on all the exciting goings on: http://www.stonylive.info/pages/home/index.php
You’ll be spoilt for choice, but please, come and join us in The Crown in the Market Square (MK11 1BE) on Thursday night. (Yes, a scene from Withnail & I WAS filmed in this pub!).
Free Entry – a voluntary collection will be taken. All proceeds will go to Stony Live!
Thurs 7th Yard of Tales,Joules Yard, rear of 53-55 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AF. Joules Yard is a unique venue with a licensed bar after 7pm, also serving tea and coffee. If you would like to order a vegetarian meal for the evening, provided by ‘The Green House’ please telephone 01858 463250. Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Meets first Thursday in the month.Yard of Tales is a performance storytelling club hosted by Kevin Walker http://www.kevinwalker-storyteller.com!Tickets £6 at door (includes nibbles).For further information – 0116 259 2233 or 01858 463250
Sat 9th Notes From the Underground, Hollybush PH, newtown lane, Cradley Heath, 8pm Start, Free in, Poetry and music Open Mic with Jack Edwards
Sat 9th SHAKE THE DUST WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL FINAL, 5PM @ THE DRUM
PROFESSIONAL SPOKEN WORD ARTISTS Brenda Read-Brown, Spoz, Matt Windle, Andy Craven-Griffiths and Dreadlock Alien have coached teams of young people from across the region. Now those young poets are ready to Shake the Dust.
Join the 5 WEST MIDLANDS SLAM TEAMS as they showcase their work and compete for a place at the National Shake the Dust Final.
FEATURING music by Jam Jah Sound System with Juggla and a special guest performance from Akala.
JUDGED by Charlie Dark, Lorna Laidlaw and George Ttoouli. HOSTED by Sic’Nis.
Tickets: £4
Venue: The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham B6 4UU
Booking: http://www.the-drum.org.uk / 0121 333 2444
Info: http://www.shakethedust.co.uk
Presented by The Drum, Write Down Speak Up and Apples and Snakes
Sat 9th Bard of Bath, St James Wine Vaults,Bath, 7.30pm:off Julian Road BA1. Time for the 15th Bard of Bath (Jennifer Walter) to pass the robe, chair and title to the next chosen Bard!
Introduction by Richard Carder
poetry from the current Bard, Jennifer Walter
Poetical Entertainment from Kevan Mainwaring
Musical Entertainment from Tim Hall
Competition- Entrants compete to become the 16th Bard of Bath!!
Musical Entertainment from Joe Coleman
Results announced and the new Bard is Chosen!
Sun 10th June Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Peter Wyton, Emma Pursehouse
Mon 11th Mark Grist: Rogue Teacher, plus Toby Thomson, Bristol Old Vic, 8pm: Byron Vincent hosts:It’s been a storming season to packed houses so far and we’re as happy as the most jubilant of Disney’s dwarfs to announce June’s line up.
Mark Grist is coming to Word of Mouth to discuss whether the geek shall indeed inherit the earth in this exciting preview to his forthcoming Edinburgh show. Oh Yes.
Mild mannered English teacher Mark became a worldwide internet sensation when his rap battle against seventeen year old grime MC Blizzard got two million hits on you tube. But how did this peculiar event and the ensuing media cluster whoops occur? Mark Grist is a word geek, the journey that this obsession inspired is weirder than Marlin Manson in tweed flip flops. One man’s story about the importance of being passionate, and the surprising benefits of being able to recite the alphabet backwards.
Here’s the infamous clip:
Obviously, it’s impossible to express the sensitivity and nuance of your character in the context of a Rap Battle. So come and see the real story behind the virtual hype.
We’re also chuffed as monkeys to present one of spoken word’s brightest and most mesmerising young talents:
Toby Thomson:
At just eighteen Toby Thomson is one of the most exciting and impassioned voices to emerge on the scene in years. Already snapped up by the RSC and touring with Dizraeli and the Small Gods, this fledgling wordmonger is not to be missed.
Early booking is advised because these boys are the business.
I’ll be there flapping my gob. I really hope you’ll be there listening or I’ll feel like a bit of twonk.
Your bumbling yet enthusiastic host.
Mon 11th PUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place at The Sozzled Sausage, Leamingon Spa CV32 4NX.
7.30 start:
This month’s guest poet is the marvellous…
Math Jones
“Math Jones is an experienced poet and performer. He trained as an actor in Birmingham and works, as an actor, under the stage name of Math Sams. Prior to that, worked as a bookseller for many years.
Math writes in a wide variety of genres, from deeply personal reflections upon life and relationships, through comical verse, dark and gothic story-poems, inspirational snippets, spiritual meditations, sensual erotica, and full-blown Pagan verse in Old English metres, dedicated to the gods and ghosts of the Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse, accompanied by the Old English Harp.”
“Warm and generous in his presentation, with comic turns and passionate rhymes.”
DEFINITELY AN EVENING NOT TO BE MISSED!
With open mic support from…….yes……YOU!
Admission £3 (£2 Student/OAP)
If you would like to know more about the night, please email pgrpoetry@gmail.com
Mon 11th June Spire Writes , Havana Whites, Corporation St Chestefield,7.45, Free in:In June, Spire Writes brings you two more legendary poets, Andrew McMillan from Barnsley and Gav Roberts from Rotherham. Please come and join us, and perform at the open mic too if it takes your fancy.
Andrew McMillan was born in South Yorkshire in 1988. His poetry is collected in two pamphlets, ‘every salt advance’ (2009) and ‘the moon is a supporting player’ (2011) and is featured in the Salt Book of Younger Poets. He has been poet in residence for Basingstoke, for the Bournemouth and Poole LGBT community and for the Watershed Landscape Project; he regularly teaches in community, school and higher education settings.
Gav Roberts is the founder of the fantastic ROMP in Rotherham and is also a superb performer, who has appeared at The Kings Arms in Salford as well as many other venues, so we’re really pleased to get him to Chesterfield.
As usual, it’s completely FREE so you can save your pennies for the well-stocked bar at Havana Whites. The bar is 2 minutes from Chesterfield train station and we’ll finish in time for people to get the last train back to Sheffield.
Starts at 8, but if you can get there before 7.45, that’d be great.
If you’d like to read at our friendly open mic (or even play a song), please let me know – one poem each, ta.
Mon 11th Pub Poetry Nottingham The Canal house, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH,8pm, 2nd monday : Free in, Open mic Contact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk
Tues 12th 2012 Hammer & Tongue Slam Final, Crisis Skylight, George St Oxford:8pmIt’s going to be grand.
Come, behold the winners of our previous heats (plus a voted-in-by-you wildcard) BATTLE TO THE DEATH* to bring home the Oxford slam title!
And, because we are more awsome than a flock of Narwhals, we are also slinging the wonderful Andy Craven-Griffiths at you as a headliner. Woop!
Winner of the final gets undying glory, possibly a tiara, and a pass to the nationals!
Bring. It. On.
*disclaimer – there may not be actual death.
Tues 12th City Voices Second Tuesday 19:30 City Bar King Street, Wolverhampton WV 1ST booked poets simon.fletcher@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Tues 12th Mouth & Music 6,Boars Head Gallery, Kidderminster 8pm, £3 in:The 6th in our monthly series of totally & utterly acoustic spoken word & music nights!ROYAL RECITATIONS & DIAMOND DITTIES,with,SARAH TAMAR’s Polemic, Personal & Playful Poetry,Music and words from Witty, Wistful, Wondering Wordsmith HEATHER WASTIE,and RUTH STACEY whose poems give a dramatic voice to distant, forgotten Queens.,Open mic sign-up from 7.30 5 minutes / 2 songs each, Diamond Jubilee themed work will be especially appropriate though anything goes!Admission £3 (free to performers) Presented by Heather Wastie & Sarah Tamar for kaf creatives
Tues 12th Roy MacFarlane at Y Theatre.7 east St Leicester:7pm Come down to The Y on June the 12th. Our special guest at Word! is superb poet/performer Roy McFarlane.
Roy McFarlane was born in Birmingham of Jamaican parentage and spent most of his former years living in Wolverhampton. As Resident Poet at Starbucks, a solo performer and a member of the New October Poets he’s performed in numerous venues, sharing the stage with poets such as Roi Kwabena, Fred D’Aguiar and Talking Brothers.
Roy was made Birmingham Poet Laureate in 2010/11 which enabled him to share his work across England and Holland. No subject was left unturned with his material ranging from Holocaust memorial to bikes in Amsterdam, cities, mental health, love and beyond.
Roy has performed and read in libraries, pubs, cafes, theatres, conferences, art galleries and many other poetry events and venues. Roy is has been involved in a number of poetry projects, one of them being a poetry anthology called 10 Birmingham Poets.
The evening will as usual be supported by sumptuous film visuals from filmmaker Keith Allott.
If you would like to perform or read sign up with the compere at 7pm.
£4 /£3 concessions.
Tues 12th Tales at the Edge, White Lion Inn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,Tales at the Edge is one of the country’s oldest and most established storytelling clubs, meeting in Bridgenorth on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (except August) at 8 pm.
Hear tales, myths and legends from all over the world in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are new to storytelling, an experienced teller or just enjoy listening to stories. There is no charge for admission.
For more details contact: Mike Rust 01694 771 379.
Wed 13th“Spread the Word!” Open Night,The Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ (look out for the Abbey Street car park signs from the new Derby ring road.) 8 for 8.15pm:Flying Donkeys are pleased to present an Open Night of spoken word and music – tales, poems, prose, monologues and acoustic music of all kinds. Previous evenings have brought us a multitude of fabulous performers! Do come and join us as listener or performer – note if you would like to perform it helps to get in touch beforehand if you can so we can plan the evening.
Wed 13th The Quad Derby QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS Second Wednesday 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, More details from QUAD or contact Les on T: 01332 206 734, http://www.derbyquad.co.uk
Fri 15th Spoken Worlds Third Friday 19:30 The Old Cottage Tavern , Byrkley St,eet, Burton-upon-Trent DE14 2JJ with Gary Carr Open mic gajwriter@btinternet.com
Fri 15th Bard for Worcestershire, Swan Theatre, Worcester, 7.30pm: £8 in, Our launch event this year will take place at the Swan Theatre in Worcester, where the second Poet Laureate for Worcestershire will be crowned.
Come and hear 13 shortlisted finalists to our competition read their submitted entries on the theme of “Diamond” and their poem of their own choice.With performances by Giovanni Spoz Esposito, Rowan Standish-Haynes, our new young poet laureate and more.
Sat 16th/17thScribal Gathering, waterside festival, Milton keynes 12-5pm:Scribal Gathering is running the open mic tent at the Waterside Festival in Great Linford on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June, between 12.00 and 5.00 on both days. We welcome performers of any style, genre or level of ability to share their music and poetry before a receptive audience. We have four vocal mics, several instrument channels, a bass backline and a full drum kit.
There will be featured performers on the hour every hour, for twenty minutes, showcasing the finest talent to have graced Scribal Gathering over the last year. We have, among others, The Antipoet, The Bard of Stony Stratford, The Milton Keynes Poet Laureate and the long-anticipated reunion of Bodfish – murdering the classics, only faster! The remaining forty minutes of each hour will be the open-minded, open-ended open mic. Performers can sign up for a timed ten-minute slot. We invite singers, musicians, poets and bands to share whatever they choose to bring and invoke the spirit of gathering. Join us…
Where: The Waterside Festival, Parklands, Great Linford, Milton Keynes MK14 5DZ.
When: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June 2012.
How: Sign up for open mic on the day. Names will be taken on a first come, first served basis and timed slots will be allocated.
Sat June 16th Fancy a Double,Malvern Youth centre, Malvern, 8pm: £5 in:Featuring – The Very Grimm Brothers (Adrian Mealing and John Denton) The Imperfect Pair (Amy Rainbow and Gary Longden) Lindsey & Catherine, Tim Cranmore and Sorcha Cummins. Expertly compering the night is Jai Hill, The Bard of Malvern.
Expect double helpings, double entendres, double trouble, double the fun!! Come see musical carrots meet puppetry!
Bananas meeting guitars! Bickering meeting verse! The Grimms’ lamenting the demise of the mole rummaging in raised beds through the medium of voice and !??!
Part of the Worcester Literary Festival.
£5 Entry
Over 18′s only
Are you stuck in a fairy liquid bubble?
Is your hose full of rubble?!
Does your face OR leg possess a chafing 3mm stubble.
IF so
DO you FANCY a DOUBLE??????
Tickets on sale at http://www.wegottickets.com/event/168967
See http://www.catherinecrosswell.co.uk/8.html for biogs and more info.
Sun 17th Syria Crisis Poetry Awareness Night,AL AMANAH- THE BORDSLEY CENTRE STRATFORD ROAD CAMP HILL BIRMINGHAM B11 1ARThe situation in Syria is beyond imaginable, all we see is what we are shown on the news channels or on Youtube, but do we really know how these people are suffering? Do we really feel their pain?
We claim to be an ummah, but what are we doing to help them? They need our help, and as some of us are unable to fly over their and fight for them..or help in the refugee camps..we’re trying to do the bare minimum and raise some money and awareness about what is happening right now..
Majority of us know and fully support Palestine and are constantly banging on about it, and where that is great, and right, but if we are saying ”Free Palestine” for the right reasons and not just following some sort of trend, then we would feel the same pain, and feel passionate about Syria as well…
A lot of people will say that why are you making a song and dance about it why don’t you just use the money you spend to organise the event for Syria…but shockingly enough, I’ve spoken to people and discussed the current situation in Syria and they have NO IDEA…so this will not only be fundraising, but it will also Inshaa Allah bring awareness amongst the youth.. because the truth is, when the youth unite and join forces, we are able to do A LOT more than people think we can..
So here’s our chance.. let us do something.. the aid camps are using empty cars as hospital treatment rooms, they haven’t got enough treatment and medication, all they’re able to do is remove the shells, stop the bleeding and try to numb the pain… they can’t even help them or know whether the victims are suffering from internal bleeding…they are doing whatever they can with the resources they have.. but us.. we go out.. and we buy things we do not need, we over eat…. can you believe there are people in the western world dying from obesity whilst there are people around the world who have not even got food or shelter….or medication??
There’s no way out… either stay home.. and it’s shelled.. or walk out your house…get shot down.. or try to flee the country..and get blown by land mines.. what kind of oppression and injustice is this.. and he we are.. sitting home comfortably …far from oppressed..no fear.. just doing what we do and living our lives..
SUNDAY 17TH OF JUNE
TICKET PRICE- £7
ARTISTS-
-MUSLIM BELAL
-AMEEN OUTSPOKEN
-LITTLE MOH
AND OTHERS..
If anyone would like to volunteer, fundraise, attend…etc. Just leave a message.
SHARE THIS PAGE… we need to do something for the victims in Syria..and here’s our chance..
Proposed schedule:
Poetry (by various artists)
Free Syria Reps-Talking about the condition
and hopefully someone to talk about their personal experience when visiting an refugee/aid camp.
*Some of you may be wondering why we have used this flag..we have chose not to use the current Syrian flag, and we are using the flag that the Free Syrian Army are using that was introduced in 1932.
Sun 17th Talking About Horror – 42 Special with Writer, Adam Millard,Lunar Bar,Worcester 7.30pm:Adam Millard, author of the Zombie novels Dead West and Dead Cells, and various other twisted musings… appearing live at a microphone near you…
42 Open Mic Night & The Worcestershire Literary Festival are proud to present a special evening with renowned horror writer Adam Millard.
A Midlands boy from Wolverhampton, Adam will be joining the regions genre specialists the 42 open mic team as part of an event during this year’s Worcestershire Literary Festival when he will be waxing lyrical about all things horror, including his own inspirations and fears.
The 42 team stages a regular monthly open mic event in Worcester which specializes in genre themes, (notably gothic, horror, fantasy and sci-fi), and there will be five minute slots for other writers to perform both before and end after Adam’s own performance and talk.
This is a chance to hear a really accomplished genre writer performing and speaking about his work personally, and should be a real event to remember. Adam will be available to answer questions and will be available for a book signing at the end of the evening.
Join us and Adam for a night of storytelling and horror on a real night to remember with 42!
(This is the 1st of two ‘42’ events during June, the 2nd will be a regular ‘42’ Open Mic Night on the 27th June)
If you would be interested in performing at this and/or other events please contact the 42 Worcester Team at 42worcester@42openmicnight.co.uk. Slots will be 5 minutes long.
PRICE: £3.00
DOORS OPEN AT 7PM (FOR A 7.30 PM START)
INFO ON 42 OPEN MIC NIGHT:
‘42’ is Worcester’s first & only Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Open Mic Night for all those who love the genres & everything in between. Let your voice be heard!
Calling all writers, poets, musicians, performance artists, actors and comedians, if you have an interest in these areas we want you to get involved!
‘42’ takes its name from Douglas Adams’ great answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. We thought that was pretty all encompassing and a really snappy name which people would embrace. This is THE genre fans open mic night, and we want them to get in touch and make their voice heard!
INFO FOR PERFORMERS:
There are a few provisos which we must outline at the outset, such as the fact that although we embrace darker works we don’t encourage superfluous gore or scenes of lingering torture for the sake of celebrating cruelty. We do not encourage the humiliation, or attack of anyone due to their ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or the fact that their great grandfather six times removed was kidnapped by aliens. Although a degree of swearing could be part of an artist’s dramatic flow in a given horror story, we ask you to keep any such sequences within a reasonable dramatic format which will sound plausible!
So please respect these guidelines and we will welcome your contribution warmly.
Each performer will be allotted a 5 minutes span for their set (on this particular evening, due to the nature of the event), and we ask contributors to respect this timeframe! Please get in touch well in advance of the advertised evening if you wish to take part and have specific requirements for sound, etc.
We are always looking for new writers and performers to get involved in the event, so if you would like to become involved we would be chuffed to bits to hear from you! So get in touch!
Mon 18th “Well Versed in Comedy” Artrix Theatre, Bromsgrove;7.30pm, Worcestershire Literary Festival presents an evening of hilarious entertainment. Take the best comedic poets on the circuit, mash them up with a clutch of new ‘stand-up’ talent and the result is hilarity that rhymes (well some of the time!).
Hosted by Worcestershire’s Poet Laureate, Theo Theobald, it’s a show packed with laughs and clever words, not to be missed.
TUESDAY 19 June 7:00-9.30pm GOTHIC: An evening of readings & storytelling China Halls, Spode Factory, Stoke on trent
An evening of Gothic story telling featuring storyteller Sophie Snell, and novellist Storm Constantine. Supported by readings by Staffordshire University students & staff, and by installations of interactive Gothic Literature.
Hosted by English and Creative Writing. We will meet outside The Pavilion on College Road and walk down to Spode for the event.
Wed 20th Templar Poetry,Lamb & Flag, The Tyhthing, Worcester, 8pm; Open mic, third Wednesday, Alex officiates contact:Alex McMillen, Alex McMillen,Templar Poetry, PO BOX 7082, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 9AF,Tel: 01629 582500, Mobile: 07918166975
Wed 20th Storytelling Cafe – Tales of Midsummer Eve, Kitchen Garden Cafe,York Rd, Kings Heath
7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm)
“Compelling, shimmering, luminous and sublime” (Front Row, Radio 4). Celebrate mysteries of Midsummer Eve as nationally acclaimed storyteller, Debs Newbold, unfolds tales of the turning of time; the sweet love of Summer changing into the deep loss of Winter. Travel with her from the sensuous groves of Italy to the wild hills of Shropshire; sense the rustle of the leaves, breath in the scent of summer and listen to the songs woven into these magical stories.
Debs Newbold is the first storyteller to be given a Late Junction slot by Radio 3 and has been nominated as the UK artist by Pinokio, a prestigious European storytelling project. Strong, skilled, brimming with charisma and immensely proud of her Brummie roots, Debs commands large auditoriums from Shakespeare’s Globe to the Royal Opera House and enthralls audiences at prestigious national events such as the Hay Literary Festival. But of course the best description of Deb’s talent comes from her own vivid pen when she describes herself as “having voice, heart and imagination as big as a very clever giant’s”. “’Enthralling…the whole audience was hanging on every word”( Hebden Bridge Arts Festival).
Tickets: £7
Tickets available from the Cafe – Food Served from 6.30, Stories start at 7.30
Wed 20th The Vaginellas at The Boars Head, Kidderminster, 7.30pm, part of the Worcestershire Literary Festival:The evening kicks off at 7.30pm and will also include an open mic for anyone wishing to share their own adventurous verse, be it feminist fun, poetic play or any other kind of poetry.The Vaginellas are also delighted to welcome legendary Birmingham poet and Behind the Arras reviewer Gary Longden as their special guest for their very first live gig. The gallery is upstairs at the Boar’s Head Pub, 39 Worcester Street,Kidderminster, Worcestrshire,DY10 1EW.Tickets are £3, available on the door or booking through the Worcestershire Literary Festival box office.
Wed 20th June – “Seven Deadly Sins”, in the stunning mediaeval setting of Donington Le Heath Manor House, nr Coalville, 7.30pm. For tickets Tel 01530 831259.
It is a very special setting – an old mediaeval manor house not far from Ashby de la Zouche, south of Derby. We are upstairs in the old hall, steeped in history and atmosphere, and the perfect setting for both storytelling and the Sins.
If you haven’t seen the full version of this show before, or would like to enjoy it again, we would love to see you there. Tickets MUST be booked in advance, and are £4. Contact Tel 01530 831259.
Here’s a quick reminder about the show:
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned!” Do you have anything to confess?”
A young girl hiding in the confessional overhears her neighbours’ confessions – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride – whispered revelations of sinning and secret desires. As she listens with growing unease, stories unfold that should never be told…
At turns dark and comic, this show offers twisting tales from the stones and bones of the British Isles – where the Devil watches in delight and angels weep… As each story unfolds, more of the seven deadly sins are divulged – in all their glorious, sometimes comic and even darkly gruesome colours. Until finally our heroine overhears one final devastating revelation – and the penny drops…
You’ll be hooked from the start, through each twist and turn, as you try to guess where each story is finally heading. So be prepared for thrills and spills on this rollicking ride through the Seven Deadly Sins!
Wed 20th Live Reading@ Arts All Over the Place, Station PH, Kings Heath: Poetry open mic with Brendan Higgins.Arts All Over The Place is a celebration of
“The Arts” and mental health.
It is open to all and especially welcomes people who have experienced mental health problems.
As part of our aim of taking performance in music, poetry, and comedy to local community venues which are as accessible to people with mental health problems as possible, we have booked the
Station Pub, in Kings Heath for an evening event on Wednesday 20th June 2012.
The night features a ‘speed poetry’ showcase with Big Bren Higgins, Simon Pitt, Jane James, Sean Rolls, Janet Smith, Chris Akers and Sammy Joe. There is also a fabulous play showcase, featuring talented and established writer, David Calcutt and a personal experience performance from Euguene Egan.
Music comes from Ukeladies, Rohit Ballal,Melt and Dance Force, with Al Barz showcasing a unique spoken word and keyboard act.
There is also a comedy showcase with David-Rees Jones and Liam-Dillon Cambridge. The electic and exciting night is hosted by none other than the dynamic duo of Betty and Dirk. A great line-up and fantastic cause. Do come along!
Arts all Over The Place
Audience needed!
Station Pub, in Kings Heath
7pm to 11pm
Wednesday 20th June 2012.
Free admission
There is a tombola to raise funds!
A showcase evening, with
poems,
music,
comedy and more
Compared by Betty and Dirk
David Calcutt, Simon Pitt, Sammy Joe David Rees Jones
Big Bren Higgins, Eugene Egan,, the Ukulele Ladies , Jane James, Chis Akers, Sean Rolls, Janet Smith, Al Barz, Liam Dillon and more in the open Mic.
A taste of what will be performed at the big event in October at the custard factory
Arts All Over The Place is a celebration of
“The Arts” and mental health.
It is open to all and especially welcomes people who have experienced mental health problems.
artsallovertheplace@yahoo.co.uk
Wed 20th Music Poetry and Lyrics with Poet and the Loops, Drummonds, 28 New St,Worcester.7.30pm: Poet & the Loops mix electronica, real instruments (including accordion) and spoken word to create a soundscape for storytelling and beat poetry. Influences include the 60′s beat poets through to Gil Scott-Heron, John Cooper Clarke and hip hop artists such as Sage Francis and Scroobius Pip. Essentially a one man band, Poet & the Loops is Martin Christie, who has just recorded his new EP in London, and has also recently published his second book ‘Open Mic Travels’. The book takes the reader on a journey across the UK, describing the places, the people and the music that is to be found on open mic nights.
Without pretension, and often darkly humorous, Poet and the Loops will be playing a selection of electro-poetry and chill wave spoken word at this special event. This is a rare opportunity to hear a unique and original artist from the Northern music and spoken word scene and not to be missed.”
Also includes performances by Mstr Morrison and Raymond Antrobus.
Thurs 21st Parole Parlate Special, Little Venice, St Nicholas St Worcester 7.30pm:
Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is back for a Worcestershire Literary Festival Special on Thursday 21st June 2012 and is a dedicated spoken word and “music that tells a story” platform. If you would like the chance to read your short stories, poems, prose, try out your performance poetry or music that tells a story, this evening is for you!
Hosted by Little Venice in Worcester, there will be a full bar service, cakes/snacks and you can of course take advantage of their full menu and enjoy their delicious pizzas, pastas or salads. Try out their £7.95 menu which includes a main course and a drink.
The Worcestershire Literary Festival team have invited back the very best of those who have taken part in Parole Parlate over the past year, and so far we have confirmed:
Gary Longden
Dori K
Bobby Parker
Suz Winspear
Julie Boden
Chris Kingsley
Al Barz
Amy Rainbow
Chardonnay Jade
Mo The People’s Poet
Plus a very special headline performance from Jan Watts, Birmingham’s current Poet Laureate.
ENTRY FEE AND HOW TO PAY
The entry fee for this event is £3.00. Tickets are available from Worcester Live on 01905 611427, or you can buy them on the door on the night.
FUTURE PP EVENTS – TAKING PART AND PERFORMING
If would like a slot to perform on one of these dates please let us know by emailing info@worcslitfest.com, leave a post on the wall of this event or visit http://www.facebook.com/worcslitfest and leave a post on the wall.
Performers get free entry, a choice of an alcoholic or soft drink and cake for taking part.
ADVANCE INFORMATION
“Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is on the first Thursday of every month, so advance dates for your diary will be:
Thursday 5th July 2012
Thursday 2nd August 2012
Thursday 6th September 2012
Thursday 4th October 2012
Thursday 1st November 2012
PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO PP EVENT IN DECEMBER 2012
Thursday 3rd January 2013
Thursday 5th February 2013
Thursday 5th March 2013
Thursday 4th April 2013
Thursday 2nd May 2013
Thursday 20th June 2013 – Festival Special
Thurs 21 Speak Up, Bulls Head, Moseley, Birmingham, 3rd Thursday, monthly, 7.30pm: headliners plus open mic,£5in http://www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/
Thurs 21st/Fri 22nd The Loneliness of The Long Distance Diva, Curve Theatre, Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB, Tickets: £12 / £8 :7.45pm
Info: http://www.curveonline.co.uk / 0116 2423595, Booking: http://www.curvetickets.co.uk / 0116 2423595
Apples and Snakes, Peepul Centre, Phoenix Digital Media Centre and Legacy Trust present
The Loneliness of The Long Distance Diva
A gifted but deeply flawed diva reflects on her life: a prize seemingly everyone would want.
A modern day epic of strength and vulnerability inspired by Alan Sillitoe’s classic The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner, the show is a compelling choreopoem, combining poetry and physical theatre with sublime cutting edge music and stunning digital visuals. Written and performed by multi-talented artist Carol Leeming.
“Carol is a strong and confident performer” – Benji Reid, Breaking Cycles
“devolved British writing and performance at its best” – Dr Corinne Fowler, English Department Leicester University
Fri 22nd – Cafe Tales at the Butcher’s Arms, Heanor, part of Heanor Festival, with Sophie Snell and Tom Philips (with special guest Mel Blount), 7.30pm. For tickets Tel 01773 762042 (includes Ploughman’s Supper).
Fri 22nd 8pm & 23rd June 2pm +8pm “Being Human” Belgrave Theatre Coventry,£11.In association with Bloodaxe Books,Being Human is a dramatic performance of poetry from around the world, presented by three performers, with music, projections and striking imagery.
Charting the drama of our lives, these are thoughtful and passionate poems that will touch the heart, stir the mind and fire the spirit; poems about being human, about love and loss, fear and longing, hurt and wonder.
Drawn from the latest anthology in Neil Astley’s Staying Alive trilogy, this is a Midland Creative Projects production working with the performance companies Talking Birds and Interplay and in association with Bloodaxe Books and The Belgrade Theatre.
Sat 23rd Poetry & Pints, the Globe, Malvern 7pm:Open Mic – Poetry and Pints,MC Mike Sergeant hosts an evening of poetry.Twelve West Midlands poets and a special reading of The Olympians, a collection of new writing by members of the Bridgnorth Writers’ Group inspired by Dr William Penny Brookes and the Olympic Games.
Sat 23rd Young Poets Showcase, Arts Centre Sansom St Worcester,8pm: The Worcestershire Literary Festival is committed to supporting young and local talent and we present a series of performances from young poets including:
Beth Knuckles Edwards
Laura Dedicoat
Rowan Standish-Haynes – Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate
Matt Windle – former Birmingham Poet Laureate
Sat 23rd Flash Fiction, Worcester Uni campus, Castle St, Worcester: 4pm, £3 in Join the creator of National Flash Fiction Day Calum Kerr and Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn for a flash fiction special, and to hear the ten shortlisted entrants of the Worcestershire Literary Festival flash fiction competition read their flash fiction submissions. The winner of the competition will also be announced.
Calum Kerr has appeared regularly on Radio 4 and successfully launched the first ever National Flash Fiction Day on Wednesday 12th May 2012.
Sunday 24th Sunday Xpress Fourth Sunday Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD Open mic
jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk
Sun 24t hWorcs Lit Fest POETRY SLAM,Drummonds,28 New Street, Worcester,WR5 1BU:7.30pm – with Spoz
Tues 26th The Telling Space, Mythstories, *NEW VENUE* (relocated from Wem) Mythstories,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE,Wem, Shropshire,The club meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month unless otherwise stated. Please check the website under ‘opening hours and events’ http://www.mythstories.com or contact Dez or Ali on 01939 235500 for further information.Meet at 7 pm for refreshments (bring food to share) or at 7.30 pm for stories. A chance to listen or an opportunity to tell. Admission is free.
Tues 26th Word Wizards * New venue* Buckingham Hotel, opp the Pavillion Gdns , Buxton last Tuesday Monthly 19.30. Open mic three minute slam format. Rob Stevens. More info Poetryslamuk@aol.com
01298 77362/ 0781 3289358
Wed 27th Blood form a Stone – BCU Anthology Launch,Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Palace, Free in6pm-8.30pm,The School of English at Birmingham City University is delighted to invite you to the launch of its newest anthology ‘Blood from a Stone’ at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Palace, on Wednesday June 27. The event will run from 6 PM to 8.30 PM.
‘Blood from a Stone’ showcases the wealth of disciplines available to writers within the BA and the MA course, including fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, playwriting and poetry. Its foreword is writing by Ian Marchant, a tutor within the School, who has made regular appearances on BBC Radio 4 and whose most recent publication, ‘Something of the Night’, was published by Simon & Schuster.
The first half of the evening will feature live readings by authors who have contributed to the anthology as well as students from the MA course. Following a break for refreshments, the second half will feature a special guest appearance from novelist Helen Cross, author of ‘My Summer of Love’ and ‘Spilt Milk, Black Coffee’, both published by Bloomsbury, who will do a talk and read aloud.
The event is free.
For any further information, please contact James Kennedy on jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk before Monday June 18.
Wed 27th June Phenomenal Women,Library Theatre, Birmingham, 7.30pm:Building on the success and popularity of the previous 2 ‘Phenomenal Women’events, Birmingham Poet Laureate, Jan Watts brings you another evening of poetry by ‘phenomenal women’. This event is open to all and will feature a range of poetry from women that Jan has met, worked with or come across throughout her Laureate year. Some reading slots are taken, please contact Jan Watts via roaringgreasepaint@hotmail.co.uk
Wed 27th “42″ Open Mic Night (Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy) Lunar Bar, New St Worcester, 7.30, Free in: last wed monthly E-mail: 42openmicnight@42genrearts.co.uk
Thurs 28 th Hit the Ode Last Thursday 19:30 The Victoria 48 John Bright Street, Birmingham B1 1BN 3 featured acts + limited open mic bohdan@applesandsnakes.org
Hit the Ode brings the most exciting poets from the region, the country and the world straight to the heart of Birmingham.
Hit the Ode brings the most exciting poets from the region, the country and the world to the heart of Birmingham. Join us! We have poems. Poems written on the backs of lottery tickets and on the margins of holy books; poems which yell through covered mouths and whisper through megaphones; poems which send you emails every day and poems which are not available to take your call right now. Good poems. Come and get them.
Line-up:
From Birmingham, shortMAN: shortMAN merges rhythm and rhyme in an eloquent examination of black history, justice, equality, and social issues.
From Manchester, Mike Garry: Mike’s heroes are the underdogs and the outsiders. He has been described by the Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder as ‘the best street poet ever.’
From Botswana, Andreattah Chuma: a member of the renowned Exodus Live Poetry collective, Drea has enchanted audiences from Gaborone to Glastonbury – but it will be her first performance in Brum!
A very few open mic slots will be available on the door (the pre-bookable slots have all been claimed). For more info, contact bohdan@applesandsnakes.org.
When: Thursday 28 June, 7.30pm
Where: The Victoria, 48 John Bright St, Birmingham B1 1BN
Tickets: £5
Info: http://www.thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk / Facebook
Booking: on the door
Open mic: half of the open mic slots available via email ( bohdan@applesandsnakes.org), the other half can be claimed on the door on the day
Thur 28th Bilston Voices Fourth Thursday 19:00 Cafe Metro 46 Church Street, Bilston: £3in, set bill. Emma Purshouse hosts
Fri 29thCelebration Concert, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire. 7pm, £5in, Featuring WDSU’s “Song for Birmingham”in song and dance as part of the Olympic celebrations.
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Some Future Dates for Your Diary
Sun 1st July “We Are Poets” Film – The Drum, Aston, Birmingham, 1pm/6pm £3:This event was originally on Thu 31 May and has been re-scheduled for Tue 1 Jul.*
· Schools Matinee with Directors Q&A, 1pm.
· Evening Screening, 6.00pm
We Are Poets bravely flips the image of British youth on its head, as six remarkable teenage poets are chosen to represent the UK at Brave New Voices, America’s most prestigious slam poetry competition. From their inner city lives in Leeds, North England, to a stage in front of the White House in Washington D.C, the team must prepare for a transformational journey of a lifetime. Intimate, honest and imaginative, We Are Poets is a moving testament to the power of creativity, community and the dynamism of young people.
“Amazing…it’s poetry itself. Poetry is an art, filmmaking is an art, it takes great sensitivity to bring them together – this film shows us how it’s done!” – Benjamin Zephaniah
Run Time: 82 mins
Directors: Alex Ramseyer-Bache & Daniel Lucches
Cert: 12A Sun 1st I-Slam Poetry Olypmic Special, the Hub,9a Stoney Lane, Birmingham: £5, 6-8pm,Hosted by Bohdan Piesecki,starring David J Pugilist,ZK The Poet, Slam Poetry with an Olympic Flavour, the day the torch passes the Hub. info@soulcityarts.com
Sun 1st July Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Nick Alexander, Miki Burn Mon 2nd Gorilla Slam,Dada Trippet Lane Sheffield S1 4EL:8pm,Invite everyone you know and come prepared to be entertained. 1Love Gorilla’s
Slam Rules:
•Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction.
•Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over the time, points will be deducted from the total score. ( ½ point for every 10 Seconds)
• Five judges will score the poet and the points will be added up. The best scoring will go through to the next round. The scores are between 0.0 to 10.9.
•Judges cannot be related in any way to the poet.
•If you feel the judges were wrong in there scoring you can make them aware by booing the scores. If you agree with the judges, cheer them loudly and give them some jazz hands.
•No Costumes or Props
The Winner Gets a Prize and the ‘’Gorilla Poetry Slam Trophy’’ and a half Hour slot at next poetry event. The Winner will have to come back to the next slam to defend the trophy and there right as the slam champion. At the end of the year the best eight scoring poets will enter the slam final and the winner be called the ‘’The Grand Bard Of Sheffield’’
Tues 3rd Night Blue Fruit, taylors Vaults, Canal basin, Coventry, 8pm start, free in:I had the pleasure of meeting Dele Kogbe recently at the Positive Images Festival. He is a promising new voice in British poetry and I am proud to introduce him as our July guest poet at Nightblue Fruit. I recommend you to come and watch him.
Antony Owen
Poet Bio
Dele Kogbe is studying MA. Diplomacy, Law and Global Change at International Studies and Social Sciences Department, Coventry University. He is the founder of Global Student Writers’ Society, the first literary society in the Coventry University. He is a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). His published works are widely used in teaching literature in English in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. Dele’s published works include Songs of a Wounded Dove (Poetry, 2007), Child of Destiny (2009), and The Young Farmer (2009). His new story The Gods Had Gone to Sleep (2012), published by AuthorHouse, UK, will be released to the public in a couple of weeks.
Dele Kogbe received the 2010 Merit Award of the Association of Nigerian Authors/Oyo State Agency for Youth Development and 2010 Best MDGs Volunteer Advocate Award of NYSC Zamfara State, Nigeria among other awards and recognitions for his selfless service in community developments
He is a dramatic poet on stage.
Wed 4th Speak Up. Hare and Hounds PH, Kings Heath:7.30pm,The next Speak Up will take place on 4th July and it is set to be very magical indeed.
We have Kim Trusty performing for the last time at Speak Up as she is going back to Canada – she is a massive inspiration of mine and although it’s going to be the most sad seeing her go I am so glad that people are going to see her perform, she’s incredible.
We have cake and beanbags and babes and poetry and open mic and fairy lights and other lovely things for five tiny pounds.
You should come, it’s better than all other things that happen on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
It starts at 7.30pm and we have open mics!
Wed 4th Jan Watts & Rafeef Ziadah, Library Theatre Birmingham, 7pm:On 4 July, we are delighted to be hosting a special event with internationally renowned poet, Rafeef and Jan Watts, Birmingham Poet Laureate 2011/2012 on Wed 4 July (7pm, Birmingham Library Theatre).
This event is part of the national Poetry Parnassus tour, which has been organised by London’s Southbank Centre and Speaking Volumes. Poetry Parnassus led by poet Simon Armitage sees the gathering of poets from each of the 204 nations competing in the London 2012 Olympics.
Jan saw Rafeef at a recent performance and was totally blown away by her and is delighted to be sharing a stage with Rafeef. The event is open to all, so do come along to hear poetry and personal stories from two very talented poets.
To book your seats, please contact: nikki.bi@birmingham.gov.uk or call 0121 303 2895
Wed 4th July Spire Writes , Havana Whites, Corporation St Chestefield,7.45, Free in:In July, Spire Writes brings you two more legendary poets, with Liz Berry and Faye Lipson.. Please come and join us, and perform at the open mic too if it takes your fancy.
Thurs 5th July The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW, 7.30pm:£9in,The Southbank Centre’s Poetry Parnassus, a great meeting of poetic minds from every Olympic nation, brings some of the most exciting writers from across the globe to stages across Britain. For Writing West Midlands and the Stratford Poetry Festival, Poetry Parnassus is delighted to introduce T.J. Dema from Botswana, a poet, editor and events manager, and Kosal Khiev from Cambodia, a poet and exile from the USA.
Join them for readings, discussion and personal stories.
T.J. Dema is a Botswana poet and chairperson of The Writers Association of Botswana. She has performed in France, Denmark, India, South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe and is part of the multi-country poetry and music ensemble Sonic Slam Chorus.
Kosal Khiev is a poet, teaching artist and survivor of the US prison system, deported in 2011 to Cambodia. Since then he has used poetry to uplift his situation with compelling performances at TedX Phnom Penh, universities and pubic stages.
Poetry Parnassus on Tour is a Southbank Centre production in association with Speaking Volumes Live Literature Productions. In partnership with the Stratford Poetry Festival.
How to book:
To book your place, please visit the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s website or click here.
Thurs 5th Paroloe Parlate, The summer spoken Word Special, Little venice, st Nicholas st , Worcester, 730 pm, £3 in:
“Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is back for a summer special after a very successful Worcestershire Literary Festival on Thursday 5th July 2012 and is a dedicated spoken word and “music that tells a story” platform. If you would like the chance to read your short stories, poems, prose, try out your performance poetry or music that tells a story, this evening is for you!
Hosted by Little Venice in Worcester, there will be a full bar service, cakes/snacks and you can of course take advantage of their full menu and enjoy their delicious pizzas, pastas or salads. Try out their £7.95 menu which includes a main course and a drink.
The Worcestershire Literary Festival team have so far confirmed the following performers:
Nathan Williams
Nick Munro Turner
Polly Robinson
Geoff Robinson
Damon Lord
Ian Ward
Sammy Joe
Math Jones
Sat 7th July The Saturday Plinth,Worcester City Museum Foregate St, Worcester 10am – 1pm, Free:As part of Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery’s 4th Plinth project, this is a Saturday morning spoken word event in the space vacated by the departing library.
Come to perform, or come to watch – either way, this won’t be your ordinary Worcester Saturday!
Performance slots will be 10-15mins. Poetry, prose, drama, or any combination thereof! But no swearing or nudity (we get enough of that during the week).
Mon 9th Nasty Little night, john osbourne, Luke Wright.King St Bristol Old Vic: 8pm, £6in,Crack out your ear trumpet and practice your happy face as Word of Mouth brings you a triple treat of lexical lushness.
I’m your host, Byron Vincent. I own a thirty-year-old dictionary, the legs of a consumptive emu and a neurotic disposition. I’m very much looking forward to meeting you.
Nasty Little Press publishes books from the UK’s best-loved live poets; and like Maverick and Iceman off of Top Gun, these two are the best of the best. Only instead of oiling up and playing aggressive beach volleyball, they read really good poems instead.
If I were to list their collective achievements this piece of writing would make Anna Karenina look like a work of flash fiction. Sold out national tours, five star reviews, innumerable TV and radio appearances. Expect funny, tender, poignant insights from two of the nation’s most gifted verse-slingers.
Tickets £6.00
Box Office 0117 987 7877 http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/1904.html Mon 9th Pure and Good and right with Fran Hill, Sozzled sausage, Leamingtaon Spa, CV 32 4NX; 7.30pm: £3 in,Fran Hill is a comic performance poet, freelance writer and English teacher, who loves to make people laugh. In addition to poetry, she writes humorous articles, and is published regularly in the Times Educational Supplement magazine. Her book ‘Being Miss’ is for sale on Amazon Kindle and her blog’Being me’ is faithfully followed by 280 people with time on their hands and a liking for trivialities.
DEFINITELY AN EVENING NOT TO BE MISSED!
Admission £3 (£2 Student/OAP)
From time to time we are located upstairs, so please let us know if you require disabled access before the event.
If you would like to know more about the night email: pgrpoetry@gmail.com
Tues 10th “Poetry Alight at the Spark Cafe Bar, 19 Tamworth St, Lichfield WA13 6JP
Arrive early , 7.30pm prompt start -10pm
“A terrific evening of poetry” – Mal Dewhirst
Lichfield Poets proudly present the third in this quarterly series of poetry evenings, hosted by Gary Longden in the week of the Lichfield Festival.
It comprises four visiting guest poets and an open mic section. Great pride is taken in introducing new poets to the audience, and new audiences to poets. Open mic spots, at 3mins each, may be booked in advance, a very few may be made available on the night, e-mail: Lichfield.Poets@hotmail.co.uk
Please note that our advance slots are always oversubscribed, all requests may not be successful.
The Cafe, as well as offering coffee, teas and light refreshments is also licensed to sell alcohol and offers a range of hot food, I can personally vouch for their Cumberland sausage sandwich! The audience is encouraged to arrive early, and the Spark is ideal to enjoy a supper with friends before proceedings. The Cafe is open all day.
This month we have four distinguished published guest poets, two from Leicestershire based Crystal Clear Creators, and two from Black Country Based Offa’s Press. Both publications regularly invite submissions.
From Crystal Clear Creators
Dr Jonathan Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at De Montfort University. His specialisms include prose fiction and non-fiction, memoir-writing, radio writing, poetry and literature of the ‘long’ nineteenth-century. He is also co-founder and co-director of Crystal Clear Creators (www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk), which records, publishes, produces and promotes new writing, particularly for radio, and publishes the Poetry magazine Hearing Voices. Jonathan is widely published, his work is very accessible, with a sense of fun, listen out for Mozart’s Clarinet Sextet.
Maria Taylor is a poet and reviewer . She has had poetry published in a variety of magazines including The North, Staple, The Guardian and Iota. She has also reviewed for The TLS and Sphinx, as well as co-editing the magazine Hearing Voices. She teaches Creative Writing at De Montfort University and has also tutored young people and children. Her debut collection, Melanchrini, is available from Nine Arches Press in July 2012. I suspect that we can persuade her to read from it.
This is how I described the first time I saw her perform, over a year ago:” Her trademark is short, concise neat poetry which bustles with joie de vivre. Soap Sud Island visited her erstwhile home district of Acton in London, and its status as launderette to the more upmarket Chelsea and Kensington. Getting Rid told of the disposal of a troublesome bee in her bedroom. She entertained and engaged with a magnetic economy of expression.”
( As Jonathan and Maria are husband and wife, I should stress that the above biographies appear in alphabetical order!)
From Offa’s Press
Jane Seabourne: is a published writer and poet whose credits include The Guardian and Mslexia. She has lived on both sides of Offa’s Dyke, having grown up in South Wales, and currently works part-time in education. She lives in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton.Bright Morning, her first collection of poetry was published by Offa’s Press in May 2010 and is a delight for anyone who enjoys well-crafted and witty contemporary poetry.
Jayne says: ” My poems are inspired by mysteries, oddities, unusual details and scraps of memory. I like to observe, record and imagine the goings-on behind the curtains of people’s lives.”
Nick Pearson is a Forward Prize nominated poet. His poems have inhabited many places, including anthologies, magazines, websites, CDs, live performances and the works of artists. He lives in Shropshire, his Offa’s Press collection is entitled “Made in Captivity.” This collection draws together a range of work written over the last ten years. Urban, sharply observed, often humorous and with elements of atmospheric staging ,these poems catch some of the voices of contemporary disconnection and the search for certainty
Reviews of past Poetry Alights are available here:
Tues 10th Scribal Gathering The Crown Stony Stratford:7.30pm,Get ready for another fantastic feast of musical mastercraft and poetical proficiency, bringing together lachrymatorially lyrical local live talent and perfervid performers from perfurther afield. We have headline performances from special guests Dan Plews and Alan Wolfson, as well as the open-minded open mic, welcoming all to muse upon their views, share their wares, show their stuff, shine before their peers and shout what it’s all about, to a tolerant and very forgiving audience. Join us, and invoke the spirit of gathering…
When: Tuesday 10th July 2012. Doors open at 7.30 for a prompt 8.00 start.
Where: The Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford MK11 1BE.
How: Free entry. Sign up for open mic on the night. Arrive early to avoid disapproval.
Tues 10th Mouth & Music 6,Boars Head Gallery, Kidderminster 8pm, £3 in:The 6th in our monthly series of totally & utterly acoustic spoken word & music nights! Bobby parker and Dan Whitehouse. Open mic sign-up from 7.30 5 minutes / 2 songs each, Diamond Jubilee themed work will be especially appropriate though anything goes!Admission £3 (free to performers) Presented by Heather Wastie & Sarah Tamar for kaf creatives Wed 11th July Smart Poets, veggd Out, Fletchers walk, Paradise Circus, Birmingham. Open Mic 7.30pm: There will be summertime frolics a-plenty at the SMART open mic, featuring St.Martins’ poet in residence Penny Hewlett, the queeen of the fairies herself, Sammy Joe and the very talented Shaun Rolls and Shabz Ahmed.
There are plenty of open mic spots for writers new and old- e-mail samywroteunder@googlemail.com if you fancy showcasing your work in a friendly, supportive and somewhat sultry summer evening, all in the name of poetry, of course!
£3in. 7pm start.
Wed 11th Flying Donkeys, Voicebox, Forman St Derby:8pm
Thurs 12th Coffeehouse Poetry Open Mic, Shrewsbury Coffee House , Castle Gate, Shrewsbury with Liz lefroy, 7.30pm, free in. (Note this is a chnage from the usual Tuesday).
Sat 14th Catalyst Culture Open Mic, Cathedral Sq, Colmore Row, Birmingham 4-7pm, free:Youth event for poets, musicians and comics. contact;craig@anglican.irmingham.com
Mon 16th shindig, Western PH, Leicester:7.30pm, free in:Crystal Clear Creators and Nine Arches Press present Shindig! Open-Mic Poetry Evening: Free and Open to All.
Featured poets are: Maria Taylor, Alan Baker, Kim Moore and Robin Vaughan Williams.
Sign up for open-mic slots on the door.
Email Jonathan Taylor (crystalclearjt@hotmail.co.uk) for further details.
Wed 16th-18th Mix;herging into media conferende, Corsham Court, Bath Spa University:For three days in July an international gathering of academics, artists, film makers and writers will meet in the stunning location of Corsham Court to discuss the current developments in digital writing.
The conference will take place at Bath Spa University’s postgraduate centre at Corsham Court from 16th-18th July 2012. Its aim is to bring together practitioners and theorists working with writing in digital media. The purpose is to create a core of research knowledge both practical and theoretical. The conference will present academic papers as well as presentations and workshops by current digital practitioners. There will also be a public exhibition of digital work created for this conference through an open call for artists/writers: http://www.mix-bathspa.org/liberated-words/liberated-words-call-for-video-narratives-at-mix-conference
The questions we will be addressing are: How can new media be used for serious artistic purposes and how can we create a suitable critical vocabulary for this? What is the relationship between digital writers and the commercial world of ‘gaming’. Who are the audiences for digital writing and how can they be accessed? There will be submissions from those who work in digital media, concrete poetry, text art, poetry and performance, poetry and film, film poems, digital poetics, poetry and art, poetry and music, digital narratives, game writing, intermedia poetry, transmedia writing, language art, visual writing and installations.
The conference will produce a networked book of critical essays, examples of work and also an online forum where the debate can be continued.
Confirmed Key Speakers are:
Mark Amerika: Internationally renowned ‘re-mix’ artist and pioneer of internet art, digital video and experimental literature. Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Kate Pullinger: Acclaimed writer for both print and digital platforms. Reader at De Montfort University and founder of the Transliteracy Research Group.
Tom Konyves: Video poem creator and multi-media writer. Lecturer in screen writing in British Columbia.
Dr. Maria Mencia: Leader of practice led research in language driven new media/art/literature. Senior Lecturer at Kingston Universtity.
There will be an international line up of presenters from the U.S, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and the UK. http://www.mix-bathspa.org/
Tues 17th July Buxton Fringe, Word Wizzards Slam,”For All That Clap” Grove Hotel Buxton, 7.30pm: £3in Rob Stevens hosts. Tues 17th Bobby Parker/ Meredith Andrea, Kitchen Garden Cafe,York Rd, Kings Heath,7.30pm (Doors 7pm)
Two new poetry books from Knives Forks and Spoons Press. Bobby Parker reads from ’Comberton’, his bravura prose-poem sequence “a collection of poems whose narrative outstrips most novels for depth, mystery and staying power (Luke Kennard). Plus Meredith Andrea, reading from ‘Organon’.
Tickets: Free Event – all welcome
Wed 18th July, Storytelling Cafe Kitchen Garden Cafe,York Rd, Kings Heath, 7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm)
Summer is in the air and we dream of lands far away. Take a journey into your imaginations with the Storytelling cafe Team Graham Langley, Ana-Maria Lines, Dawn Powell and Kit Bathgate. Enjoy a relaxed and compelling summer’s night of storytelling with a glass of wine and a relaxed sociable atmosphere. Food Served from 6.30, Stories start at 7.30.
Tickets: £7
Tickets available from the Cafe or http://www.wegottickets.com
Sun 22nd Hamlet, Dirty Duck, Stratford upon Avon,4pm:Melting Pot has decided to let you lovely people have another bite at our gorgeous Hamlet! This time in the heart of Stratford, on the garden terrace of the Dirty Duck, on Sunday 22nd July. It starts at 4pm,giving you time to have wander around Stratford, have a spot of lunch and round off a great day with the best play in the English language. Arent we kind? and only for a fiver…
Tue 24th July, Poetry Bites with Nick Pearson & Jane Seabourne,Kitchen Garden Cafe,York Rd, Kings Heath
7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm)
“One of the top 10 venues for poetry in the UK” (Susan Richardson, Radio 4). Poetry Bites also includes floor spots – arrive early to book a spot. Tickets on door or by email from jacquirowe@hotmail.co.uk (07971 018 825). Food Served from 6.30, Readings start at 7.30.
Tickets: £5 (£4 Conc.) on Door
Food served from 6:30pm, Readings start at 7:30pm
Tuesday 24th Polesworth Abbey, Poleworth, Open Mic and Guest Terri Jolland.7.30pm, Free in
Fri 27th A SAFETY PIN STUCK IN THE HEART – punk poetry and spiky stand-up! Frog & Fiddle PH, High St Cheltenham:8pm,A celebration of punk poetry with Iconic punk-poet and urban folksinger Patrik Fitzgerald
and
Adrenaline fuelled stand-up poet Trevor Meaney
(‘One of the funniest acts I have ever seen’. Cheltenham Poetry Festival.)
‘There’s no better example of the Punk DIY attitude than the lone, slight figure of Patrik Fitzgerald making it happen and expressing himself on stage. Singing songs of alienation, observation and imagined situations. Those early songs like ‘Safety Pin In My Heart’ and ‘All Sewn Up’ have amazingly stood the test of time and sound as relevant today as then. Patrik Fitzgerald was the ‘Punk Poet.’
Punk77 Magazine.
Friday 27th July
The Frog and Fiddle
Cheltenham
8pm.
Tickets £7 or £5 in advance from Badlands
DON’T MISS THIS CHANCE TO SEE A PUNK LEGEND, HERE IN CHELTENHAM.
August Gloucester Poetry and Spoken Word festival
Tues 14th Purple Penumbra Open Mic, barlow Theatre, Oldbury:7.30pm
Not to be eclipsed by the Olympic hoo-haa somewhere in the London Jungle, Purple Penumbra persists for a second event on Tuesday the 14th of August (two days after the sporty types conclude their athleticisms).
Bring your poetry and your pals to this open mic event, or just come and be entertained.
Those with a musical bent who can fill in a gap or two with something melodic and acoustic are particularly welcome.
Enliven, enrich and enhance the experience of the famous Barlow Theatre bar with your presence, why not?
Bus services:
126 from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, ten minutes from the Navigation bus stop, and
120, Birmingham to Dudley just two minutes from Rhodia Works bus stop, Station Road, Langley.
Train services:
10 minute walk from Langley Green railway station.
Car:
Put B69 4SP in your satnav, or…
From the M5, Junction 2,
at the big island take the 4th exit onto the A4034 (Churchbridge)
take the first right at the traffic light (slip road) B4170, Park Street/Park Lane towards Langley
at the Langley Green island, keep left on B4182, Park Lane
take the first right into Whyley Walk
The free car park is 60 metres on your left.
The Barlow Theatre, (or Oldbury Rep) is in front of you.
Sat 28th Patrick Fitzgerald and Bobby Parker Boars Head, Kidderminster 8pm: Poetry reading from Kiddi’s hippest poets.
Sun 29th Sunday Xpress Fourth Sunday Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD Open mic
jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk
Sun 2nd Sept Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Michael Thom Tuesday 25th Polesworth Abbey, Poleworth, Open Mic and Guest Gary Carr.7.30pm, Free inas
Sun 7th Oct Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Daniel Sluman Wed 10th October at the Guildhall Theatre, Derby – Katy Cawkwell and Sarah Llewellyn Jones with “The Kingdom of the Heart” Book in advance and quote “Flying Donkeys” to get a special discount that brings it down to our normal Flying Donkeys ticket prices. (Book direct with Derby Live!)
Sun 4th Nov Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Jo Bell
Sun 2nd Dec Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Kate North
Following a tremendous response to my first piece on The Wall , which is being staged at Tamworth Assembly Rooms on June 5, 6, 7 and 8 by Arts Connects and Fired Up Theatre, I have now secured an exclusive interview with Mal Dewhirst who has been involved in writing additional material for the show.
What has amazed me is how this show has attracted interest not only from those local to Tamworth, but also from Pink Floyd fans around the country – and the world!
Mal Dewhirst
Q. Mal, how did you come to be involved in writing additional material for The Wall?
The Artistic Director, Simon Quinn, envisioned that his version of the production would include some newly developed poetry. The Producers at Tamworth Art Connects recommended that he should talk to me and so we met at an Arts connects meeting, it was one of those wonderful unexpected opportunities that really grab the imagination, how could I not do it.
Q. How well do you think the lyrics of The Wall have travelled over the last thirty years?
Pretty well I would say, I think that is because the themes are more relevant to everyone today than perhaps they were 30 years ago. Whilst Roger Waters drew from his personal experience and the dissolution of his situation, there was not a shared sense of identity of the isolation and marginalisation in society among most of the population. Pink Floyd showed us a world as an expression of what could be, a warning if you like, one that was ignored and communities drifted into the reality of it all. Simon’s new version points this out in the hope that like Pink, communities and most of all the people in them will reassess their lives and their relationships to each other. It’s time to OCCUPY YOUR MIND.
Q. How daunting has it been to compliment the work of Roger Waters?
I must admit I was daunted at first, partly out of respect for Roger’s work but also because people especially other poets would make comparisons between what I have done and the original. I have however in the past created new poetry inspired by the work of other poets such as the WWI German poet August Stramm and paid due reverence in doing so. I feel that by working with the same themes it gives me a better understanding of the original, it helps me get into the writer’s thinking and hopefully others can get a new perspective on the original piece.
Q. What specific additional material have you written, is there anything that we should particularly look out for?
My contribution is a mix of my own pieces and pieces that I have gathered. My pieces include a sound piece The Thin Ice, two film pieces that are read with Empty Spaces and Bricks and Mortar, finishing with a lament.
An interesting piece that I have gathered is a sound poem with many voices, Nobody Home. It was developed at a series of workshops at the Community Café’s where I was supported by the Tamworth Writers Group. The piece was developed from responses to lines from the lyrics of Comfortably Numb, which the participants wrote and were then recorded to be edited together to create the final piece.
I am really pleased to have two poems from the Coventry War Poet Antony Owen from his collection The Dreaded Boy, including the title piece and Scent of a son. Antony came along to the Assembly Rooms in Tamworth and we recorded the pieces as a sound piece and a short film overlaid with footage from the Afghan War.
Q. How do you see the roles of prose, poetry and lyrics in a theatrical production, and how has that influenced what you have written for The Wall?
This has been a great opportunity to bring poetry to new audiences. Poetry is normally written for the page or stand alone performance. I decided to experiment with poetry being presented using the mediums of sound and film. Some of it the audience reads, some they listen to, some they watch. This is not a move away from the page or stand alone performance but more a means of bringing a new approach to delivering poetry and trying to draw people to reading more poetry and attending open mic’s.
Q. Historically plays and musicals have been revamped and re-imagined over the years, particularly for film. What scope do you see for similar reassessment and revision of past popular music classics both lyrically, and in production for the stage?
Simon mentioned Quadrophenia in his interview, which I would very much agree with. I would like to perhaps take this away from existing plays and musicals and consider some classic albums and how these might be adapted into relevant productions for the early 21st Century. So, maybe David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust or King Crimson – In the court of the Crimson King, built around a realisation of the 21st Century Schizoid Man, you only have to look at the image on the album cover to imagine the posibilities, and hey you may even get Robert Fripp to perform it. If you really want something obscure then Ken Russell’s Macbeth with the music of the Third Ear Band. Of course, as there no tribute bands who perform the music of the Third Ear Band, maybe not.
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Top professional Pink Floyd tribute band Floydian Slip will be performing throughout the production to create a polished performance, not only for Pink Floyd fans but for anyone with an interest in music and theatre.
Tickets for The Wall are available from the Tourist Information Centre in Corporation Street or by calling the box office on 01827 709618.
The project is being funded and supported by Fired Up Theatre, Arts Connects, Staffordshire Community Wellbeing Fund, Tamworth Arts Grants Scheme, Tamworth Community Safety Partnership, Staffordshire Local Community Fund and Staffordshire County Council’s Arts Grants Scheme
The first piece together with an interview with Director Simon Quinn may be found:
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 up with something special. Tonight was no exception.
Making her Bilston Voices debut was Michelle Crosbie whom I have caught perform twice previously. As before, she did not disappoint. I believe that from the moment that a poet decides that rather than simply read their work to themselves, they want to read it to others, they have a duty to present and perform it in a way that connects with their audience. Michelle understands this perfectly. She consciously played to every corner of the room by eye contact and gesture, modulating her voice for effect. She introduced her work informatively, whilst never dulling the pleasure of what was to follow. Oh Dark Pilot Whales was a beautiful hymn to a stranded pod off Scotland ,drawing on Norse and Icelandic legend to beguiling effect, Fireworks of Love a dramatic playful performance piece. However this time it was Swifts that caught my ear, with a particularly striking simile of swifts as fighter planes. Warmly received by an appreciative audience , I hope that Michelle will take this success as a spur to perform more regularly, and more widely.
Writing groups and workshops can be invaluable for nurturing the skills of budding writers and Brian Titton, who followed Michelle, drew upon that experience to perform a diverse range of poems. Fresh from leading some groups herself earlier on in the day ,Jane James stepped in at a few hours notice to cover for an indisposed reader. I really enjoy listening to Jane perform. She opened with a prose piece, A Very Guilty Pleasure about the anguish of the chocoholic. Her dry laconic words belied a very funny, and well delivered, performance piece. Yet it is her versatility that amazes; a poignant tribute to a lost parent, an ode to the joys of salmon fishing, a fisherman’s prayer, an environmental tirade in Don’t and a spiky slam poem Not A lot to Ask are all handled with panache and aplomb. And just as some women have the unerring knack of always having something in their handbag for any eventuality, so Jane seemingly has a poem for every occasion.
After the break Paul Francis appeared , a retired comprehensive school teacher with a meticulous and well crafted approach to his poetry. He opened with his strongest poem, Surveillance ,which won a national competition resulting in its permanent display on the side of a bus driving around Guernsey. Its qualities were immediately apparent as were those included in his Olympians collection in anticipation of the forthcoming London Olympics.
It is a truism that the most talented writers are invariably the most modest, this is certainly true of Paul McDonald, of whom I had previously known nothing. Yet as soon as he opened with Shakespeare’s Barred my poetic antennae twitched, here was no ordinary poet. Funny, sharp, economic and engaging in his writing, warm in his disposition he grabbed my attention from the start, and never relaxed his grip till he finished. Upon researching his biography, this comes as no surprise.
Paul McDonald
Paul was born in Walsall and is an academic, comic novelist, and poet. He teaches English and American Literature at the University of Wolverhampton, where he also runs the Creative and Professional Writing Programme. He left school to work as a saddlemaker, an occupation that provides the backdrop for his first novel, Surviving Sting (2001).After a period studying with the Open University, McDonald entered fulltime education at Birmingham Polytechnic where he began writing fiction, initially producing stories for the women’s romance market under a female pseudonym. He later won a scholarship to research a PhD, and in 1994 took an academic post teaching American literature at the University of Wolverhampton. His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle (2004) is a comic mystery satirising the Midlands town of Walsall while his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern Soul as its theme.
His poetry began appearing in the early 1990s and embraces a range of themes and styles. Again humour is a feature, as is surrealism, but he also writes serious love poetry, and verse about art and travel. His most recent collections are Catch a Falling Tortoise (2007) and An Artist Goes Bananas (2012). As a humour specialist, he has made several TV appearances, including BBC Breakfast and The One Show, and he is credited with identifying the oldest joke in the world.
Those impressive credentials were evident in everything he performed, each poem couched in a witty self -effacing aside . His modest journey into adulthood was referenced in Real Men from his time as a saddlemaker, his current position amongst the literati providing the perspective for An Author Obsessed with the Hay on Wye Festival. Next time he will not be able to sneak in unnoticed! A tremendous and hugely enjoyable set.
Bilston Voices next meets Thursday, 28th June at 7.30pm.
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 Tamworth Assembly Rooms in early June. Revisiting and re-imagining classic album material from past decades appeals to me and is something I suspect we will be hearing more of from various artistic quarters.
I managed to steal some time from Simon’s busy schedule to secure an exclusive interview with the man responsible for bringing this epic show to the Tamworth stage, as well as securing all the vital production information:
Q. What attracted you to “The Wall” in the first place?
Total self indulgence to be honest, or at least years ago that was the main reason, since then a recognition of how The Wall can resonate individual and group social issues has become more important . I used to deliver drama sessions for disabled learners at The Mac in Birmingham and we would get a half hour coffee break, so I used that time to go wandering around the foyer looking at the publicity flyers dotted around. I was a bit shocked to spot a programme for The Wall which had been, I think, a production encompassing all youth theatre’s across the city. This was about 2004/5, but the production was either early 90’s or late 80’s. I vowed that one day I was going to somehow produce a version of the show, what I didn’t know at the time was how to go about it. I started to experiment with other youth theatre shows that I had written and deliberately slotted in Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 as part of that particular narrative
within the performance.
Q. “The Wall” was released as an album in 1979. Three decades later how well do you think it has worn?
I think it is more relevant now then back in ’79. There are some simple clues as to why. I think the Floyd reunion for Live 8 captured a new audience and therefore created a clamour for their recorded work, in addition the fact that Roger Waters is still touring it , albeit a more political version and has been since 2010, has identified that new and older audiences still demand Floyd/Waters live performance. The crucial aspect however is that the album, film, live performance can so easily be reconstructed to something that can be recognised within each and everyone of us-where back in ’79 it was about the break up of The Floyd, Syd’s break down, the division between band and audience, loss of a loved one and greed- because that is what it was. Without sounding too pompous, it’s exactly the same remit as Shakespeare being designed in a contemporary vein for new audiences.
Q. Is there any new material in the production? How rigid were the demands of the Rights Holders?
This is the interesting one. The script is brand new-it is designed to be more localised ,in other words to fit the identity of the people of Tamworth. That is not mean’t in a derogatory way, it merely means this is a show by the people of Tamworth for Tamworth. It is very dance orientated and contains a lot of symbolism and metaphor’s, but crucially it also pays respect and testimony to Roger Waters work, so it is a bit of a balancing act. Strangely enough the demands regarding copyright have not been too rigid. I went through all the correct channels. Since last July I have been e-mailing ‘Matt’ at the fanzine web site Brain Damage asking questions of how , why and what, and he has been very helpful and courteous in passing on my requests to Mark Fenwick who is Roger’s manager, and eventually I received a very short e-mail granting permission-it was all a bit surreal. Brain Damage have also publicised the event which was terrific of them to do. The one thing I had to do was send a synopsis of ‘our’ creation so that we had a original slant on the existing work.
Q. What influence did the film version of 1982 have on this production?
To begin with it probably had more influence on certain cast members than myself. We used it as a template-certainly on the launch day, but to be honest I wanted to move away from the film-because we have our original script and we were more than keen in creating new practical and textual works-within the work-if that sounds ok.
Q. Who is performing the music and what challenges did recreating Pink Floyd’s sound create?
The music is being provided by Floydian Slip-a Pink Floyd tribute band from Chesterfield. They are the oldest or second oldest Floyd tribute act-so creating the Floyd sound is their ‘bag’. That was crucial to the project. If I am going to be honest, in an ideal world we would have wanted a group of musicians that we could have put together ourselves, but time and funding prohibited this course of action and in any case Floydian Slip are pretty accurate to the Floyd sound.
Q. Pink Floyd have a fan base dawn from their heyday in the 1970’s, how did the younger members of the cast respond to the material?
This was very curious. We had primary schoolchildren belting out We don’t need no educshun!!! like second nature, and their parents would then play the album or the film to them at home. The cast is very mixed-our actor who plays Pink has morphed into Pink…..I mean worryingly so!.. but he is fab….other cast members had no idea about The Wall but rock n’ roll and performance drew them in. The real cool aspect is the mixture of ages taking part, or who have contributed in some other way to the project. I could get into grumpy old git mode and say can’t imagine this happening with artists today, but it is the longevity and kudos of certain works that draws ’em in!
Q. What does “The Wall” have to say to a 21st Century audience?
The Wall , I think resonates more as a political and social vehicle today. We have added the themes of ageism, religion, anti-social behaviour, disability, domestic violence, contemporary war fare, greed, lack of respect , intergenerational apathy to the tried and tested formula. They are kind of little photographic snippets pocketed throughout the show-blink and you’ll miss them. This was the appeal to our backers, they could see that a work over 30 odd years old could be adapted to and involve people and groups into a piece of musical theatre that had contemporary ideologies running throughout.
Q.“The Wall” is one of the great popular music shows, what were the challenges of producing it for theatre rather than rock arena/amphitheatre?
It’s not just about the show. We are trying to use The Wall to encourage arts development for minority groups who can interact with Tamworth Arts development in order to improve the well being of all participants; so the show is only one aspect of The Wall. However as you asked about the challenges of the live show…how long have you got.? Rehearsing peripatetically, in other words visiting different, groups making sure they are on the ball with what they are doing. Liaising with the band, the real difficulty has been this. We made a point that we would all rehearse to the live album, Is There Anybody Out There? and not the studio album so the authenticity of the live performance could be felt by all parties, throughout. Also the synchronicity and cohesion is a major problem, because musically, the tracks generally segue from one into another. Our version is different because at different moments, the piece is broken up by poetry or acting or both then by dance and acting-so it is a headache-but that is the originality of the work. I don’t think it matters whether it is a theatre or a amphitheatre-it is still a performance arena-in fact I think the intimacy of our space makes the atmosphere a lot closer, alot more intensified, plus in true Floydian spirit we’ve maintained the lasers, lights, the back projection and the dry ice!
Q. What audience are you aiming for, is this a nostalgia show?
No it is not a nostalgia show! If it was intended that way we might just as well delivered it as a tribute act. This is one of the largest intergenerational community arts events that Tamworth has ever staged. We are aiming to enhance our arts development programme for people and places through this project. This is about increasing arts awareness for groups and individuals who otherwise are unaware of what is happening in the borough. This is our offering for the Cultural Olympiad. If on the other hand people just want to come and enjoy an evening of Pink Floyd-that is fine-but hopefully they will gain a greater insight into other artistic strategies and techniques also.
Q. Are there any other classic concept albums which you would like to bring to the stage?
In my view -and it is only my view-there are only three classic rock theatre concepts that ever demonstrate originality. One is The Wall, the other two are both by The Who, namely Tommy and Quadrophenia. I have actually enquired about performing Quadrophenia with a spoken narrative-as it did actually tour a couple of years ago with dialogue-but to date I have heard nothing. Two other concepts that would interest me would be staging a play by Patrick Jones, which I saw in Cardiff a few years ago, Everything Must Go, which has various songs by the Manic Street Preachers running throughout ( Jones is the brother of Nicky Wire), and on a more localised angle , I would like to do an original musical based on the life and work of Julian Cope from Tamworth, who of course fronted Teardrop Explodes.
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The huge demand for tickets for one of the biggest community arts projects ever staged in Tamworth has prompted organisers to encourage prospective audience members to snap up tickets quickly – before they sell out.
The Wall is a contemporary re-imagining of the Pink Floyd rock opus. It is being staged at Tamworth Assembly Rooms on June 5, 6, 7 and 8 by Arts Connects and Fired Up Theatre, by kind permission of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Mark Fenwick Management.
Using Pink Floyd’s classic music, with a new narrative brought bang up to date by Simon Quinn, The Wall is set on a fictitious housing estate somewhere in the West Midlands and explores contemporary themes including anti-social behaviour, poverty, unemployment, social deprivation, peer pressure and racism.
The project is Tamworth’s Cultural Olympiad offering for 2012 and is already bringing together and involving people from all ages and communities across Tamworth, including groups of people who would not normally work together.
People from all across Tamworth with skills including acting, mime, storytelling, dance, poetry, rapping, graffiti art, puppetry, music, stage fighting, film, projection, costumes, set design and props are already hard at work putting the production together.
They will be joined by top professional Pink Floyd tribute band Floydian Slip who will be performing throughout the production to create a polished performance, not only for Pink Floyd fans but for anyone with an interest in music and theatre.
Tickets for The Wall are available from the Tourist Information Centre in Corporation Street or by calling the box office on 01827 709618.
The project is being funded and supported by Fired Up Theatre, Arts Connects, Staffordshire Community Wellbeing Fund, Tamworth Arts Grants Scheme, Tamworth Community Safety Partnership, Staffordshire Local Community Fund and Staffordshire County Council’s Arts Grants Scheme
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 and Drayton would have recognised, and appreciated, as they would have appreciated the format of a guest poet, and floor readers, with free admission and light refreshments.
Mal Dewhirst – AKA “Mr Fizz”
If you want a job done, Mal Dewhirst, “Mr Fizz”, is the man to go to it seems. Not content with recent credits which include Nuneaton Poetry Day, The Polesworth Poetry Trail and the upcoming production of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” at Tamworth Assembly Rooms 5th-8th June inclusive, he also announced the creation of the new office of Staffordshire Poet Laureate, more details of which can be found at: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/librariesnew/staffordshiresfirstpoetlaureate.aspx
Margaret Torr – Guest Poet
The guest poet for the evening was Margaret Torr who originates from Birkenhead, but is now a regular on the Staffordshire poetry circuit. Her work is versatile , accessible and intimate and found its apotheosis in Running Parallel, a wistful but unsentimental look at middle aged relationships and Silent Window, a terrific tender brutal examination of deafness. She duetted with Dea Costelloe, she read her contribution to the Polesworth Poetry Trail and she performed a story. Warmly received, it is about time that she put out a pamphlet of her work.
The floor readings were as diverse as ever. Gina Coates read Regrets on behalf of the promising teenage poet Ian Ryan, whilst Dea Costelloe did a solo spot themed on men including Slanging it Out, which she is going to have trouble not performing in the future, so well is it received. Janet Crouch performed the excellent story Zeus’s Spoons. Music was on hand in the form of Brian Langtry, his guitar, and My Cotton Town, set in Hyde not Alabama, and some half a century in conception. Gary Carr delivered his customary quick-fire blast of poetic quality which this time included Dear Diary and Highlights, which were.
Terri Jolland reminded us that there is more to her than comedy writing with the anguished tale of installing new bedroom furniture and the elegiac Sunshine Hours, a remembrance of her childhood. Making his Fizzz debut was local John Farmer who delighted the audience not only with his poem Polesworth Now and Then but also with his reminiscences of the penny payment he used to receive for singing in the Abbey Choir over sixty years ago. Closing the evening was Tom Wyre, who strapped us on board for his alliterative rhyming rollercoaster of a set.
Fizz next plays on 24/7 with guest poet Terri Jolland ,and on 25/9 ,with Dea Costelloe and Peter Grey, 7.30pm start.
Gary Longden 22/5/12
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 Arches Press had assembled a strong and eclectic roster of featured poets and floor readers before another full room for this bi-monthly event, presented by Jane Commane and Jonathan Taylor.
Robert Richardson closed the evening. As well as appearing in CCC’s Hearing Voices, he has been published in Agenda poetry magazine and also co-edited ‘Homage to Imagism’ (AMS Press, New York). As a visual artist, he was recently included in ‘Artists’ Postcards: A Compendium’ (Reaktion Books, London). Robert has a very distinctive style, arriving on stage with an assortment of bags. In the same way that a seasoned, reliable ,mechanic always has something in their toolkit to correct any mechanical problem you may face, so Bob has a poem tucked away for pretty much any occasion. His poems are typically short which enables him to also exercise his skills as a raconteur. His eye for detail dovetails seamlessly with his devotion to Imagism, his brevity and wit shines with his epigrams.
Providing an international dimension to the evening was Alistair Noon . Born in 1970 in Aylesbury, he has subsequently spent time in Russia and China, before moving to Berlin where he has lived since the early nineties and works as a translator. His poetry and translations from German and Russian have appeared in nine chapbooks from small presses. Earth Records is his first full-length collection. He appears to have assimilated a number of Teutonic strengths by osmosis. His writing is clear, efficient and memorable, doing enough to do the job well ,without unnecessary over elaboration. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Facets of a Soviet Battle Tank which opens with:
“Defending Socialism in thirteen states,
it redirected the traffic in Prague;
then, in rows at the Afghan border,
improvised its own car park.
A press-out cardboard piece
for a weeklong board game.”
A late addition to the line-up of guest poets was Ira Lightman, replacing Julie Boden who is still recuperating from an illness. We all wish Julie a speedy recovery.
Currently resident in Newcastle upon Tyne, Lightman is a conceptual poet with a particular interest in public art. He regularly appears on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, and has three published collections. Phone in the Roll, (Knives Forks and Spoons Press), uses poems spoken into an imperfect dictation transcriber, which produces misheard transcriptions of the intended text. Mustard Tart as Lemon , (Red Squirrel Press),draws together work written over 15 years and includes Concrete poetry . Duetcetera, (Shearsman Books), offers twin column poetry which can be read individually, or together, and is written as two voices. He has also been featured on New York based website Ubuweb (www.ubu.com/ubu). To be published on Ubuweb is a considerable feather in his cap, The Sunday Times named it as one of the top ten “benchmark websites” in the world. There are just five UK poets published there, and Lightman is one of them.
I am a fan. His poetry is not always easy, and when performed out loud is sometimes difficult to follow without the text, but it is always interesting ,and pushes at the boundaries of poetic form. With each poem the audience has no idea what is coming next, best exemplified by Judy Garland which included the most preposterous and imaginative reimagining of Somewhere Over the Rainbow you are ever likely to hear.
C. J. Allen was new to me. His prize-winning poetry (in the Arvon, Yorkshire, Lebdury, Ilkley, Ware, Nottingham & English Association competitions, amongst others) has been appearing in magazines and anthologies in the UK, USA, Ireland & elsewhere for years. His most recent collections are: A Strange Arrangement: New and Selected Poems (Leafe Press, 2007), and Lemonade (a red ceilings press e-book, 2010). Violets – winner of the Templar Press Short Collection Competition – was published in November 2011. He currently edits the reviews pages of the literary magazine Staple. But tonight he was promoting his new collection At the Oblivion Tea Rooms. Perhaps it was our shared experience of having been apprehended by the river police for transgressing obscure regulations on the Norfolk Broads, but I took an instant liking to Allen’s laconic style, delivery, and work. Snail Explains endured for me, with its wonderful image of the said Gastropod’s forward progress being akin to that of a Russian novel.
The floor readers offered an embarrassment of riches, I recall by impact, Caroline Cook’s Weekly Workout which was my favourite poem of the night by some way. It’s wry pithy observations on the dark side of poetry workshops were quite wonderful, and deserved a barrelful of applause (although I did have to look up the meaning of vatic!).Jayne Stanton’s homily to tea was a delight, as was Lindsay Waller Wilkinson’s trip to Seaham.
Shindig next meets on 16th July, 7.30pm, free admission, sign up for floor spots on the night.
Gary Longden 23/5/12
This monthly event continues to prosper with a committed core of supporters who never fail to produce an evening of high quality and entertaining poetry in a relaxed and supportive environment. By chance, several poets chose to dip into their back catalogues for this night’s readings which served as a timely reminder of the depth of material which several poets possessed. Many poets feel compelled to continue to produce new work because poetry can be a short form, yet revisiting old and sometimes forgotten work can also be rewarding.
Andy Biddulph had been absent for a few months as his time has been diverted helping to fight a legal battle to defend the right of free navigation on some of Britain’s waterways, a right currently under threat. Traditionally, Andy’s work tends to triumph the trials, tribulations , and triumphs of the common man. However he opened with a surreal piece, loosely themed on endeavour, Solo to Summit, boasting an extended psychedelic prose introduction which Robert Calvert and Hawkwind would have been proud of. Intriguing and other worldly.
In a similarly esoteric vein Tony Keeton decided to name check the ancient question of: “how many angels can dance on the point of a needle?” Dorothy L Sayers concluded that an infinity of angels can be located on the head of a pin, since they do not occupy any space there. Tony took on Sayers and Thomas Aquinas – and won, with his super poem Instructions to Angels. I always enjoy Tony’s readings because whatever subject he decides to tackle, he does so with freshness and brio.
Sometimes familiar faces can surprise. Dea Costelloe invariably produces high quality mainstream poetry delivered with the assurance of a BBC newsreader. Tonight, she travelled from the West End of Shepherds Bush, to the East End of Albert Square and Bow Bells, with her wonderful homily to cockney rhyming slam Slanging It. Dedicated to her father who was a lighterman on the Thames, it was funny, fond and clever as she became Barbera Windsor with a twinkle in her eye, some sauce on her tongue and a wholly convincing cockney accent.
On Tuesday 22nd, Margaret Torr is headlining at Fizz in Polesworth so this was a bit of a warm up appearance. She chose to read a hugely inventive piece in Viking saga style using four letter words. Not only was it a fascinating device, but Margaret also used her storytelling voice to conjure a musical, insistent rhythm to her tale. Brave in conception, successful in execution.
As the 1970’s entered its second half, Punk Rock blazed into the cultural arena laying waste the lazy artistic thinking which dominated ,and clearing space for much fine music which was to follow. But it is seldom remembered that whilst the Sex Pistols and the Stranglers were outraging the nation on the front pages it was the Bee Gees and their disco classic Saturday Night Fever who were dominating the singles and album charts. Mal Dewhirst memorably reprised both aspects of the era with Outside Barbarellas and Before the Locarno. It was a wistful reminder of a time when music by Chic and The Clash sat side by side in my record collection.
Tom Wyre has been working hard on the performance circuit and it is paying dividends. His trademark is to cram rhymes and alliteration into his poems to bursting point, he is often at his best when drawing upon reflections from his time on the road, Cellophane Man and Joe Hamster being good examples. On a night in which everyone seemed to be trying something different, Janet Jenkins read a very strong prose piece Disturbing the Contents and the versatile Rob Stevens veered from the Queen to paying off his mortgage , whilst host Gary Carr revisited his excellent poems inspired by the Pooley Poetry trail as well as hosting the evening with his customary skill.
Spoken Worlds next meets at the Old Cottage Tavern at 7.30pm, on Friday 15th June, free admission.
Gary Longden 19/5/12
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