Preview: Soapbox Tour at Newcastle Alphabetti

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Public Address - THE SOAPBOX TOUR

Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre

Wednesday 14^th October 2015

– Spoken word artists not afraid to explore real life issues –

Public Address: The Soapbox Tour is a unique, theatrical spoken word show, giving voice to the passions and stories within us all. Directed by award-winning writer, performer and theatre maker Hannah Silva, the show features an ensemble of dynamic spoken word artists. Justin Coe delivers an entertaining coming-of-age tale exploring sexuality, whilst trans poet AJ McKenna looks at love in its many guises through an interactive, fierce but fun poetry-live-art crossover; Jasmine Gardosi shows searing intensity in a powerful snapshot study of mental health, as Shagufta K presents a web woven from the mythological past to the urgent present. 

Henry Raby, Justin Coe, Jasmine Gardosi, AJ McKenna,

Shagufta K, Helen Seymour, Ingrid McLaren, Keisha Thompson

Photo: Suzi Corker Photography

This diverse group has been brought together by Apples and Snakes, England’s leading organisation for spoken word. Guest artists Henry Raby (York), Keisha Thompson (Manchester), Ingrid McLaren (Nottingham), and Helen Seymour (Canterbury) will join the ensemble throughout the tour. In the South West, budding poets from Plymouth Young Writers Squad will also perform.

Justin Coe, Jasmine Gardosi, AJ McKenna, Shagufta K

Photo: Suzi Corker Photography

Produced by Apples and Snakes, England's leading organisation for spoken word and performance poetry, Public Address demonstrates and nurtures the skills and diversity of writers prevalent on the UK spoken word scene, whose written skills and dedication to the craft are responsible for the art form's recent explosion into the mainstream. Public Address will open in Newcastle on Wednesday 14 September before setting off on a national tour. On Sunday 25 October, the ensemble, along with the four guest artists, will give a flagship performance of the newly commissioned work at Bloomsbury Theatre Studio, as part of Bloomsbury Festival.

Hannah Silva, Public Address Creative Director, commented: 'Working with such talented and dedicated poets from across England has been a pleasure and a privilege. The artists have taken the opportunity to take risks with their work both in terms of content and performance, directing them has been a thrilling and rewarding experience.'

Shagufta K

Photo: Suzi Corker Photography

Lucy Crompton-Reid, Apples and Snakes Director, commented: 'I’m very excited about the forthcoming Public Address: The Soapbox Tour, and particularly pleased that for this – our third national Public Address Tour – we have been able to commission original new work from eight fantastic, diverse and thought-provoking spoken word artists and performance poets, with the support of the John Ellerman Foundation. I can’t wait to see the show – directed by the pioneering artist Hannah Silva – which I’m sure will be a thrill for all audiences, whether or not they have experienced spoken word before.'

Tickets:

Apples and Snakes presents The Soap Box Tour on Wednesday 14th October 2015.

Bar Opens: 18:30
Show Begins: 19:30
Tickets: £5 Ticket Online Link

The Alphabetti Theatre.

18 New Bridge Street

Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

NE1 8EW

www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk

On Tour:

Wednesday 14 October, 7.30pm Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle NE1 8AW


Saturday 17 October, 8pm          The House, Plymouth University, Devon PL4 8AA


Sunday 25 October, 7:30pm        Bloomsbury Theatre Studio, London WC1H 0AH
Monday 26 October, 7:30pm       Nuffield Theatre, Southampton SO17 1TR
Friday 13 November, 7.30pm       Hexagon Theatre, Mac Birmingham, Birmingham B12 9QH

Ticket link for Hanzel Und Gretal http://rftk.bigcartel.com/product/hanzel-und-gretyl

www.facebook.com/AcousticCircus

Preview: People’s Republic of Poetry at WashingtonArts Centre

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Experience a unique night of spoken word with Yorkshire troupe A Firm of Poets

The People’s Republic of Poetry 

Washington Arts Centre

Thursday 8^th October 2015.

A Firm of Poets are offering a poetry night with a twist when they visit Arts Centre Washington National Poetry Day, Thursday 8^th October.

The group of four poets will not only be performing a mixture of spoken word pieces but are also encouraging budding poets to appear on stage for the first time.

The Firm will be holding a workshop on the afternoon of the performance offering local poets advice and techniques on how to perfect their craft. They will then be invited to perform in front of an audience during the show that evening.

Ralph Dartford, a founding member of A Firm of Poets said: “The firm have been performing for a while but this is the first time we have involved the audience in this way. We can’t wait to meet budding poets in the workshops before the show and help them perform in front of an audience on the night.”

A Firm of Poets is Ralph Dartford and Matt Abbott, with the duo joined by fellow poets Jenni Pascoe and Rowan McCabe in Washington.

A cross between a poetic super group and Whose Line Is It Anyway, the show is fast paced, creating a fun and entertaining night out.

The group’s aim is to create The People’s Republic of Poetry – a network of spoken word performers throughout the UK.  Work performed by the participants will also be added to an online e-book, which will grow as the tour travels around the country.

Ralph continues: ‘This is a golden period for spoken word. With the emergence of such artists as Kate Tempest, George the Poet, Luke Wright, Hollie McNinsh, and also the reborn John Cooper Clarke, it appears that the nation is wonderfully engaged in rhyme and reason. We will give voice to some of the finest poets nationally, and just as important, the as yet unheard. The voices of any age, gender, race or background. We want the nation expressing themselves in word. Vive Le Republic!”

Tickets:

A Firm of Poets perform at Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 8 October. To book call 0191 219 3455 or visit www.artscentrewashington.co.uk

UK Tour Dates

September

24th Harrogate Theatre

October

1st Theatre In The Mill, Bradford

2nd Junction, Goole

7th John Godber Theatre, Pontefract

8th Arts Centre, Washington

10th Durham Book Festival

14th Hull Truck Theatre

17th Musicport Festival, Whitby

22nd Cast, Doncaster

28th Bloomsbury Theatre, London

30th The Met, Bury

31st Helmsley Arts Centre

November

7th The Ropewalk, Barton-upon-Humber

8th HUB, Leeds

14th Letchworth Arts Centre

26th Unity Works, Wakefield

28th The Civic, Barnsley

December

1st Arts Centre, Norwich

2nd Arts Centre, Colchester

News: Newcastle-based poet Scott Tyrrell wins BBC Poetry Slam

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Newcastle-based poet Scott Tyrrell wins BBC Poetry Slam

South Shields-born Scott Tyrrell, a Stand-Up Poet and Graphic Designer, has just won the BBC Edinburgh Fringe Poetry Slam Grand Final. The BBC Slam is now the most diverse and most coveted Poetry Slam in the UK, with the widest national and regional representation of UK Poetry.

This year alone the competition featured a World champion, a European champion, 7 national champions and the Roundhouse champion. The competition has been running over the festival in a series of heats to decide which poets would make the final four competitors, who battled it out on Saturday night in a packed BBC Festival tent. The event was streamed live on BBC Arts via the iPlayer. The Final featured excellent established performance poets Dan Simpson, Paula Varjack, Toby Campion and of course, Scott Tyrrell. The event was put together by Spoken Word artist and Slam host, Sophia Walker – herself a previous BBC Slam winner.

The Grand Final featured three rounds; in the first each poet had just 3 minutes to wow the judges (who comprised of five esteemed figures from the UK Spoken Word and poetry publishing scene). The judges scored the poets from 0-10 on performance, writing and audience response. In the second round the lowest scoring poet was dropped and the three remaining poets battled it out again, with another 3 minute poem. In the final round Scott and Toby Campion went head to head.

It was close but Scott pipped it by just 0.3 of a point.

Scott is multiple poetry slam winner, award-winning comedian and graphic designer. He has been writing and performing poetry for 15 years and was a founding member of the legendary Tyneside poetry troupe, the Poetry Vandals. He has represented Newcastle/Gateshead in three major national Poetry Slams and won. He lives and works in Newcastle with his wife, stepdaughter and son.

This has been a great year for Scott - winning both The Great Northern Slam at Northern Stage earlier in the year and the UK Anti-Slam Championship at The Roundhouse in London. (The Anti-Slam is a tongue-in-cheek national competition in which established spoken word artists battle it out to be the worst poet in the UK). So Scott is now technically one of the best and worst performance poets in Britain! Scott was also official Blogger for the poetry tent at Glastonbury this year. 

The Full 2015 BBC Poetry Slam on BBC iPlayer:

The UK Spoken Word scene has exploded over the last decade, with vibrant scenes across the whole of the UK including Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Bristol, York and Newcastle, and is growing into a formidable poetry scene. The likes of Kate Tempest (Mercury Prize winner) and huge talents Hollie McNish, Dizraeli and Luke Wright and Kate Fox have been among those leading the charge to establish Spoken Word as an art form that’s here to stay in the UK.

Young poets from all over Britain and Ireland are finding an outlet for their talents as writers and performers, particularly in Slam competitions – an idea which started in Chicago decades ago and has become an international approach to inject real energy and competition into what has been traditionally a very bookish art form. Anything to do with Spoken Word goes with Slam. So comedy, rap, drama, beat poetry and storytelling are all allowed - and encouraged - which is why slams nearly always feature a diverse range of literary talent.

Slammers are wanted for an event in Newcastle in November – see http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/news-great-northern-slam-slammers-wanted.html

  

Review: A Trip to Edinburgh

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A Trip to Edinburgh

Thursday 28^th August 2015.

The plan was a simple one: see as many shows as we could before 9pm. There was no preparation – we were going to see the first show that was flyered in our direction. Just outside Waverley railway station was Angie Belcher whose show Mythical Creature was going to start in 10 minutes. Finding the Electric Circus was not an issue as it is tucked into the side of the railway station. Finding the Lizard Lounge within was more fun. After discovering a cleaning cupboard we eventually pushed on the magical orange door which led to a small room with five comfy sofas. We were on our own and we feared the worse but soon the room soon filled up.

Angie Belcher was able to tie up a conversational style of stand up comedy with her sharp observational poetry. We were given a range of topics from a love of cider, turning 50 to shopping at Aldi.  Unlike the poetry I had to study at school all of those years ago, this was material I could relate to such as the holiday photos when I was a child and the dreadful shots taken at school which still adorn my parents wall. Angie was a perfect start to our festival experience and we hope to be able to see her again.

As we left the venue we picked up a handy PBH Free Fringe brochure and we headed to Cabaret Voltaire via some of the free entertainment on the Royal Mile. The party atmosphere was intoxicating but you couldn’t move more than a few metres before a flier was thrust in your direction.

The Cabaret Voltaire served coffee but had no sugar. That small obstacle aside, it is a great venue which has a number of rooms in its basement. Dan Mitchell must have been, literally, in the coolest venue on the fringe as the air con was working overtime.  Plate Expectations is a great set from a smooth operator. Dan has a warm friendly demeanour that reminded me of Dave Allen. The humour fed the audience rather than attack them. Indeed the Tunnocks and brownies were on offer to some participants. The show started by dipping into the joys of language, in particular Dan’s native Welsh. Is the Welsh translation of Jellyfish really Cont y Mor? The show moved onto Ainsley Harriott’s suggestion that there is nothing worse than wet watercress via the audiences suggestion for the greatest Sunday dinner. The really funny hour long set flew by.

We moved onto Cowgate and we accosted by a young flyerer who was determined to see that we join the long queue to get in the Sin venue for Javier Jarquin’s Card Ninjashow. In an exhibition on extreme card manipulation we were treated to the trails of ninja. The audience participation worked well and added to the shows dynamics. It may not have been a magic card show, it was much better than that.

Next up was Phil Jupitus is Porky The Poet in Apologist Now at the Liquid Room Annexe. Phil is a wonderful force when they put a microphone in front of him. There is something about his voice which is very pleasurable and one wishes that he was still presenting the 6Music Breakfast Show. Phil is not ashamed about his left wing sensibilities as he explores topics as diverse as Blair, Boris and Farage in his poetry. He reveals how he feels about family from his estranged Irish Dad to his daughter putting up with the weekend rabble as she studies in Amsterdam. Most memorable was his extensive work about his first gig when he saw Blondie and to the 10 line  poems using Fringe show titles. The sharp wit and repartee made for an absorbing show.

The final show for us was back at Cabaret Voltaire. Orlando Baxter is an experienced teacher from the USand his show Glorified Babysitterexplored the crazy events that teachers face. It is no surprise that kids in the USare similar to those in the UKwith their “unique” issues and behaviours. The stand up routine included kids who get thrown out of class because they’re in pyjamas or because they keep making cat noises. Fire alarms and splitting up fights happen in the UK, perhaps lock downs (if a gun man, for example, attacks) are not. Next time you hear a teacher ask “what do you think?” you’ll know it is code for “I don’t actually know the answer.” Orlandois a personable chap and it is clear how his people skills will have worked well in the classroom. Glorified Babysitter is a distinctive comedy show that’s full of laughs.

We had succeeded in seeing five great shows in just a single day’s visit. As a family taster of Fringe, it only whetted our appetite to do more fringe shows next year if we can find some suitably priced accommodation. To those who put on the other 3309 shows (weblink to EdFringe news story) that we didn’t see then we can only apologise for missing you out and encourage you to visit the North East soon so we can see you in action. Drop us a line and we’ll do a preview/review of your show.

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for the North East Theatre Guide from Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo

News: Great Northern Slam - Slammers Wanted

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 The Great Northern Slam

Slammers Wanted

In November Radikal Words is running a poetry slam. Sixteen poets will enter the ring, the poets will perform in pairs and the audience will vote on who goes and who stays.

Only one will be the winner and carry away the fantastic prize of £40.00 and the prestigious title of Bare Knuckle Poetry Slam Champion 2015.

It’s slam poetry but not as we know it, it will be brutal, there may be blood, the ring will be littered with the verbs and adjectives of the fallen but from the sweat and spit will emerge one winner to take the prize and the title. Are you big enough to take part? Do you have four poems of less than three minutes in length?

It will be a night of fun and noise and the chance for one person to be  Bare Knuckle Poetry Slam Champion 2015.

email radikalwords@gmail.com or message on Facebook Radikal Words to enter

Bare Knuckle Poetry Slam 2015

Northern Stage

Newcastle

Thursday 5th November

Preview: Great Northern Slam at Newcastle Northern Stage

Great Northern Slam

Newcastle Northern Stage

Wednesday 8th April

The Great North Slam comes to Northern Stage. It's performance poetry meets XFactor. Ten of the best slam poets in the North have 3 minutes each to wow the audience with words and delivery and then judges randomly selected from the audience vote and in each round we eliminate poets until only two are left to battle it out for the prize, pride and the glory of becoming Great Northern Slam Champion and the BIG MONEY Prize of £50.00.

Would you like to take part in the Great Northern Slam? Email jeffprice@radikalwords.com for more info.

There will also be a special guest  stand up poet Spoz (AKA Giovanni Esposito).  He's a festival favourite and has headlined at Glastonbury, Shambala, Cheltenham Literature festival and Ledbury Poetry Festival. Spoz has also been Birmingham's Poet Laureate.

In addition Zach Lewis was one of the winners of SLAMalgamate and the Radikal Words team are thrilled he is going to do a guest spot at the Slam. Zack has been writing poems for a decade and saying them at people since 2011.He has performed at the Nottingham Playhouse, The Olympic Park and the Sage Gateshead and has been praised for his ‘dramatic powers of urban storytelling.’ He was one of the BBC’s New Voices in 2014.

Tickets:

Northern Stage Wednesday 8th April  7.30

Tickets £5

http://www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/great-north-slam

Box Office: 0191 230 5151

Preview: The Palace of Varieties Special at Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre

The Palace of Varieties Special

Alphabetti Theatre

Saturday 11th April

A phantasmagorical evening of spoken word comes to one of Newcastle’s newest venues.

CHris Stewart previews his Edinburgh 2015 spoken word show The Palace of Varieties. A one off special at Alphabetti Theatre's new venue from three of the northeast's most unique voices.

Featuring:

CHris Stewart - The Big H

Kirsten Luckins - The Silent K

John-Clovis Morden - The Double Barrel

CHris Stewart

The Palace of Varieties is a latter day danse macabre telling the tale of Millennials trapped in the revolving door of nightlife games.

CHris has toured on Apples and Snakes' Public Address II, and performed his one person game-show Meta-Reprogramming at the Edinburgh PBH Free Fringe. 

On The Web:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SideBurnedPoet

Youtube: Chris Stewart in Subcutaneous: Video Link

"Awkward, off-beat and probably the funniest performance of the night." - UoB Blogfest @DanielMoroney

Kirsten Luckins

BBC Slam FINALIST 2014

A versatile and dynamic performer who can make audiences laugh and cry.  Kirsten's first solo show, The Moon Cannot Be Stolen, came second in the Saboteur Awards 2014.  She was also a finalist in the BBC National Slam, and longlisted for the York Literature Prize.  Her first collection will be published by Burning Eye in 2016. 

On The Web:

Blog: http://kirstenluckins.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/applessnakesne

Video: BBC Slam Final 2014: BBC Video Link

"Intense lyrical talent." - Sabotage Reviews

John-Clovis Morden 

Born fighter and Teesside legend.  Morden has a message for the good people of England. He can be seen in action in his silent short 'Bunny': Video Clip

Tickets:

Alphabetti Theatre @The Basement, 16 New Bridge St West, Newcastle, NE1 8AW.

Saturday 11th April  Doors 18.30 Begins 20.00

£5 - Box office online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/82747 

Age recommendation: 16+