August Poetry Gigs

Events, Poetry

It’s the 31st of July. The Royal Mile is already impassable. The rainclouds are giving us a day or two of reprieve before they unleash their month-long onslaught. The many, many posters have arrived. And I’ve got a tasty bundle of spoken word gigs. Hope to see you at them!

Crunch the News
4th – 18th August, 12.20pm, Voodoo Rooms

Presented by Lampoon Apathy and Bright Green, a daily comedy news panel show and hotbed of radical cynicism, featuring Josie Long, Tiernan Douieb, Chris Coltrane, many more, and yours truly as an occasional rhymer-in-residence (dates tbc).

http://www.crunchthenews.co.uk/

Inky Fingers Minifest
6th – 11th August, all day, Pulp Fiction / Summerhall

For the second year I’ve helped to organise a spectacular 6-day minifest of spoken word, bringing together local and international performers in a big splash of one-off events. Full programme here; I’ll be MCing at Summerhall, 10-12pm, 8th and 9th.

http://inkyfingersedinburgh.wordpress.com

Flea Circus Open Slam
6th August, 7.30pm, Banshee Labyrinth

The Fringe’s only open slam, organised by top promoters Tea Fuelled — I’ll be throwing my hat into the ring alongside plenty others.

http://www.fleacircuslondon.co.uk/

Blind Poetics
Monday 13th August, 8pm – 1am, Blind Poet

The single biggest spoken word event on the Fringe: a 5 hour poetry marathon featuring allstars and newcomers and everybody else. It’ll be big, boozy, wild fun. I’ll be on around 11pm.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Poetics/173754889340723

Utter!nomics: the comparative socioeconomics poetry slam
Thursday 16th, 7.30pm, Banshee Labyrinth

A totally bananas political poetry event at which I will, apparently, be representing Marxism, up against Cat Brogan’s anarchism and Dave Florez’s capitalism. We hear feudalism may make an entrance

Utter! Scots
Sunday 19th, 7.30pm, Banshee Labyrinth

Showcase of varied local talent, featuring Robin Cairns, Fiona Lindsay, Bram E. Geiben and myself, hosted by Jenny Lindsay.

http://www.utterspokenword.com/news/?page_id=25

BBC Poetry Slam at the Fringe
20th – 24th August, 5pm

The second annual BBC Slam at the Fringe, this time an exhibition slam, with a big diversity of UK performers. I’ll be doing a guest performance on Thursday 23rd.

https://www.facebook.com/events/203914139737326/

This is not a riot: Edinburgh

Events, Politics, Theatre

THIS IS NOT A RIOT
an interactive theatre project about violence and protest

30th June and 2nd July
7.30pm (90 mins), Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh
FREE

Part performance, part survival training, part blazing argument, “This is not a riot” is a new theatre project looking at what violence is, why we do it, and when it might be useful. Includes stuffed animals.

Following a year of performances at venues and festivals around the UK, from The Yard Hackney to Buzzcut Glasgow, “This is not a riot” is appearing for two special free performances in Edinburgh in preparation for touring to the CrisisArt Festival in Tuscany.

Supported by Creative Scotland.

Class Act: Days 9 and 10, spit and polish

Events, Theatre

I said these were the toughest days. It’s been two days of going over every moment of the show as closely and carefully as I can, making sure it all does what it needs to, that it’ll all work the best it can. The work is very focussed and definite — identifying and solving the problems that come up in runs — and in a way that helps, but in another way there’s this big overarching terror. By the final days you’re totally committed to the overall shape and purpose of the show: what you’re trying to achieve, which was left open at the outset, is now decided. So what if you’re wrong?

By this point, I’ve got to believe totally in what I’m doing. All the work now, the big changes and the tweaks, are within this frame I’ve already set, so I have to believe that the overall concept for the show is right, that the audience will enjoy it, that it will do something artistically and politically powerful. That’s a lot to pile on a rehearsal! and you can’t avoid the doubts.

I’m writing this on the morning of day 11, the day it opens. This is my most hated 24 hours in all of theatre. It’s worse than writing funding applications, it’s worse than waiting for replies, it’s worse than 14-hour tech rehearsals. It’s the point where I’ve done everything I can: I think I know what that is, and what it’s for, and I think I’ve made the show as good as it can be, and I think that’s pretty damn good. But I won’t know until the audience arrive! and I think I’ve done everything I can to make sure they’re there, but that’s a big fear too. All in all, it’s a day of total and impotent terror. For me, anyway.

What I’m longing for is the moment in a few hours when the audience arrives and I get to start performing. As soon as it begins, I’ll feel great. I’ll be talking to them, responding to them, being live in the room with them, and that’s why I love doing theatre. the bit in the bar afterwards, the post-mortem, that’s just a little extra, and the feedback there is useful, but it’s really about that live moment. That’s what all the last two weeks of work have been about, getting there, and making sure the moment is great. I hope you’re there to share it.

Day One
Days Two and Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Eight
Days Nine and Ten
Reflection