Let Poetry In To Your Life

Why don't more people go to poetry gigs?
Twice in as many weeks now I have been at under-attended poetry performances, and both times the shows were great! I've heard poems about epic Viking adventures, flamingos, drug addiction, Helen of Troy, nature's cruelty, the realisation that your parents were once young, and a poem made entirely of three letter words.

Both evenings were part of the Roving Poetry Festival and so featured a selection of poets, ensuring there was great variety each night. There was something for everyone - and yet, everyone was elsewhere. Why is that?

Do we not feel an evening of poetry is worth £10? Have we all had poetry ruined for us in the dissection of high school English classes? Do we fear that we aren't clever enough to 'get' it? Are we afraid to let poetry into our lives?

48 hour musical

Tonight is the performance of a brand new musical, written, rehearsed, directed and performed all within 48 hours. The promo photo of a grown up and fed up Snow White looks intriguing. I wish I could go, but I have to work :(

It's being held at the University of Exeter. Search for the event on FaceBook under 'Shotlights 48 hour musical' for more details. 

What's On 13th - 19th

I Was A Rat! - Exeter Northcott Theatre
The first theatrical production of Phillip Pullman's book by the same name about a boy who used to be a rat before turning up on a married couple's doorstep.
Wednesday - Saturday, check the website for times
Tickets £12.50


Lucifer Saved - The Bike Shed Theatre
This is the last week of this play of tragedies and war 'heroes' at the Bike Shed. There are also two more Roving Theatre Poetry Nights - Tuesday and Thursday.
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 7pm
Tickets £7-10


The Ringmaster - Barnfield Theatre
A community performance about a circus where not all is smoke and mirrors.
Saturday and Sunday, 7.30pm.
Tickets £3-5

NB: The performances of 'The Restoration Project' at the Barnfield Theatre have been cancelled

Sound Bite

'Sound Bite' at the Barnfield Theatre, Exeter

At the beginning the two NASA press officers in charge of composing Neil Armstrong's first words on the moon reminded me of Lister and Rimmer from Red Dwarf, one uninterested in his work and the other trying too hard. But they become more complex as we learn more about their backgrounds through the discussions and arguments that occur whilst they are supposed to be working.

The play cleverly makes jokes about the past, and what we have learnt about those times with the benefit of hindsight, but it's central theme is about drawing parallels between the landing on the moon and the feminist movement, which I'd never considered before.

Whilst the comedy (and the American accents) faltered at times the good moments outweighed the bad. The acting was a bit stiff at the beginning but I'll put that down to opening night nerves, as they improved once they warmed up.

Staged with audience space for less than 30 people, set close to the stage, you feel the claustrophobia as the clock ticks on, and the play teases you, dropping odd words or phrases for Armstrong's finished line until you find yourself thinking "come on, you're so close!"

All in all, this play wasn't outstanding but it was enjoyable and I'd recommend it if you have an evening free.

***

Sound Bite continues through Saturday, 8pm. Tickets £5-7

Venus & Adonis

'Venus & Adonis' at Shakespeare's Globe, London 

Better critics than I can tell you about the amazing Isango Ensemble performance of Shakespeare's poem 'Venus & Adonis', performed in a mix of six languages and featuring magnificent singing and music. But one thing I particularly noted about the story was the reversal to our modern gender-based roles in a love story.

Modern music, TV and films are filled with the story of:
boy meets girl, girl isn't interested, boy keeps pestering and following girl (because surely she can't actually mean 'no', she's just playing hard-to-get), and eventually girl gives in - or rather realises the folly of her ways and boys true love.

But in Venus & Adonis these roles are reversed. It's Venus who keeps harrasing Adonis when he refuses her romantic advances. And, interestingly, it has a very difference result to our modern stories.

What's On 6th - 12th

Sound Bite - Barnfield Theatre
July 1969 and the men responsible for composing Neil Armstrong's first words on the moon have writers block.
Wednesday - Saturday, 8pm
Tickets £5 - 7
(I'm considering seeing this)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) - Exeter Northcott Theatre
A comedic run-through of all the bard's plays condensed into an hour and a half.
Friday 10th only, 6pm and 9pm
Tickets £16 - 18

Lucifer Saved continues at The Bike Shed Theatre
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with poetry beforehand, 7pm
On Tuesday and Thursday the same production company are hosting poetry nights with invited artists, including Alice Oswald and Jackie Juno.

Tickets £7 - 10

What's On 1st-5th May

Guys and Dolls - Exeter Northcott Theatre
The Exeter Musical Society are putting on this classic Tony award winning musical about gambling and love. Monday - Saturday 7.30pm, and a matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday.
Tickets £12.50-18.50

Lucifer Saved - The Bike Shed Theatre
A tale of WW2 veterans struggling to remember and trying to forget.
Friday & Saturday - 7pm. It's also on various dates for the next two weeks, with poetry sessions mixed in.
Tickets £5-10