ELEGIES – Saturday 27 April, 7.30pm Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street
Hamish Henderson (1919-2002), was a soldier-poet and scholar-folk revivalist. Elegies is his first-hand account from the North African desert military campaign for which he won the Somerset Maugham Award.
His dedication of the book: “for our own and the others” sets the story within our own common bonds, fragility and humanity, in the setting of the ‘deadlands’ of Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya). The Elegies also reveal the shared helplessness of those loved ones at home waiting, praying – and dancing.
This production is led by a duo of dancers and choreographers Helen Gould and George Adams who together with dancers Nicola Thomson, Edwin Wen and Aimee Williamson embody and represent the characters from the ten elegies set both in the desert and the dance hall by using ceilidh, jive, swing and lindy hop – the popular social dance culture of the 1940s.
Through their movement directorship Gould and Adams weave into the dance, the reading of the Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica by spoken word artists Morag Anderson and Stephen Watt; and specially composed and newly arranged trad music and song by Cera Impala.
Wendy Timmons and Iliyana Nedkova,Elegies co-curators and producers from Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland said: “Elegies is a dance poem of serious reflection – a lament for all lives lost not only in WWII but in our world of conflicts, oppression and inequality.
“We were delighted by the positive reaction we received when it was first performed on Remembrance Day last year, and very proud of everyone who has worked with us on this revised adaptation as part of this year’s Pomegranates Festival.”
Elegies was originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023, then extended and revised for Pomegranates Festival 2024.
Trad Dance Session
There will be a post-performance lindy hop social dance session, led and accompanied by Pomegranates 2024 resident musicians from the Castle Rock Jazz Band, in the main atrium at the Scottish Storytellling Centre. All welcome. Tickets are Pay What You Can £5, £10 or £15 and available through the Scottish Storytelling Centre Box Office here
John Cooper Clarke celebrates 50 years in showbiz with the Get Him While He’s Alive Tour
Tour coming to Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024
John Cooper Clarke released brand new poetry collection -”What” published by Picador on 8th Feb 2024
Literary phenomenon John Cooper Clarke is back and better than ever, returning with a brand new tour and poetry collection this 2024. John will be performing at Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024.
John’s new show will take fans on a completely one-of-a-kind journey through poetry and comedy. John’s live touring career has gone from strength to strength, with John recently returning from an epic North America tour in September 2023.
This year he’s back on home turf, as he continues to sell out theatres and halls across the UK, with a stretch of shows in Ireland also recently added.
It’s a chance to see one of the world’s most important and entertaining spoken word artists at his bold and brilliant best.
‘WHAT’ is the new collection from Britain’s “Poet Laureate of Punk” and will be published on 8th February to coincide with John’s 2024 national theatre tour celebrating 50 years of showbiz.
Venues for the “Get Him While He’s Alive” tour include the Edinburgh Queens Hall, a reunion show with very special guest Linton Kwesi Johnson at the London Palladium and three nights at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.
John’s new collection “What”, which will be published by Picador, is full of John’s much-loved sardonic wit and hilarious ponderings on modern life and follows on from John’s bestselling The Luckiest Guy Alive.
The original people’s poet, John’s cultural influence spans literature, music, and fashion, and his unique poetry and delivery style transcends generations.
From creating some of the most iconic poetry of the modern era, including “I Wanna Be Yours” (recently celebrating over a billion streams in its incarnation as a hit record by the Arctic Monkeys) to sharing his life story through his 120k selling memoir of the same name, John is still as relevant as he was when he shot to prominence in the 1970s.”
BAFTA award-winning writer and producer turned poet Henry Normal teams up with internet sensation, poet and author Brian Bilston
The pair announce Scottish tour – coming to Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on 9th April
Henry’s brand new poetry collection ‘A Moonless Night’ released 14th February 2024
Brian Bilston’s best selling collection ‘Days Like These’ published in paperback on 9th November 2023
BBC Radio 4 regular Henry Normal and literary enigma Brian Bilston have announced a brand new Scottish tour together for 2024. Following sell out shows in 2023 for both poets, the pair will be coming to Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on 9th April,
Henry and Brian met at the Laugharne Festival and performed together for the first time in Morecambe last October. The collaboration has been so popular that the two poets are bringing their new shows together for the first time to theatres in Scotland with shows in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Stirling and Dundee.
Brian Bilston is often described as the “Banksy of poetry” – making the artform accessible to all and maintaining a mysterious anonymity. He has cultivated a large and loyal following on social media and has become truly beloved by his 500,000 or so fans. Despite his popularity Brian has managed to keep his identity hidden so his live show represents an intriguing opportunity to hear Brian’s work read live by the enigma himself. Expect the funny, irreverent and powerful poetry that has made Brian an internet sensation.
Henry has toured with his ever-evolving poetry show constantly since retiring from TV and Film production. In his own distinctive style, Henry’s show finds fun in the familiar, humour in the everyday and poignancy in the pitfalls of modern life. It is a show about love, life and family that is as deeply moving as it is funny and often both at the same time. Henry has 15 poetry books in print including the latest collection “A Moonless Night’ out on Valentine’s day being 14th Feb 2024.
Henry’s longstanding BBC Radio 4 series ‘A Normal..” continues to go from strength to strength with ‘A Normal Journey’ chosen as pick of the week over the Christmas period. As co-creator of The Royle Family, he also appeared in the BBC documentary celebrating the life of Caroline Aherne on Christmas Day.
The evening represents a chance to see two brilliant poets for a very special night of life affirming poetry, marvellous escapism and lots of laughter.
Push the Boat Out (PTBO), Edinburgh’s International Poetry Festival, is due to set sail this weekend (24-26 Nov) with a vibrant line-up of over 80 performers, artists and speakers and 50 events taking place across Edinburgh’s iconic Summerhall.
The 2023 Push the Boat Out programme, supported by Creative Scotland, continues to expand the festival’s mission to change perceptions of what poetry can be.
From poetry readings and discussions, to new commissions, singer-songwriter circles, music hybrid events, dance and hip hop, poetic cocktail-making classes, film screenings, beach walks, panels, workshops and development opportunities – the polyphonic line-up is a true fiesta of the vernacular, promising something for everyone.
This year, the programme celebrates the poetry of songwriting with multiple events championing the poetic power of lyrics, hip hop and the songwriting process. Singer-songwriter, Hamish Hawk offers an evening of lyrical enchantment in a solo show with support from Iona Zajac whilst Conscious Route, Queen of Harps and Dave Hook share the back stories of their songs in an in-depth Song Exploder event.
The Songwriters Circle welcomes Hamish Hawk back to the stage alongside legendary Scottish folk musician, Karine Polwart and poet and performer Inua Ellams, as the three break down their songwriting process and share some of their poetic influences, whilst British rapper, Dizraeli takes an honest look at human creation with sharp lyricism and a sense of the absurd in his event Animal Noises.
The programme this year also finds drama at the heart of poetic form, with a series of new commissions from Imogen Stirling, Alycia Pirmohamed and Ross McCleary in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland. Developed on the theme of ‘seed’ and explicitly exploring poetry in conversation with other artistic disciplines, these new pieces promise to break new ground and plant some future discussions.
Audiences can also expect newly commissioned work that takes inspiration from the festival’s home base, Summerhall. Writer Ever Dundas and poets Harry Josephine Giles and Iona Lee celebrate the building’s history with a darkly gothic night of poetry and original music composed by David Paul Jones that offers a ‘cinema for the ears’.
Politics and poetry have platform too as Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey posit that poetry is for the many in an event that sees the pair share their favourite poems from their newly co-edited anthology and discuss why poetry is for everyone. Yvonne Reddick’s urgent climate poetry will share words and exchanges on nature’s defiance and audiences can enjoy the pulsing poem-stories of William Letford as he speaks of the resilience of ordinary people as they adapt to strange and uncertain times.
Audiences are encouraged to embrace the cat life in an extra special event at Maison de Moggy cat cafe with The Cat Prince himself, prize-winning poet Michael Pedersen who will share work from his new collection and Scottish Makar, Kathleen Jamie aims to remind audiences that poetry is made for the ear, in an evening celebrating tradition, mentoring and passing on the baton
For the food lovers and cocktail connoisseurs, Joelle Taylor and Kate Fox will help shake up a poetic cocktail or two in events that mix your drinks as well as your words and poet and culinary enthusiast, Sean Wai Keung adds some flavour in a dumpling and poetry workshop.
Emma Collins, Director of Push the Boat Out, said: ‘In this third year, Push the Boat Out is definitely poetry placed firmly in a current tide. This year’s programme is a true showcasing of contemporary excellence. Modern, charged, alive, joyful and celebratory with events that are also vehicles for important and vital discussions.
“We’ve brought together over eighty of the most exciting poets from Scotland, the UK and beyond and we’ve continued to expand our notion of what poetry is, with eclectic events that celebrate words and language in their many glorious forms and in conversation with other artistic disciplines.
“Poetry is everywhere, it’s the lyrics in songs, our conversations and dialogues, the rhythm of spoken word, scripts and sonnets, proclamations and points of view, the stories we tell and the history around us.
“That’s what Push the Boat Out is primarily about… words, how we use them, a celebration of them and what they mean to us. We’ve endeavoured to capture that in this year’s programming.
“We also strive to make Push the Boat Out as accessible for audiences as possible. BSL interpreted events are indicated within the programme and once again, in addition to our in person and online programme, we will have a programme of events free to listen to at home via our partners EHFM Radio as well as a selected live stream event that showcases newly commissioned work.
“We’ve been overjoyed by the response from the incredible artists and poets who’ve agreed to come on board the boat this year and cannot wait to bring them all together for audiences this November.”
Harriet MacMillan, Literature Officer at Creative Scotland, said: ‘In its third year, the Push the Boat Out programme is brighter and more dynamic than ever, capturing the many dimensions of Scotland’s rich poetry scene.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, this unique and varied international suite of events is testament to the vital role poetry plays in all of our lives. Their increasing range of collaborations and activities continues to show us how words can connect us with each other and ourselves – the power of poetry will be felt by all who take part in this brilliant celebration.’
KEY EVENTS
Poetry that’s on your wavelength
Push the Boat Out, Edinburgh’s annual poetry festival launches on National Poetry Day. The festival will run 24-26 November. Tickets now on sale via Summerhall box office.
Neil Hanna
The full programme and artist line-up can be viewed: Here
Tickets can be purchased via pushtheboatout.org or from Summerhall Box Office. Prices range from 0-£20 with concessions available and free tickets for carers.
Push The Boat Out also offers a Pay What You Can Can option with tiered pricing selections. The Festival Pass (£40), gives access to the majority of the programme free of charge plus reduced price tickets for the higher priced and more intimate events.
The Cat Prince
Fri 24 Nov | 3pm & 4.15pm | Maison de Moggy (17 West Port, EH1 2JA)
Meow! Two extra-special off-site performances from The Cat Prince himself, poet and performer Michael Pedersen, celebrating his Forward Prize-nominated poem in a properly feline setting: Maison de Moggy Cat Cafe!
Cocktail Hour with Kate Fox
Fri 24 Nov | 5.30pm | Summerhall
Join us for our first Cocktail Hour of the festival, a heady mix of rum and rhyme. Mixologists from Ruma take you through the history and mixing of each cocktail, while poet, author and comedian Kate Fox creates a poem to accompany each drink. Ticket price covers the cocktails (and poetry).
A Summerhall Triptych: Tales From The Dissection Room
Fri 24 Nov | 8pm | Summerhall
A sublimely dark and gothic evening’s entertainment, as some of Scotland’s most exciting, fearless writers, including Ever Dundas, Harry Josephine Giles and Iona Lee, perform newly-commissioned works inspired by the history of Summerhall, each set to original music composed and performed by David Paul Jones in a ‘cinema for the ears’.
Double Bill: Majorie Lotfi & K Patrick
Sat 25 Nov | 11am | Summerhall
Two stunning debut collections meditating on beginnings and rebirths. K Patrick’s (Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2023) Three Births culminates in the powerful message that we should be able to inhabit the body we want to. Marjorie Lotfi’s The Wrong Person to Ask reflects on an Iranian childhood disrupted and uprooted by revolution and migration.
Songwriters Circle
Sat 25 Nov | 12pm | Summerhall
Three hugely talented lyricists – rising indie star Hamish Hawk, Scottish folk legend Karine Polwart and celebrated cross-disciplinary artist Inua Ellams – come together to offer rare insight into the processes behind creating a song. How do they make the language of words and music meet to tell stories, set moods and paint sonic landscapes?
Your Local Arena: Hair – Film screening and panel talk
Sat 25 Nov | 12.15pm | Summerhall
Delve into the BBC archives in this screening of pioneering film Hair. After the screening Hannah McGill, Nadine Aisha Jassat, Khadijah Ibrahiim and Joanna Bourke will discuss all things follicle, and poet Francesca Beard will read a new poem inspired by the film.
Double Bill: Kim Moore & Iona Lee
Sat 25 Nov | 1pm | Summerhall
A double bill of poems and lyrical essays written defiantly through the female gaze. In All The Men I Never Married, Kim Moore reckons with the harms and coercions of being female in a male-dominant world. Iona Lee’s debut collection Anamnesis charts a descent into adulthood, exploring truth and tale-telling, art and artifice. BSL Interpreted.
Poetry for the Many with Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey
Sat 25 Nov | 2.15pm | Summerhall
As well as a shared belief in a fairer, more equal Britain, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and trade unionist Len McCluskey share a love of poetry. In this special event, they share poems from their new co-edited anthology Poetry for the Many and talk about why poetry is for everyone. BSL Interpreted.
Dizraeli: Animal Noises
Sat 25 Nov | 5pm | Summerhall
Rapper, songwriter and raconteur Dizraeli brings his new book Animal Noises to the Push the Boat Out stage. A searingly honest look at human creation, he confronts the messiness of fatherhood, sex and the end of the world. Expect ferociously sharp lyricism and a sense of the absurd. BSL Interpreted.
Cocktail Hour with Joelle Taylor
Sat 25 Nov | 6pm | Summerhall
We can’t think of better company for a cocktail than the legendary Joelle Taylor. As our Ruma mixologists shake a heady mix of delectable drinks, Joelle will offer up some stirring words to accompany each sip. Ticket price covers the cocktails (and poetry) at this workshop.
Poetry Jam with Leyla Josephine and band
Sat 25 Nov | 7pm | Summerhall
Want to try out your poetry in conversation with music? This event – part open mic, part jam session – gives you the opportunity to do just that. Bring a poem to share, liaise with the band about mood, rhythm and tempo, and then give it a go. Come to listen or perform.
Hamish Hawk Solo Show
Sat 25 Nov | 7.30pm | Summerhall
Hamish Hawk’s rich, poetic imagery, storytelling songs and velvety vocals have invited comparisons to Scott Walker, Jarvis Cocker and Ivor Cutler, so we’re thrilled to welcome this rising start of the UK music scene to close our Saturday night with a solo evening of lyrical enchantment. Support from Iona Zajac.
Rishi Dastidar: Walking with Neptune
Sun 26 Nov | 10am | Meet at Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High Street EH15 1DAP
Poet Rishi Dastidar has spent a lot of time with Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Join them for a Sunday morning stroll along the beach, where they will try and answer questions about waves, the apocalypse, and much, much more.
Song Exploder
Sun 26 Nov | 4pm | Summerhall
Understand the craft behind the bars in this panel with some of Scotland’s foremost rap and hip hop artists. Bemz, Queen of Harps and Dave Hook lift the lid on their lyrics, telling the backstory to their songs and explaining their process. Chaired by Arusa Qureshi. In association The Skinny
Seeds: New Poetic Performances
Sun 26 Nov | 5pm |Summerhall
Three new poetry-led performance pieces, commissioned by Push The Boat Out in association with National Theatre of Scotland. Featuring Imogen Stirling and Susan Bear’s drum & bass/ spoken word piece inspired by the myth of Persephone; Ross McCleary’s AI-era reinvention of the Biblical tale of Legion; and an ecopoetic collaboration between poet Alycia Pirmohamed & choreographer Gwynne Bilski, these pieces are all breaking new ground. BSL interpreted. This event will be live-streamed free of charge.
BELONGING: A Quines Cast Special
Sun 26 Nov | 6.15pm | Summerhall
Hannah Lavery and Caitlin Skinner host a one-off, live special of Quines Cast, the hugely successful Stellar Quines podcast. The theme is BELONGING, with poetry from RJ Hunter and an extract from a new work in progress by Hannah Lavery. Live music from a special guest. Come and find your place.
Inua Ellams: Search Party
Sun 26 Nov | 7.30pm | Summerhall
Inua Ellams – playwright, performer, poet, MBE, Nigerian-British wunderkind and polymathic award-winner – wants you to throw words at him. No, really. Welcome to Search Party, a magical, anarchic evening of reactive poetry created from his archive around whatever the audience suggests. Fresh from uproarious successes in London and NYC, Search Party is chaotic, exciting and always completely unique.
To celebrate the upcoming National Poetry Day on 5th October 2023, we invite kids and teens to enter Stockbridge Library’s Poetry Contest.
The theme this year is Refuge. No rules! Write a poem of any style or length. You decide! Drop it in the poetry contest box at the library and win prizes!
Entries are open from Friday 1st Sept to Saturday 30th Sept 2023
The National Flood Forum are joining forces with The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) to create an exhibition highlighting peoples experience of flooding.
The exhibition will take place as part of the Flood & Coast Conference at Telford International Centre in June 2023.
People who have been flooded are being asked to share artwork, poetry and / or photographs that show their experiences of being impacted by floods. There may also be the opportunity to attend the event and give your personal experience of flooding.
Tracey Garrett, CEO, National Flood Forum, said: “We would like to increase understanding between the industry and those who flood and putting this exhibition of flooded people’s experiences into the Flood and Coast Conference, gives a chance to do just that.’’
Terry Fuller, CEO at CIWEM, said: “We want our conference to place communities at the heart of our thinking and discussions.
“Flood & Coast provides a great opportunity to raise the importance of community engagement amongst the flood risk professionals and decision makers who attend. It is personally important to me that everyone with an interest in flood and coastal risk feels welcome and able to participate”.
For more details and to submit your contribution visit:
New stories of an old city retold in poetry competition
A three year collections project, Auld Reekie Retold, comes to a close tomorrow (Sunday 19 February) at the City Art Centre.
To mark the event, staff at Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have announced the results of a poetry competition hosted with the Scottish Poetry Library and Hannah Lavery, the Edinburgh Makar.
Poems had to be inspired in some way by objects in the current exhibition at the City Art Centre. Entries covered the full range of objects exhibited, from small pottery items made at the Buchans factory in Portobello to a blue dress sold by Jenners in the 1980s.
The judging panel was made up of representatives from Museums & Galleries Edinburgh and Scottish Poetry Library, with the final selection made by Hannah Lavery.
Nico Tyack, Auld Reekie Retold project manager said: “The poems were of a really high standard, and had us laughing, smiling and even crying but they all moved us and showed us the amazing power of objects.
“We all see the same objects in an exhibition, but what they mean to us varies in so many ways. It was humbling to see the collections interpreted in such creative ways.”
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker, said: “The poems are a moving and beautiful closure to the Auld Reekie Retold exhibition and project.
“Auld Reekie Retold was all about celebrating the shared public ownership of the collections, so what better way to tell new stories about the city than letting the people of Edinburgh do the talking?”
The winning entries were:
Under-18 Jiffy Washing Machine by Archer Thomson Adams
Over-18 First place, It is your turn, by Lynda McDonald Second place, Mind?, by Alison Findlay
Highly commended The Impermanent Collection by Iain Macfarlane and The Ballant o’ Hugh McKail’s Guid Beuk by Sam Phipps.
This short film shows the poets reading their winning entries, with images of the objects that inspired them.
One woman’s quest for tortured beefcake, 80s action and raw sexual power
Pre-pandemic Rosy became the world’s first female time-travelling doctor in her multi-award-winning theatre debut ‘Passionate Machine’. Now this feminist powerhouse is Musclebound to examine our most shameful sexual secrets.
When bodybuilders and 80s action films unite, you can always count on one thing: a good hard flogging! And for a five-year-old Rosy, witnessing live action film characters like He-Man and Conan the Barbarian being stripped, beaten and humiliated by their male antagonists sparked an odyssey of secret obsession that would shape her erotic life forever.
Now forty, with a string of disappointing relationships behind her and her own grown-up daughter about to leave home, a chance re-watching of He-Man reignites the spark of Rosy’s lust, setting her off on a mission to replenish her sexual power. But can tortured beefcake really be the key to her salvation? Or does a more uncomfortable sexual truth lurk, waiting to be reckoned with?
Join Rosy in this intelligent, provocative and terrifically funny real-life story, as she goes to any lengths to find out – even if that means asking Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger themselves …
‘It’s about me getting to grips with my childhood passion for watching these incredible scenes of hyper-muscular men being abused’, says Rosy.
‘About why that dynamic felt so powerful. Musclebound takes a playful, candid and highly singular look at sexual power, female pleasure and the politics and principles of orgasm-faking.’
Rosy is forced to ask herself: what are the sexual lessons we want to pass on to our daughters – and what do we still need to learn for ourselves? Is it ever OK to objectify people?
Rosy Carrick is a writer, actor and translator. Her critically acclaimed play Passionate Machine won theawards for Best Design and Best New Playat Brighton Fringe in 2018, and The Infallibles Award for Theatrical Excellence at Edinburgh Fringe. She has co-hosted the poetry stages at Glastonbury, Latitude and Port Eliot Festivals for the last decade.
Her debut poetry collection Chokey was published in 2018 and its follow-up, 26 Letters, is due for release in 2023. Rosy has a PhD on the Russian revolutionary poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. She has released two books of his work in translation, and is currently working on a third, which will be published in 2024 by The 87 Press. www.rosycarrick.com
Musclebound is directed by Fringe First winner Katie Bonna. Katie won the Most Promising New Playwright award at the 2018 Off West End Awards (for All The Things I Lied About).
In 2021, her queer comedy The Entertainment was nominated for OFF Fest’s Best Online Theatre production, and her short film IRL was nominated for Best Comedy at the Cannes Shorts Festival.
Part of the prestigious BBC Comedy Writers Room course 2019/2020, Katie is currently under commission from BBC Radio 4 and RADA.
‘Intelligent, articulate, funny’ Scotsman (on Passionate Machine)
Listings information:
Musclebound
Venue: Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)
Dates: 3-29 Aug (not 10, 16, 23) First review date 3 Aug
Fast-paced, thrilling verse play about marriage and political upheaval, told in blistering verse by one of the UK’s most celebrated poets. ‘Cool poems’ Patti Smith ‘A poet for our day’The Guardian
The Remains of Logan Dankworth is the third and final instalment of Fringe First and Stage Award winner Luke Wright’s trilogy of political verse plays. It looks at trust and privilege in the age of Brexit.
Logan Dankworth, newspaper columnist and Twitter warrior, grew up romanticising the political turmoil of the 1980s. Now, as the EU Referendum looms he is determined to be right there in the fray of the biggest political battle for years.
Meanwhile, Logan’s wife Megan wants to leave London to find a place to better raise their daughter. As tensions mount at home and across the nation, something is set to be lost forever. This gut wrenching and exhilarating slice of new writing won the 2020 Saboteur Award for Best Show with Luke winning Best Performer in 2021.
‘Sensational writing … human, vulnerable, eminently honest and very, very eloquent.’ The Guardian
The first two plays in the trilogy, What I Learned from Johnny Bevan and Frankie Vah, won praise from Fringe and UK-wide critics and audiences alike for their ‘mature, lyrical and politically relevant poetic writing’ (Exeunt), laced with wit, compassion and laser precision.
Luke said ‘The Remains of Logan Dankworth is the most complex and mature thing I’ve written so far. As with my earlier plays there is a personal story occurring against the backdrop of political upheaval.
“Previously I’ve dealt with Thatcherism and the legacy of New Labour, this is bang up to date and features a man approaching middle age excited by the febrile nature of British politics while trying to hold things together at home.”
Luke Wright is a poet and theatre maker who has been writing and performing his work for over 20 years, touring all over the world. He is acknowledged as one of Britain’s top stand-up poets and one of the principle architects of the now thriving spoken word scene.
Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Luke’s published work includes four full collections, three pamphlets and his three verse plays. He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award for acting excellence and two Saboteur Awards. The Remains of Logan Dankworth is published in book form by Penned in the Margins.
‘Great! A hurtling headlong hour ’ ★★★★The Stage
The Remains of Logan Dankworth was co-commissioned by Norwich Arts Centre, National Centre for Writing, Colchester Arts Centre, and Freedom Festival. It is written & performed by Luke Wright, directed by Alex Thorpe who also has three Royal Shakespeare Company productions under his belt. Music for the show was written and performed by musician and writer Polly Wright with dramaturgy by Sarah Dickenson and lighting design by Joe Price.
Luke also performs Luke Wright’s Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (poems) at Pleasance Jack Dome 3- 29 Aug (not 15/16/17) at 23.00.
https://youtu.be/OEcE8EoGy4A
Listings information: The Remains of Logan Dankworth
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Above (Venue 33)
Tickets: £12-£15.50 (previews 3, 4 Aug £7.50)
Dates: 3-29 Aug (not 15/16/17) First review date 3 Aug
From womanhood to war, from class and punk to falling in and out of love to the beautiful game, ‘Fire is Not the Only Element’ is about our lives, our humanity, our foibles, foul-ups and frailties. Creating from real life experiences, Morna Burdon uses poetry to express the joy, sadness, humour, beauty and absurdity of life.
As a performer, writer, singer, director, Morna has toured Scotland and abroad telling stories through theatre and performance. With ‘Fire is Not the Only Element’, she turns her talents to poetry as she weaves a tapestry of poems, spoken word and song to shed light on people and situations that often remain hidden and unsung.
“During lockdown, I wrote a poem about having COVID (didn’t we all ??!!) and people really liked it, so I wrote on a different topic, then another and poems just kept coming until it became a show!”
Whether directing, performing or writing, Morna mines for stories and then finds ways of telling them that honour the integrity of the people on whose lives a light is being shone.
In her singing, her writing, her theatre, she is interested in the extraordinary in the so-called ‘ordinary’.
“I am delighted that this show- with its emphasis on poetry – is returning to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Fringe after its sell-out premiere in April 2022. This is the place where I started my one woman shows. It is the storytelling aspect of poems that I enjoy in performance.
“I love that people can respond together in the same room to these glimpses of life, as you do with a film, or a photograph, or a good piece of theatre. A good poem should grab you in the same way these other art forms do.”
Morna is an Edinburgh-based theatre director, performer, singer and writer whose work has appeared throughout Scotland and abroad. She has toured extensively in Scotland and has directed and performed with a range of international artists from throughout Europe and Africa, also working professionally in Milan, Dublin, Hamburg and Denmark.
Previous work has included Fringe successes ‘Bonnie Fechters: Songs and Stories of Women of Courage’ and ‘Gie’s Peace’, about women peace activists. She has performed Shakespeare at Glastonbury and recently acted with English Theatre Milan on a Zoom production of the French farce “Box and Cox”.
She has also led many theatre workshops, including writing for stage with mentees having their work developed and shown in venues ranging from community centres to the Royal Court Upstairs.
Poetry and spoken word performances have included COP26, Hillhead Bookshop, Glasgow, Hunter S Thomson, Dundee. In June 2020 Morna won the Scottish Book Trust Fast Fiction Award.
Producer, Writers and Activists Programme, Edinburgh International Book Fringe
GIE’S PEACE
★★★★ Scots Gay Arts “Brilliantly dark humour”
RECOMMENDED “a clever, wistful look at the effects wars had on the world” Fringe Review
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LOCKDOWN ONLINE EVENTS
Fire is Not the Only Element
Edinburgh Performing Arts Development Zoom Platform Event
Audience Comments
Gorgeous use of language … wonderfully performative… Connects with the audience at various stages of life… It has biographical power… stunning… loved the voice and delivery … full of compassion and humanity – as well as womanhood ” and ” I don’t like poetry, but I liked that – let me know when you do it again ”
EnglishMilan TheatreInternational Zoom Production (Fringeat the Space)
Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton
“All three performers succeeded in representing the eccentricity of the protagonists with an astonishing sense of humour and irony”.
Gioia Angeletti, Specialist in Scottish Theatre and Literature, Parma University
“Delightful tongue-in-cheek Victorian farce in Zoom form offers a laugh a minute and a chance to enjoy the actors’ ability in adjusting to a new medium”.
Patricia Anne Kennan, Adjunct Professor at Bicocca University, Milan “A special mention to Morna Burdon as Mrs Bouncer, who conveyed so much with the merest twitch of an eyebrow and/or lip.” Wilma G Stark, Translator,Writer, Storyteller
