Spoken Word Reviews 2006
POETRY BUXTON - Bards at Large
Bards At Large
Tonight, in what is now officially the Fringe's (literally) hottest venue, assemble Buxton's word smith elite and distinguished guests (plus me). The evenings entertainment is divided into two parts - the first half Poetry Buxton's three invited guests, the second an open mic session.
Starting tonight's proceedings we have Diana Syder, a scientist, painter and amateur astronomer, which gives a distinctive tone to her work. Diana has also collaborated with American composer William Neil, and we are treated to a highlight from this tonight. Next up we have Bert Flitcroft, sole working class voice tonight, he masters in the dry observation of daily life. Poet Laureate of the Peak Alec Rapkin, with his beautifully descriptive verse rounds off the first half.
By far the highlight of the event for me was the opportunity for members of the audience to participate. A real free for all, with subject matter ranging from prison to love to nuclear meltdown. With some of the most moving and memorable pieces I've heard for some time, there was some fantastic talent on display.
NGW
MARK TWAIN TALKS - Hannibal Years
This show is a delight. Let's make that clear at the top of the page before we get into any analysis.
Samuel Clemens was born in Florida (a very small town in Missouri - not the state) but his formative boyhood - and this was a boyhood - was in the Mississippi town of Hannibal, Missouri. It is these years that Mark Twain describes in stories, "some of them true", moving between the thoughtful (and even tragic) and the hilariously comic. Here in Hannibal you will meet the originals of the beloved characters of the boyhood novels. The sanctimonious Sid, Aunt Polly, Becky Thatcher, Ben Rogers, Joe Harper and, of course, Huck Finn walk the streets of Hannibal. Tom himself is claimed to be a composite of several boys but can only be Sam himself. You will hear also echoes of that most wonderful storm on the Mississippi that assailed the pirates in Huck Finn and something of the vagabond showmen of the same novel. All will be brought to life and to delight you.
Mark Twain is known as the nom de plume of Sam Clemens but he is more than that; he is the creation of Sam Clemens, an independent character for public show, and more than that, the persona, the voice of growing America, a Yankee. Bern Budd is Mark Twain and uses his stories and biography to create this lecture. The only disappointment is that it isn't longer.
The reviewer would have it known that he spelt Mississippi right first time, without assistance.
Bern gives us the Hannibal Years alternating with The Morals Lecture (based on Twain's round the world lecture tour) from now to the 21st (Friday) in Underground Venues. Don't miss them!
John Wilson
BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE - Fringe Readings
The George Potter Bar
Old Hall Hotel
3pm 14th July 2006
Fringe Readings come back every year to provide a guaranteed relaxed interlude in what can be a hectic festival. Fringe committee members and other local performers choose favourite pieces to read and the result is a varied offering with something to appeal to everyone.
This year Caroline Smith, a newcomer to Buxton, joined the readers for the first time. It was easy to see why she had been invited to participate. She chose an amusing Irish folk tale about a gambler to read, and her lovely Irish voice was the perfect medium for it. Her presentation of the dialogue of the gambler, god and death captured the character of each and enchanted us throughout.
There are still chances to catch Fringe Readings this year, at 2.00 and 3.00 pm on the 15th, 16th, 21st and 22nd July. Treat yourself to a half hour of sheer pleasure.
Barbara Wilson
FREEFALL - The Devil Take The Hindmost
11 July - Old Hall
Approx. 20 People attended this event.
Dark Derbyshire tales of bitterly divided families, gory violence - and mocking the 'other world' and its consequences - were brought to life by Freefall.
Their clever use of space in the venue meant everyone had a front row view of the action, and performers would pop up unexpectedly to scare us now and again!
Swopping stories from one performer to another was also a technique that worked well - though sometimes there were so many tales being interwoven and told at once, I was losing the plot! The Black Dog tale was really strong but the poaching tale not as intriguing as I thought it had the potential to be.
The stories were sometimes quite melodramatic, in content and performance - and I thought Derbyshire accents could have been used for the characters. These are just pointers for improvement however, and overall I thought the event was well worth seeing. It is certainly nice to hear folk tales with a local flavour performed live and with some vigour!
Heidi Errington
NUNKIE THEATRE COMPANY - A Pleasing Terror - Two Ghost Stories by M R James
Date/Venue: Sun 9 July - Old Hall
In the gloom of the cellars of the Old Hall, a long, curved narrow bricked space, with an air of the oppressive, lit only by a candelabra, its three candles burning low, something is waiting - a hunched figure, sat or crouched on a chair by the table, where old books are scattered. It is shrouded in brown...slowly it raises its ghastly head, its face hidden in shadows......
.....and then you realise, that the cowl is merely an old brown towel, the figure is simply a man, well dressed, respectable, inhaling the beneficial fumes of Friars Balsam from a bowl. So begins a wonderful evening of stories performed by (the brilliantly understated) Robert Lloyd Parry. Immediately we are summoned to a place where the ordinary and everyday world rubs shoulders with nightmare, demons, the malicious dead.
It is fitting to see and hear these uncanny tales told, in atmospheric style, as they were originally performed by their author M.R. James (by candlelight) over several Christmas Eves, to an intimate group of friends in Cambridge.
With his round glasses, and pocket watch, bearing more than a passing resemblance to James - Robert Lloyd Parry tells the tales, heard from the lips of friends of friends, in just the right way - pausing to sip whisky, as the tension builds. (James was a master at prolonging the delicious agonies of an unnerving tale, by the use of innocent domestic and academic details - and a dry as a bone sense of humour).
James' unwitting 'heroes/victims' are sensible English academics, men of dry intellectual pursuits, men of reason - who lead orderly, well heeled, Cambridge lives, and talk golf over scones and tea. He is adept at poking gentle fun at their lives and mannerisms, and their blindness to otherworldly trapdoors, down which they eventually stumble in sheer terror - confronting the deepest primeval fears of humans. All the while, on the journey, James slips in a sense of creeping unease, gothic hints and snippets - things he can hardly tell us - nasty things caught out of the corner of the eye, 'thin metallic laughter' off stage, pictures which possess unholy abilities to ensnare the owner or re-enact ghoulish tragedies. Spidery demons of 'appalling strength', ghastly intelligence and eons of distilled malice. Things that will slide into your mind as 'unwelcome visitors' at odd moments, and trouble your imagination, long after the tale has been told.
Heidi Errington
F. PHILIP HOLLAND - Philip, Poetry and Piano
Philip's poetry is quarried from his Derbyshire and flows with the unconscious, natural speech rhythms and dialect of this locality. The theme of natural change is celebrated with a sense of security about our place in time using contemplative, perceptive poems that make you respond with a wry smile of recognition or laugh out loud with shared appreciation and understanding.
We had the opportunity to enjoy about twenty poems read by their author, which celebrated the senses - a visual treat for the ears.
His interludes of original music compliment the poetry and give an opportunity to reflect on the pictures he has placed in your mind. The dynamics of the music are reflected in the poetry, which is read with the energy, and commitment of work performed by its author. Like forcing down a good meal too quickly, I would have enjoyed a slower pace and more anecdotes about the poet and his creative process.
The diversity within the poetry is entertaining with an amusing, allegorical free verse about the life of a pair of shoes, a parody of a rhyming poem John Betjeman may have penned on a wet High Street; to my personal favourite, The Gather, a poem that works like a riddle and is full of the fresh voice of a new poet sharing a moment of heightened emotion.
The advantage of this entertainment is that, although Philip's voice is not available to take home, copies of his books are on sale and in his words, 'lay in a handy place to re-read and enjoy once again'.
Alyson Phillips
AIMSTER PRODUCTIONS - I Love New York
Written and Directed by Amy Elizabeth Blackmore
It is an unsettling realisation that watching raw, honest emotions on stage has become an unusual experience. All too often I encounter them disguised in shiny, airbrushed entertainment that demands very little from the viewer. By contrast, I was captivated by Amy Elizabeth Blackmore's intimate work. She exposes her heart as she takes her audience through a love story that is both authentic and identifiable. Blackmore's character, Emily, shifts through bewildering loneliness, fumbling independence and the warmth of intimacy in well-paced and engaging theatre. The use of film, contemporary dance, and music, including beautiful performances by Blackmore, contribute to a varied experience that enriches the monologue. This refreshingly candid piece challenges the notion that a shared love for New York, or anywhere else for that matter, is not enough to ignite something unexpected. Blackmore and the I Love New York team - here from Montral, Canada - are not only worth watching, but deserve to play to packed houses as they offer art that will romance you.
Mala Bhaunik