WoLF for the Day

Wolverhampton Literature Festival (WoLF) was my main focus this week. The festival is in the 2nd year with an amazing Arts Programme. Friday 26th – Sunday 28th.

I performed as part of a 5 person collective organised by the Wolverhampton Arts Festival Team. Our reading was in the Art Gallery on Saturday 27th 3:30 PM

http://www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk/ninasophielauramauricerosina/4594119177

WoLF COLLECTIVE: NINA LEWIS, LAURA LIPTROT, MAURICE MALCOLM, SOPHIE SPARHAM & ROSINA TROTMAN

 

 

 

In an ideal world I would have been able to stay in Wolverhampton and immerse myself in the full festival experience. I really wanted to go to Liz Berry and Bones Presents on Friday night, but only had Saturday free.

I made the most of my time by attending events at the Lych Gate Tavern, organised by Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists – (Steve Pottinger, Dave Pitt and Emma Purshouse) before heading over to the Art Gallery for 3 PM.

I had hoped to arrive in time to catch Music for Dogs.

Written by Paula Meehan (former Ireland Professor of Poetry), Directed by Patricia Kessler, Performed by Carol Caffrey

I missed it, which made me sad, it has had some fabulous reviews. At least I managed to see Carol before she headed off.

I saw MY CLOTH-EARED HEART BY MELANIE BRANTON

Melanie Branton is looking for a boyfriend. And it’s not going well. In her first full-length spoken word show, My Cloth-Eared Heart, she charts a thirty-year epic quest that has included a brush with a psychopath, stalking various strangers on the internet, and a turbulent relationship with a verb. A show about love, failure, stubbornness and being single in a couple-centric world.

 © WoLF Programme

I first saw Melanie Headline Uncorked – Holly Daffurn’s night in Worcester, last year. It was great to see the whole show.

I caught most of Jonny Fluffypunk’s new show, had to slip out early to get to the Gallery. He is one of my favourite poets (I feel connected to his surrealism, punk driven imagination and love for coffee) it was a shameful to miss the end, but I had to set up for our performance,  such are the perils of clashing performance programmes.

HOW I CAME TO BE WHERE I NEVER WAS

BY JOHNNY FLUFFYPUNK

Jonny Fluffypunk grew up where nothing ever happened. This is a story about finding yourself, when you find yourself somewhere you don’t belong. It’s about unrequited love and the importance of a good record shop. it’s also about trains and memory and tiny magical moments and letting go. It’s lo-fi stand-up spoken word theatre for anyone who has ever loved, owned a vinyl record or just been alive.

 © WoLF Programme

The theatre of the imagination blew me away!

 

© Art Fund 2018

Then it was time for the WoLF collective, 90 minutes of music, poetry, books and life shared by five very different voices. It was fun and great to chat with the audience about poetry afterwards. It was lovely to meet Laura Liptrot, Maurice Malcolm and Rosina Trotman and reconnect with the ever-wonderful Sophie Sparham.

Before the Slam there was time to go for a bit of food and a bunch of us headed off to try amazing cuisine, Indian Street food in Zuri Coffee. A real gastro experience.

Then I got lost wandering around the streets of Wolverhampton in completely the wrong direction. (Anyone surprised by this has not been reading my blog long enough!)

Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists presented the second Wolverhampton Original Literature Festival Poetry Slam. MCs, Steve Pottinger, Dave Pitt and Emma Purshouse.

Brenda Read-Brown won the slam with Rick Sanders and Ezra Poundland taking second & third place.

Another great year for WoLF – may the howl continue. You never know by the 3rd or 4th year, I may even know my way around!

 

 

My gratitude to Amarjit Nar for making yesterday possible.

 

And finally… this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Sophie’s boots… having spent a while in conversation it was time for the event to kick off and it wasn’t until she took to the mic that I looked at her feet! I had the beginning of my set all prepared but seeing her feet really threw me. Love these DM’s.

So my opening line: ‘I have just lost all my words & fallen in love with Sophie’s Boots!’ is going to find its way into a poem sometime soon!

 

RELATED LINKS:

http://www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk/

http://www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk/poetry/4593175102

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Family – Ben Norris, MAC 6th Sept.

Saturday 6th September was a busy day – I missed the Festival of Colour in Digbeth, as I was performing at Reams of Dreams in Stafford. I have seen some great photos and heard it was a great day. After Stafford Arts Festival, I got home in time to get across to the MAC for Ben’s show, a one off Preview Performance.

 Oscar French © 2014

‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Family’ 

It was absolutely ruddy amazing and I wish I had written about it once I got home – with all the energy and eagerness I felt when I got in. Ben Norris is a UK SLAM Champion and a great Performance Poet, I have had the pleasure of watching him perform a few times this year. He has also been working on this one man show.

I don’t want to give too much away as I know he plans to take it to Edinburgh next year, so look out for it and GO AND SEE IT!

In the meantime I am sure Ben won’t mind me sharing the teasers he posted on You Tube or blogging my reaction to this great show.

 

Oscar French and Ben Norris spent 6 days on the road this summer re-tracing his father’s steps backwards from their home in Nottingham to London, where his dad came from. They visit relatives and friends, rely on the kindness of strangers and hope that people still hitch hike.

They created a blog to track the time on the road http://thehitchhikersguidetothefamily.wordpress.com and once home Ben working really hard for probably less than 3 weeks to get the show together.

Post Show Discussion

There was a post show discussion with Polly Tisdall, Oscar French and Ben Norris, which proved what some people love, others don’t and helped the team realise which areas of the production were confusing or worked well. I filled out my feedback form fully (whole sheet of A4) as well as getting some points across in the post discussion show. It was exciting listening to other people’s opinions.

Here is what people had to say about this one man show.

Reviews

 Ben Norris‘s One man show The Hitchhikers Guide to The Family was truly a stunning piece of spoken word theatre,  from the eyewatering hysterical laughing & the emotional nostalgia I felt so happy & completely mesmerised at his storytelling ability & Omg to top all that brilliance off he gets his kit off I loved it. – Ddotti Bluebell

Had an awesome evening watching the incredibly talented Ben Norris debuting his one man show The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Family at MAC, Birmingham. Compelling, achingly hilarious and heartbreakingly poignant in equal measure, if you missed it you really missed a treat, but it will hit the road (pardon the pun) again next year so keep an eye out for it and go see it if you get chance. You won’t regret it. – Deborah McEwan

And my own words;

 This was an awesome show – a very polished project in process… so you too could have a chance of seeing it in the future! DO! Well done Ben Norris a superb one man show with the perfect balance of comic storytelling and insightful family tale… a great piece of theatre… the team should be very proud!

Oscar French © 2014

The Production Team

Ben Norris    Writer & Performer

Actor, writer, spoken-word artist, and the reigning UK all-stars poetry slam champion. He is a regular on the spoken-word and festival circuit, with recent performances at the Roundhouse, Royal Festival Hall, Latitude, Ronnie Scott’s, Tongue Fu, Bang Said The Gun, and many more. His first book of poetry was published earlier this year by Nasty Little Press.

Polly Tisdall    Director

Storyteller, Birmingham REP Foundry director, and founder of Rambling Heart Theatre Company. She was also 2011 UK Young Storyteller of the Year.

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Oscar French    Producer

Emerging producer and freelance script reader, whose experience to date includes producing and stage management roles for independent short films and student theatre. He has also worked with the Romany Theatre Company and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

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Paul McHale    Filmmaker

Freelance camera operator and editor, filming and producing animations, promotional films, narrative and art exhibition projects.

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Inua Ellams    Artistic Mentor

Internationally recognised poet, playwright and performance artist. He has published two poetry pamphlets: Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars and Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales. His first play, The 14th Tale, was awarded a Fringe First, and his third, Black T-Shirt Collection ran at the National Theatre. He is currently working on a new play called Barber Shop Chronicles, a poetry pamphlet called #Afterhours and his first full collection, Of All The Boys of Plateau Private School.

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Louisa Davies    Executive Producer

Performing Arts Producer at mac birmingham, she has worked with artists including Polarbear, Nick Makoha, A Little Commitment and Sid Peacock on solo shows.

 

With this post I have just learnt how to change text and that the toolbar extends…. hmmmmm how long have I been using WordPress!

The Most Exciting Opportunity!

I have a fantastic opportunity this summer to be on stage with a poetry army – to be part of it myself – this appeals to both the actress/performer in me and the poet! I cannot wait!
More on this later in the year!
WHOAHOOO! The noise we make when our dreams are coming true!