#186: Anthony Anaxagorou - Interview (via London Real)

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#186: Anthony Anaxagorou - Interview (via London Real)

       An in-depth interview with Poet, Writer, Performer and Educator Anthony Anaxagorou via London Real. An extract of this interview - Anthony's powerful performance of 'I Am Not A Poet' - is available to watch as a standalone video in the next post on TheSpeakersCorner.co.uk.

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#184: 'Blahblahblah' w. Rachel Rose Reid, AF Harrold + Jonny Fluffypunk @ Bristol Old Vic, 8th December 2014

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#184: 'Blahblahblah' w. Rachel Rose Reid, AF Harrold + Jonny Fluffypunk @ Bristol Old Vic, 8th December 2014

       As 2014 draws to a close, so does Blahblahblah's successful series of Autumn/Winter programming. Concluding with both a metaphorical bang and the physical addition of a hand-crafted, imitation campfire, the 'Storytelling for Adults' theme of this December show formed the backdrop upon which Jonny Fluffypunk, AF Harrold and Rachel Rose Reid would demonstrate their talents to the South-West.

       Following an entertainingly buoyant introduction from increasingly confident host Anna Freeman, the packed crowd clapped animatedly as the evening's first visiting wordsmith took to the spotlight.

       Dressed strikingly, sporting an impressively bushy moustache and brandishing a pair of extravagant sock puppets, Jonny Fluffypunk exuded zany character from the very first step of his entrance. This persona only expanded with the addition of his booming voice and joke-packed dialogue, which darted its way through a laughter-packed half hour of varied emotions, accents, themes and styles.

       Whether depicting the familial friction of father-and-son sock puppets or relaying comedic tales coupled with his accordion, each new finely-crafted twist of his act offered an engaging supply of laughter and reflection. Avoiding the two-dimensional pitfalls that can undermine lesser ‘wacky’ acts, Fluffypunk’s confident execution appeared grounded in experience and was delivered with enjoyably-weighted mastery.

       One would expect the challenge of following such an exuberant presence to be a daunting affair, though the spectacularly-bearded bard AF Harrold rose to the occasion comfortably. 'Out-plugging' the departing Fluffypunk's enthusiastic advertisement of available merchandise, he sparked a competitive dialogue between the pair which proved both entertaining banter and an enjoyable thematic link between their sections of the evening.

       Performing from his new children’s story ‘The Imaginary’ alongside a projected slideshow of its images, he engrossed the room with his effervescent storytelling, though the narrative barely progressed for all the excitable tangents and enthusiastic explanations he sprouted.

       Following a short half-time interval, AF Harrold returned, this time without his projections but instead sporting his new poetry book and a further generous helping of wit. Reading a selection of poems from this latest collection, he led the audience through a range of impressively-constructed wordplay, laugh-out-loud punchlines and entertainingly quirky riffing.

       With the spotlight passed to Rachel Rose Reid, the smiling crowd enthusiastically welcomed their final act. Drawing upon a somewhat festive Hans Christian Anderson tale to greet the imminent arrival of Christmas, Rachel passionately prefixed the story with wider context before delivering it to the room.

       Riding the natural flow of the story and accentuating it with excitable peaks and dramatic troughs, Rachel’s performance was commendably spirited. However, the well-crafted range of emotion, tempo and tone in her delivery didn't elevate matters as high as hoped. Following the sharp wit and rapid-fire pace of the previous two acts, the comparably long-form tale felt lacking in momentum and hovered frustratingly beyond the realm of true engagement.

       Following with a piece on the altogether different topic of American singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, Rachel’s introduction was as similarly detailed and enthused as that of her previous story, which again stirred up an intrigued anticipation within the room. Formally commencing the piece with some soulful song of her own, she displayed an able voice brimming with emotion that soared around the intimate basement venue. Having conjured an Americana atmosphere that hung dramatically in the air, she began painting her story. Sadly though - despite clearly being crafted of passion and delivered with both heart and skill - the combination of its jumping plot and a tendency for style over graspable substance produced more near-misses than heightened impacts.

       Though this particular selection of stories was perhaps better suited before the fast-paced, punchline-packed nature of the preceding acts, Rachel Rose Reid’s performance showcased a versatile skillset and an enjoyable stage presence.

       Once again, this latest Blahblahblah event proved that the audience is right to expect both variety and talent in spades. Concluding a mightily successful series of events for 2014, the path is now paved for an even bigger and better year to follow. A quick glance at the scheduled line-ups for the New Year suggest that Bristol Old Vic strongly intends to remain the premier venue for spoken-word in the South West.

 

Darren Paul Thompson

Photography: George Dallimore

 

Jonny Fluffypunk / AF Harrold / Rachel Rose Reid

Blahblahblah: Website / Facebook / Bristol Old Vic

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#181: 'Blahblahblah' w. Malika Booker, Niall O'Sullivan + Talia Randall @ Bristol Old Vic, 17th November 2014

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#181: 'Blahblahblah' w. Malika Booker, Niall O'Sullivan + Talia Randall @ Bristol Old Vic, 17th November 2014

       With this latest season of spoken-word events from Blahblahblah now in full swing, it was the turn of Talia Randall, Niall O’Sullivan and Malika Booker to entertain the savvy West Country audience.

       Following a funny introduction from regular host Anna Freeman in which she recounted a (typically quirky) tale of a friend’s newborn baby that smelt of ham, she encouraged the obliging crowd to clap ever more ferociously in a series of warm-ups, before passing the spotlight over to the guests.

       First to the stage was Talia Randall. Opening with a piece called ‘Salt’, she dipped into her past to relay cringe-worthy moments from earlier years which she’s now critically re-examined, dedicating the poem to those that may also have ever been, “a bit of a twat”. Far from exclusive to herself, it seemed to be a widely recognised notion throughout the room, with many both laughing and groaning with familiarity in all the right places, clearly having had to endure similar reappraisals of their own adolescent years. With Talia raising the question of whether we’ll have similarly cringeworthy reflections of our present selves in another ten years time, the crowd no doubt hoped for the best... but only time will tell!

       Much like Anna had mentioned during the introduction, there are some performers that manage to articulate resonant thought processes, notions or ideas better than our own internal monologues, both concisely and eloquently packaging our swirling tides of thought in a manner that’s more impactful and entertaining than we can achieve ourselves. Touching this status a number of times across the course of her set, Talia crafted a rapport and a resonance that made her an accessible and entertaining presence throughout her tales of speaker-shaking raves, light-hearted plugs for her recent EP and voyages into the cassette-tape history of hip-hop.

       As the entertaining result of Anna’s eccentric lucky-dip draw (in which the unique-selling-points of various products were plucked from a hat and repurposed to describe the evening’s performers), it was reported that the next guest, Forward Prize-commended poet Niall O’Sullivan, “has been made with the same passion for almost 1000 years in the heart of the Po River Valley in Northern Italy, using only local milk”.

       Contrary to his alleged rural Italian heritage, the somewhat aloof persona suggested by Niall’s formal suit and slick hairstyle instead hinted at a background more likely to have stemmed from Canary Wharf. However, with the emergence of his affable character instantly dispelling any such prior assumptions, the audience warmed to the relatable charm of his content and the careful precision of his delivery, their animated reactions peppered equally with laughs and knowing nods.

       Whether responding to Jeremy Paxman’s statement that poetry should better engage with ‘ordinary people’, deliberating his morally conflicting invitation to Buckingham Palace or explaining the unfortunate consequences of a Jackie Chan-esque leap from a Transit van, Niall certainly brought variety.

       Comfortably introducing his pieces with interesting back-story and wider context, his performances served as considered, entertaining responses to the questions on his mind. Revisiting the topic of UKIP over the course of his set, politics were certainly present, as were reflections on his own national identity. In an unexpected twist, the usefulness of ridicule as a tool to educate bigots arose in an enjoyable fashion, with the audience regaled by an encouraging tale of eventual moral triumph aboard the Underground carriages of London.

       Closing the evening’s performances post-interval was headliner Malika Booker, who introduced herself to Bristol over a sip of her rum and the careful thumbing through the pages of her book ‘Pepper Seed’. With easy transitions into her recitals, she confidently transported the room into the worlds of her pieces, her softly-spoken tones often exploring her family’s relationships both with each other and with their Grenadian roots.

       Confiding in the Bristolian audience that her greatest ambition is to be an ‘Rn’B rockstar’, she delivered a poetic homage to her Auntie, grounded initially in her delicate lilt before growing with an organic swell like that of a musical piece, bringing Malika closer to her front-woman goal. Finishing with some audience participation in a piece about her Mother, the audience lapped up the final chance to enjoy the exoticism and calm confidence of Malika’s wordplay.
    
       Though perhaps this latest event lacked some of the fireworks and fanfare of certain previous edge-of-your-seat, spoken-word blockbusters at Bristol Old Vic, it proved another solidly successful month for the reliably entertaining Blahblahblah. Leaving a satisfying warm glow amongst the crowd on a chilly winter evening, it’s delivered yet another selection of high-quality performers to the West Country whilst paving the way nicely for the forthcoming storytelling special in December.

 

Darren Paul Thompson

Photography: George Dallimore + Darren Paul Thompson

 

Anna Freeman / Malika Booker / Niall O'Sullivan / Talia Randall

Blahblahblah: Website / Facebook / Bristol Old Vic

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#180: Kate Tempest @ The Fleece, Bristol - 12th November 2014

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#180: Kate Tempest @ The Fleece, Bristol - 12th November 2014

       Enjoying her first headline tour as a musician, spoken-word trailblazer and 2014 Mercury Prize nominee Kate Tempest played to a packed crowd at The Fleece in Bristol. A regular visitor to the South West in recent years, Kate's performances have gained a reputation for wall-to-wall audiences, eager to experience her latest creative endeavours.

       After recent standing ovations at Bristol Old Vic for her Ted Hughes Poetry Award-winning show Brand New Ancients and a sold-out run of her play 'Hopelessly Devoted' at The Brewery Theatre, this latest performance (combining both the music from her album 'Everybody Down' and dips into her fiercely passionate spoken-word poetry) proved another great demonstration of her ability both as a writer and a performer.

       For those yet to have experienced a live show (or those eager to get involved again!), tour dates and tickets can be found here - http://katetempest.co.uk/

       Great photos by Nathan Hicks - Tumblr / Twitter / Instagram

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