My first joy for poetry was in sharing it live, passing it over from mouth to ear. There's a uniquely dramatic aspect of poetry that other instruments don't share, a performance that involves the whole theatric body. As I've experimented more with the spoken word word, I've focussed more on this embodied nature of live poetry, and reaching audiences in a phonosemantic way. This has pulled me into writing theatre, and having lots of fun with it.
Crowded
How do you sort your head out when it gets too crowded in there?
It’s the beginning of summer and the community festival is in full swing in the local park. Everyone is there. But among the smiles and excitement lies something that could spoil this party.
Developed in direct response to the growing number of teenagers in the UK struggling with their mental health, Crowded tells the story of ordinary young people whose anxiety, depression and desire lead to harmful and destructive behaviours.
It was developed by myself, Laura Rae and Desree, in collaboration with Rosemary Harris, Apples and Snakes and Half Moon Theatre, and in 2020 was awarded Best Off West End Production 13+
Seeking Love And Meaning
Surely these stars weren’t meant to cross paths?
Is this not some devilish trick?
“Seeking Love And Meaning” is a cross-arts collaboration for voice, guitar and live collage. These 3 perspectives take us through the dizzying crowd of human relations. None exists alone, each contributing to the context defining it. In performance and on paper, these works question who we are when no one else is around.
This piece was developed by myself and Olivir Haylett, with Sam Petherbridge, Kat Cashman and Tanya Violet, thanks to support from Brainchild, among others.