Thursday, May 07, 2015

in which I manage not to mention the election

Not so much an embarrassment of riches as a frustration of lures this bank holiday weekend, with SAFE at the Merlin, an amazing dance performance based on the 1930 construction of the Empire State Building & sadly the final date in their acclaimed tour, Blah's Big Weekend in Bristol, and the Larkhall festival in Bath. Speakeasy for Lyricism in Larkhall won, as Rosie was a challenger for the home team: here she is causing mayhem and hysteria in the Rose & Crown back-room with Domestic Goddess, to quote the opposition team leader "a 6-word blow-out that will go down in history."

 Still with a spotlight still on poets, the Frome Writers Collective presented another eccentric chain to our regalia-collecting Mayor Peter, this one composed of verses, at an informal celebration at the Three Swans.
An unusual mayor once thought 
Formal chains could be fun, and he sought 
Various versions 
 To suit his excursions 
Could haiku work too? so we thought...
At a more serious event in Bath, Claire Crowther launched her intriguing new anthology On Narrowness, sharing the stage with Carrie Etter who read from her Ted-Hughes-shortlisted collection Imagined Sons. Great to be there with the Frome poetry posse and new friends too.

A new month, another Independent Market Sunday, with a poetry workshop for Words at the Black Swan led by Rosie Jackson. And street-stall strollers may have been surprised to find popular band Seize the Day on the buskers' stage. Theo Simon, songwriter & lead singer, is a candidate for Somerton and Frome: I won't name the party as all reference to the election was prohibited. Including opinions & issues. As Theo says, this is difficult as their songs are all political. He did try, with as much success as Basil Faulty not mentioning the war. But their set drew a massive crowd all either cheering or dancing or both by the end of their final number No Man's Slave.
Plenty more music & street entertainment and all the usual quirky paraphernalia & food sampling. Here's funky Honk Monster, and marvellous Simon's Jazz at the Cornerhouse to end the day.

Ending with a look ahead at pub drama, as Muffin Man returns to the Cornerhouse next month. The talented duo who took on the roles in my short play about a random meeting leading to unlikely liaison (which won me the glorious title Bard of Frome) were keen to bring a sequel to the world. Muffin Man 2, the Morning After is a similar bitter-sweet comedy, this time written collaboratively as a devised drama together with the actors, Fleur Hanby-Holmes and Ross Scott. It's hilarious. Expect dates very soon! Meanwhile, filming of Muffin Man (1) is going ahead in Bristol, here's a still from work in progress.


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