Spokefeast: ‘SPEECHIFY’ SPOKEN SHOWS is part of a two-week festival of Spoken Word performances and workshops culminating in a UK Slam Championship! Established stars, as well as up-and coming new talent, look for new inspirations to create and perform Spoken Word on the main stage. Four men on family – Nii Ayikweyi Parkes, Charlie Dark, Jacob Sam La Rose, and Nick Makoha. Plus Apples & Snakes present in association with BAC FRANCESCA BEARD’s Chinese Whispers.
A two-week festival of Spoken Word performances and workshops culminating in a UK Slam Championship! Established stars, as well as up-and coming new talent, look for new inspirations to create and perform Spoken Word on the main stage.
SPOKEN WORD WEEK: There’s a new generation of artists who take their cues from comedy, music, performance art, film, theatre and comics – stretching performance to its outer limits…
‘SPEECHIFY’ SPOKEN SHOWS: Four men on family – Nii Ayikweyi Parkes, Charlie Dark, Jacob Sam La Rose, and Nick Makoha. Plus Apples & Snakes present in association with BAC Francesca Beard’s Chinese Whispers. Thursday 2 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £10 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!)
Francesca Beard’s Chinese Whispers combines love and linguistic limbo dancing into a fun-sized hour of poetic dim-sum. ‘Spine-tingling… witty and narcotic.’ The Independent.
‘DA MIC SOUNDS NICE…’ HIP-HOP POETRY
Five Hip-Hop poets, each with 10 minute spots – Inua Phaze Ellams, John Berkavitch, Fatima Kelleher, Gemma Weekes and Polar Bear. Plus Kat Francois A new and exciting one-woman show by Kat Francois, charting her journey through childhood, the trials and tribulation of relationships, leading up to how she became World Slam Champion 2005. Friday 3 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £10.00 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!) via Spokefeast.
‘SUMMIT’ HIP-HOP MEETS SPOKEN WORD
Hosted by Kat Francois – with Lyric L, Janett Plummer, Malika Booker, Motet and Anthony Joseph. Plus JAN BLAKE’s Sheherezade’s Slaves, a new show from Jan Blake. Exploring the racist themes presented in some of the most beautiful & lyrical stories of ‘A Thousand & One Nights’. Saturday 4 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £10 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!)
‘NEO-NOVELISTS Q&A’- ROGER ROBINSON’: A Q&A workshop with Roger Robinson (writer/lyricist) for anyone over 16 interested in writing poetry. Roger will read from his books Adventures in 3D and Suitcase. Bring questions about fiction and poetry. Thursday 2, March, 5pm-6pm. Hedley Rehearsal Room – £5 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!) Places limited, please book in advance!
‘NEO-NOVELISTS Q&A’: Come down and listen to the latest writers – Patrick Neate (Friday 3) and Malika Booker (Saturday 4). Get close to the new work and bring a question. All you wanted to know – and don’t be afraid to ask! Friday 3 & Saturday 4 March, 5pm-6pm Hedley Rehearsal Room – £5 (Con HALF-PRICE!)
‘WORD4WORD’: A special to celebrate Spoke-Fest with The Best Kept Secret who are shortMAN, Amen Noir, Tuggs.t.a.r., ShakaRa and OneNess. Pianist Calvin and singer Dave Mwaniki. Hosted by Kat Francois. Sunday 5 March, 7pm Theatre Royal Bar – FREE!
SLAM WEEK
UK SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: 20 top Slam Poets, from all over the UK, compete to be among the 10 to go forward to Saturday’s final of the UK Slam Championship. With DJ and special guest appearances. If you’d like to enter, please contact Karen Fisher on 020 8279 1131 or email kfisher@stratfordeast.com. Closing date for entries 10.2.06. Thursday 9 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £8.00 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!)
‘YOUTHFUL WORDS’: A high-energy slam show of up-and-coming young artists, bringing their stories to the main stage. With DJ Excalibah.Friday 10 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £8.00 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!)
UK SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: The last 10 standing…! Come help choose a winner to represent the UK in the WORLD SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP in Rotterdam. Rules: 3 minutes on the mic. Loser goes out. There can be only ONE winner! Hosted by Kat Francois, With DJ Excalibah and special guest appearances. Saturday 11 March, 7.30pm Main Stage – £10 (Concessions HALF-PRICE!) PLUS! Poets will also be out-and-about around Stratford on Friday afternoon 10 March! Watch out for performances in a street near you…!
Theatre Royal Stratford East would like to clarify that its UK SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP has no connection whatsoever to any other event bearing the same, or similar, title.
Supported by MTV Base which will be recording the UK Championship Final on March 11 at 7.30pm. DO NOT MISS IT!!!