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An intimate and inspiring evening, Poetry Club celebrates the strength and beauty of poetry, forging a relationship between the written and spoken word, from the poet to the listening community. Summary
Rating
Unmissable!
Part of a regular series, Poetry Club is an evening dedicated to the reading of poetry by the poets themselves, supported by the T.S. Eliot Foundation. Performed on stage in the wonderfully idiosyncratic and intimate Coronet Theatre it is a spellbinding and intimate occasion. Ella Frears, Salena Godden and Glyn Maxwell were on stage most recently, Frears and Godden reading from published materials, Maxwell reading part of a series of work that he has devised in reaction to the ongoing permanent devastation of wildlife through climate change.
Frears starts. Warm and engaging, self-deprecating and funny she reads from her recently published book Goodlord, a 220 page email written in response to a tenancy renewal which has been processed in partnership with a property technology company, “Goodlord”. Frear is a natural public speaker and instantly establishes a rapport with the audience as each of us lean in to feel closer to her. Her poem is beautiful. It traverses acres of her thoughts, inner turmoil, and imagined scenarios, all interwoven with the reality of the everyday and classical references. It is also very, very funny as she turns the tedium and anonymity of an email exchange regarding a legal document into a glorious and lengthy ode to poetry and creative expression.
Godden follows. A fierce and unwavering warrior, she is the opposite of Frear’s gentle charm. Reading several of the poems contained in her book With Love, Grief and Fury, she calls the audience to arms with energised performances enveloping climate change, love, sex, and a salute to the youth of today. Physically marching to the beat of the verse, at times she draws tears to my eyes with her impassioned desire to make a difference. She lives to write and her poem And You Will Go takes my breath away with its recognition and celebration of the potential our youngest generations have. Petite in stature but huge in presence, she invigorates the audience.
Marking another change of energy, Maxwell takes to the stage. Quiet and unassuming he announces that he will not be reading from anything currently published in the UK, not least because he has an entirely broken relationship with his publisher. He is in the process of a personal challenge: writing 100 poems before the year is out to highlight the most threatened natural beings on this earth. His gentle physicality belies the anger in his work as he speaks of the devastation caused to the natural world by humans. The creativity of this act which has generated an almost violent outpouring of words and emotion is perhaps the most surprising of the evening and incredibly moving.
The stage at the Coronet throughout the evening is empty save for the microphone at centre front stage. There is no scenery other than a screen at the back of the stage showing a copy of the book relevant to the spotlit poet. All attention is on the poets, all of whom hold their audience in their hand throughout. Low lighting on the audience encourages connectivity between themselves and the performer.
The order of the three poets’ appearances encourages a full arc of emotional response from all listening. But more than that, it brings to life the art of poetry. Much more than text on a page, the beauty of the word is transformed by bringing it to life within a supportive community and with the nuance the writer intended. Personal and reflective, engaging and communal, it is a truly inspiring event.
Poetry Club is part of a regular series of events at The Coronet Theatre. Check their website here for future announcements.
