Loudmouth Show

Had just got my breath back from the Bath Japanese Festival Launch, when it was time to head off to the Phonic FM basement studios as a guest on the Loudmouth Spoken Word Collective monthly Friday show hosted by VJ Vittoria, and this month's guest co-presenter - gifted musician and singer Kimwei Westbury. Other guests were Fin Irwin of the Bike Shed Theatre, Richard Thomas, Totnes poet and regular performer on the Totnes and Exeter scenes, and hosts Kate Wilson and Adam Brummitt of the spoken word night at the Bike Shed Theatre called Poetry Underground. It was a fun couple of hours and especially interesting to hear from Fin Irwin about all the many things which the new Bike Shed Theatre venue and folks have been doing, are putting on and planning. A completely packed series of events and runs for plays of all kinds - from classics like Strindberg to new writing. Things really are taking off as 'artists are doing it for themselves'.

When they came to interview me, I hadn't intended to mainly talk about The Books of...Trilogy, having brought a copy of 'Porlock the Warlock' and also meaning to highlight Spoken/Written, but after the earlier performance of the week, we ended up pretty much discussing The Books of... and Vittoria and Kimwei got me reading several pieces from The Books of Indictments and Offences (The Book of Contentions really being a continuous single piece serial poem no more than 2,500 words in total of around twenty minutes in performance). They were extremely kind and laughed at all the jokes! as whilst The Books of...project deals with serious issues, it treats them with a good dose of satire.

There was also quite a multimedia theme, as not only were the presenters involved in more than one artform, but Fin Irwin spoke of happenings of all kinds at the Bike Shed Theatre, Richard Thomas was mixing his words with musicians and making video forays, and of course I work with the Collective and as well as words, am a theatrical storyteller, maker, do photography, occasional video, have also performed to music, with dancers, etc.. So quite a convocation of those interested in many of or all the arts and mixing them together, which was interesting.

All in all much good humour abounded, and there was a really nice atmosphere. When I listened to the show later, I couldn't help wincing at all the time-to-think phrases that one uses when one hasn't rehearsed answers for radio ('like', 'y'know' and 'sort of like' seemed to comprise most of one's vocabulary!) but it was a great show with lots of interest, and all power to VJ Vittoria and Kimwei! they did a fantastic job.