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Versatile Arts

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Smoke and Mirrors’  SLAP Magazine June ’12

Review Richard Austen

The recent renaissance in the music scene in Malvern was covered in the festive edition of SLAP, but perhaps less well-known but equally exciting is the rise of performance poetry alongside it. At the core of this is Versatile Arts  Smoke and Mirrors gigs, which have been entertaining audiences at the Malvern Youth Centre and beyond since 2009.

Amidst an incredible array of local talent, Smoke and Mirrors have also managed to attract such nationally notable poets as Attila the Stockbroker, John Cooper Clarke and Ian McMillan. Hosted by the inimitable duo of Dee Davidson and Caitlin Belgard who combine spontaneity, humour and incredible warmth, the shows, regardless of scale, have a great intimacy. Their trademark standard lamp on stage imparts the feeling that Dee and Caitlin have invited you into their front room for a bit of a chat and yet we have witnessed some enormous performances from musicians and poets alike.

It is fitting therefore that Versatile Arts have chosen an image of the standard lamp to adorn their book and accompanying CD which has been compiled to celebrate the success of the gigs to date. Pulled together at breakneck speed (not that you’d know), both the book and the CD are a fitting tribute to the nerves, hard work and grit of the musicians and poets, who range from seasoned performers to those who have formerly kept their talents under wraps, but who have been encouraged into the lime light by the friendly atmosphere at the shows.

In what seems quite a coup, Versatile Arts have secured contributions to the book from all three of their big-name acts to go alongside the range of local talent. The material ranges from raging anti-establishment to heartfelt emotion, with a heavy dose of humour thrown in and ensures that the wide variety covered at the shows is well-represented. Each poet has the chance to share a little about themselves and one or two poems to showcase their talents. With over 20 poets contributing, there isn’t the space here to go into highlights (of which there are many), suffice to say that there is something for everyone here.

The accompanying CD, which features performances largely recorded specifically for the book, offers some musical numbers and an opportunity for the poets to stamp their personalities on the written word and really brings to life the poetry on the page; after all, this is ‘performance’ poetry and the poets do not simply read, they add a level of shade and nuance which can’t always be discerned from seeing their words in print. Added into the mix are some musical numbers too, again reflecting the nature of the live shows.

The closing page of the book features the heading: ‘your poem here.’ And this really is the message here: everyone can have a go, and Smoke and Mirrors provide a platform for you to share your work with a sympathetic audience and without the pub chatter than means that poetry is a rare event at a typical open-mic session. So, I’ve done it. I’ve written a poem. Perhaps I’ll even perform it. But it’s all down to the inspirational work in evidence here. Buy the book and see what I mean. And see you at the next Smoke and Mirrors gig.

 

‘Smoke and Mirrors’: The Book, the CD and the Show!

Worcestershire Literary Festival

 Review Nick Munro Turner

‘Smoke and Mirrors’ is a compilation of local poets put together by Dee Davidson and Caitlin Belgard of Versatile Arts; a company that promotes and produces a variety of innovative and entertaining performances in the Malvern area. The collection celebrates the increasingly vibrant poetry scene that has been emerging in Malvern since the first Poetry Slam was held at the Youth Centre in 2009.

When I attended the launch night for the anthology, it certainly had that same spontaneity and excitement, only tenfold as the audience, the performers and the organisers celebrated not only the release of the anthology into print, but also the safety of the Youth Centre from proposed demolition plans. All of the performers had terrific flair and kept the energy levels up throughout the evening with poems that entertained us, humoured us, rallied us and provoked us to ponder. I was new to the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ scene that night, and even though this was the launch night, the poets were clearly already well known to the audience and professional in their performances.

Many of them were very lyrical and some were even musical! John Denton and Adrian Mealing were superb as the musical comic duo, ‘The Very Grimm Brothers’ and were a pleasure to see perform live. If you don’t get a chance to see them in person, they’re the second feature on track 1 of the CD.

A lot of the poems have an anti-establishment element to them (as is traditional for Slam Poetry) that make you really question society, contemporary politics and the status quo. In her poem ‘Skin Poem (or Here comes the Science!)’ Simone Mansell Broome presents a rhapsodic, yet cynical look at the pre-eminence of the quest for beauty that so many engage in whatever the cost! Attila the Stockbroker had an excellent poem for anyone with a bone to pick with politicians entitled ‘Looters’.

There were also some alternative love poems. These included Brenda Read Brown’s poem, ‘NCP’ about romance at the end of a date in a multi-story car park, and 2011 Slam runner-up Dan Duke’s endearing poem, ‘Confused Love’ about what it is to be a dyslexic in love. The anthology also features ‘A Five Part Relationship Poetic Drama’ by 2011 Slam winner, Amy Rainbow, and Gary Longden showing a lively example of Slam Poetry in action as they put each other down in a punchy battle of verbal wit.

Many of them were very lyrical and some were even musical! John Denton and Adrian Mealing were superb as the musical comic duo, ‘The Very Grimm Brothers’ and were a pleasure to see perform live. If you don’t get a chance to see them in person, they’re the second feature on track 1 of the CD.

A lot of the poems have an anti-establishment element to them (as is traditional for Slam Poetry) that make you really question society, contemporary politics and the status quo. In her poem ‘Skin Poem (or Here comes the Science!)’ Simone Mansell Broome presents a rhapsodic, yet cynical look at the pre-eminence of the quest for beauty that so many engage in whatever the cost! Attila the Stockbroker had an excellent poem for anyone with a bone to pick with politicians entitled ‘Looters’.

There were also some alternative love poems. These included Brenda Read Brown’s poem, ‘NCP’ about romance at the end of a date in a multi-story car park, and 2011 Slam runner-up Dan Duke’s endearing poem, ‘Confused Love’ about what it is to be a dyslexic in love. The anthology also features ‘A Five Part Relationship Poetic Drama’ by 2011 Slam winner, Amy Rainbow, and Gary Longden showing a lively example of Slam Poetry in action as they put each other down in a punchy battle of verbal wit.

The poets are all easy to associate with, on paper and in person. Fergus McGonigal, for one, had a great sense of the very British beaten, but still standing, spirit in his poem, ‘It Could Have Been Worse’.

The Malvern Poetry Slam will be back in October for its fourth year. If you are interested in getting involved and having your poetry featured in next year’s ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ anthology or you would just like to test your poetry skills in a competition then you can enter by emailing info@versatilearts.co.uk or by registering on the Versatile Arts’ website. I hope to see you on stage soon!