Knaresborough’s first poetry and performance festival. Just think about that for a moment. Stephanie Jones, the creator of Release the Hounds, brought the cream of stand-up poetry and innovative theatre to town thus allowing its audience to experience an eclectic mix of ‘big city’ culture.
The three-night run at the Frazer Theatre (Knaresborough’s best venue, in my opinion) featured five acts, all of which perform to sell-out crowds nationwide. With them, they brought a whole world of new possibilities that allowed a keen and eager local audience to go through their own poetic epiphany.
The first night saw Byron Vincent (the ‘other Byron’, as he was known on the estate he grew up in) tell a couple of short poetic wonders; haikus. The night then became a roller-coaster of his life; funny, sad, harrowing; stories of bi-polar, being sectioned and a run-down of his medication’s side-effects (one of which included death!).
 |
| Byron Vincent |
The night continued with Molly Naylor. Her understated beginning lured the audience into a false state of security; a nice, safe and cosy environment. Suddenly, Naylor dropped a rucksack at the front of the stage, there was an audible intake of breath as, through the power of description, we were transported to a 7/7 bomb-blast, we were choking in the smoke and dust, trapped in a train filled with screams and nightmares. Then, we experienced the slow, meandering journey back to ordinary life (if there is such a thing). Naylor’s performance was both powerful and gripping.
 |
| Molly Naylor |
The second night saw Tim Clare, a ball of nervous energy, read verse after verse of hilarity. Clare finished off with a split-personality rap, featuring himself and his psychiatrist, who explained on the downbeat how to get the desired hip-hop feel. Tim Clare can be proud; the hip-hop revolution has finally reached Knaresborough!
 |
| Tim Clare |
The final act of the night was Luke Wright, who appeared to be something of a poster-boy; a jack-the-lad TOWIE-persona and genuine Essex-boy. Immediately, he went into swooning loops of poetic prose that consisted of such power and complexity, leading the audience into new territory. Wright’s in-between observations and stories produced howls of laughter and mirth from the audience (especially one involving a lion in his hometown!). It was incredible how Wright’s poetry (and the man himself) metamorphosed mid-performance into a completely different whaling character – scary, but exhilarating. The set finished with spoken song; Wright’s tribute to ‘lost boozers’ (his words!) and the life and community that disappears when they inevitably shut down.
 |
| Luke Wright |
Sunday night, the final evening of the festival, saw the audience split. ‘Bang Said the Can’ played ‘The Hart Bar’ in town, while ‘Third Angel’played at the Frazer Theatre. Alas, I wished I could be in two places at once! I chose to see Third Angel, and as I waited for the act to begin, I noticed a long row of red chairs on the stage. Then, a man walked on stage and removed his sock. He bizarrely started to discuss his athlete’s foot – a very unusual way to begin a performance! A very intimate hour ensued; Third Angel cracked open a bottle of Blacksheep Beer and recollected his tales of obsession, lost love, what-men-do, not wanting love, overbearing mothers and violence; all accompanied by Third Angel moving the red chairs around in a very OCD way.
 |
| Third Angel
As Third Angel began with the bizarre, it only seemed
right that they end with the bizarre. My expectations were met; the final act
consisted of Third Angel telling a description of how to
remove the human brain (for autopsy). The clinical, skin-crawling description
was told in a matter-of-factly way that made me think “Wow! This could
happen to anyone!”
The addition of the other high-quality acts brought to Knaresborough (Emergency
Poet, Replete (Graffiti Artist), Henry Raby) made for a fine mix of
poetry that can be enjoyed by anyone. Stephanie Jones’ three-year-plan should
be embraced – positive change is a rare thing! Release the Hounds was
a first-class mix of the incredible, the gripping and the bizarre that left me
hungry for more. See you there next year!
 
For more information on Release the Hounds, visit: http://www.rthfestival.co.uk
Alternatively, you can like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rthfestival
Or, follow them on Twitter: @rthfestival
|
No comments:
Post a Comment