Poetry Café
Hampton Haikus and Eclogues
Poetry Café
compiled by Anne Warrington
Poetry Performance Events at the Hampton Hill Theatre, 24th August
Review by Denis Valentine
The Hampton Hill Theatre offers a lovely community space for performances of many different theatrical styles and variety. The poetry night it put on was a great ode to the medium and showcased the different forms poetry can and may take.
The evening began with The Beast, a fun theatrical tale, with good energy well told by writer and performer Sam Ball, which set the tone well of a fun, welcoming and supportive night. Heather Moulson’s Basket of Poems led to some amusing audience interaction and were delightful with their metaphorical cheekiness.
Throughout the night Annie Morris and Ian Lee-Dolphin provided some delightful musical performances. Morris offers a voice that bounces well between folky, to country, to an almost classical style, and keeps the evening flowing well between the poems being offered.
Guests and professional poets Martin Figura and Helen Ivory brilliantly displayed the other facets that poetry might have. Figura’s readings, rather than be whimsical or tongue in cheek, were much more grounded in exploring the actual human experience whilst going through or trying to understand things such as war. Whereas Ivory’s pieces were more reflective in contemplating the almost deftness that events such as the accusing and burning of witches were allowed to happen. It was wonderful for the audience to see two high class poets display their work and add to the diverse and stylish offerings of the evening.
The second half of the show offers a slight switch in tone with the common main theme of AI being explored and discussed in the works. Again there are a variety of examples of the different forms and ways poetry can be presented, including actual poems from AI generated work. There was a selection of haikus, duologues, solo pieces. Your Call Is Important to Us, written by Patricia Cammish and performed by Sam Ball, Sue Bell and Graham Harmes, serves as a highlight (especially relatable to anyone who has suffered the pitfalls of dealing with modern day automated customer service).
The night was a great reminder of the different styles and facets that poetry can encompass, whether it be reflective on history, fantasy, contemplation about past events or just fun and metaphorical. It also served to show why the Hampton Hill Theatre is still a great theatrical space and deserves to be maintained and one hopes upgraded by whatever is generated by its fundraiser.
Denis Valentine, August 2024
Photography courtesy of Poetry Performance Events
Mark Aspen 