Yanny Mac reviews our opening night:
In years to come, people will say “I was there. I was at the inaugural launch of Norwich Poetry Club”. (Even if they weren’t).
Sorry if you couldn’t get in. We thought about bigger venues, but downstairs at The Bicycle Shop in St.Benedict’s is more suited to our plans, and 50 people max. is a perfect sized audience for a spoken-word gig.
Compered admirably by the ever-loveable John Osborne, NPC gave us Luke Wright’s ‘ballad set’ as the local poet’s offering.
Bouncing between belly-laughs, satire & pathos, Wright set the tone for the evening, opening with “Fat Josh” and then holding our hands tightly, as we embarked on an emotional rollercoaster ride of rhyme & reasoned verse.
The second half belonged to Martin Newell. Standing-in at the last minute for Caroline Bird, the UK’s “most published poet” seemed relaxed and loquacious, as he furnished us with anecdotes, jokes & what seemed like a poetic travelogue around the Eastern Counties.
The audience responded marvellously to our two poets. People of all ages, and from all backgrounds hung on every word spoken, whilst delighting in the excellent ale selection, and helping themselves to jaffa cakes & jammie dodgers.
Norwich Poetry club will return to The Bicycle Shop on March 16th, with Elvis McGonagall and the ubiquitous (and ever-loveable) John Osborne.
It’s an intimately small venue.
Will you be there?
