Write Angle - The Performance Branch of The Petersfield Writer's Workshop

The Performance Branch of The Petersfield Writer's Workshop

	Reviews are listed from newest to oldest!
	Workshop still full of the Write Stuff Review by Richie Troughton, Petersfield Herald (Friday 18th Aprill 2008) PETERSFIELD Writers Workshop have been all go lately. In addition to securing a regular monthly slot for the forseeable future at the Square Brewery for the Write Angle night they last week had a chance to perform at the Business and Community Awards (as well as being nominated for an award). The latest Write-Angle evening, held upstairs at the Square Brewery, and a packed room saw a stellar mix of the workshops own members, people who turned up on the night with some ideas of their own and the usual "special guest" slot. On this occasion that guest was Speech Painter, by day a watchmaker in Midhurst, by evening a storming wordsmith of the highest order. Being a poet is not always an easy gig, especially when performing in environs outside the relative enlightened shelter of the Write-Angle club. Having realised this (experiences from a pub in Leeds are mentioned) Speech Painter (aka Geoff Allnutt) has come up with a rapid fire assault to combat the heckles with a quick wit and a sharp tongue, with a lyrical twist on Cole Porter's "You're The Tops" changed to "You're The Pits". Later an introduction to "the future" of language as an ode to the current obsession with abbreviations is dispensed with. What made this even more impressive was it was all done from memory, with barely a breath drawn, and with the skill of the sharpest rapper and the lyrical nous of a true master of the English language. This was followed with a trip down memory lane as Speech Painter told of how he came to follow in his father's footsteps into clock making, and an entertaining autobiographical piece about the perils and pitfalls of internet dating - suggesting a method with quicker results - "internet mating". The night was not just about poetry however, and various singers took to the stage, armed with acoustic guitars. Phil Jeays performed sweet sounding but in places filthy funny tunes while sound man Jezz closed the evening with a romp through David Bowie's "Kooks". Perhaps most amusingly was regular Audi Maserati's turn, for whom, like John Cooper Clarke, it is simple pleasures that fuel his creative muse. He sang a song about beans on toast being the meal he likes the most and a poem about how the end of the week brings his high - because that's when he gets his cheese and onion pie. Compere Jake Claret keeps things going between acts, with quick responses to performer's pieces and some works of his own, with poems based on childhood memories, and a poem on family history, that, with the search going on, it leaves the story open to be reprised at a later date... Leah Cohen also read a story about her mother, dealing with a hurricane experience from her youth in Miami, on family togetherness. Elsewhere there was more poetry, song, stories, and anecdotes; some read from a sheet, others recited from memory; some funny, some serious; but one thing was clear - there was a lot of talent in the room. Despite a busy attendance, there were few members of the crowd that did not get up to read something, one girl even went downstairs to write something which she returned to read by the end of the night. Members of the group last week appeared at the Business and Community Awards at the Festival Hall, and while they came second in the arts and entertainment's section, and members, boosted again by that man Speech Painter, were also given a bigger platform to perform, with an eight-minute slot at the Festival hall bash to show the rest of the town what they have been up to. Leah Cohen said of the evening: "It was a very good evening and a very important one for us. We are now an 'establishment' in the Petersfield community and I can't ask for more than that."	Audi Maserati most memorable at Write Angle Excerpts from review by Kate Steaggles, Petersfield Post, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 The performance of the Disparate Housewives ......a highlight. go down well with ....audience ....worked hard to hone their act.., Like Ricky Gervais, when they were being serious you were never quite sure if it was genuine or part of the act... Write Angle members provided poems...songs on all ... subjects...Audi Maserati's performance ....most memorable. First, he got up and took off his coat, scarf and socks before having a stretch. He liked to perform his poetry that way, he said.... with.. guitar, he said poems were from his concept album: “ because I haven't actually recorded it yet!” ... poem Jonny Inspiration, ... particularly clever... reminiscent of John Hegley... Other highlights.....Gareth Tom's poems. Scarecrows drew on the topic of growing old and avoided cliché with its unusual metaphor. ... Harry Haines' poem The Widower...simple,... incredibly moving guest performer, Johnny Jet, read poems ... left audience wanting ... more. Compere Jake Claret ensured each performer was properly introduced... read some poems... very well received. writers from Brighton... Basingstoke. It is attracting quite a crowd. Not bad for a group ....only.....going nine months.



























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