I have known for a few months that David and I will be performing at this year’s Ted Hughes festival that runs October 24 to 26th, 2014. But this morning I heard that the festival programme is now on the internet:
http://www.theelmettrust.org/festival—saturday-events
I am so excited.
I love performing next to David.
He has such a lot of experience in the theatre and a lack of ego which is so refreshing. He has done so many readings of both his poetry and novels. But he always thinks there is more to learn, and more boundaries to cross.
We have been reading and performing together since our first pamphlet
ROAD KILL – was published in 2012.
He has shown me that in performance – we are there to serve the poems. He also, I have realised, has a need to keep himself a little scared… This means that on the night of a performance, despite our careful planning beforehand he will be making changes to which poems we are going to perform, their order, and even which one of us will be reading which – right up to the moment we are being introduced.
It’s exhilarating.
He has such an easy open confidence on stage
He listens – and adapts
He gives to the audience
He is fun to be with
I have pretty much struck gold.
So it’s not surprising that I asked him to consider doing another pamphlet together. I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully he agreed and so Through the Woods was conceived. We asked Peter Tinkler – an artist we both know and admire to become the third part of the project. His original artwork will be with us at the Ted Hughes Festival.
And we have lifted our performance up a notch… I can’t call it a reading – its more like a duet, a pair of acrobats, or two streams slipping in and out of eachother’s paths – at least that’s how it feels to me!
I hope, if you have the chance to see us at Ted Hughes Festival – or at another venue that you find it exhilarating too
To find out more about David Calcutt:
http://davidcalcutt.com/new-book/
To find out more about Peter Tinkler:
http://www.petertinkler.com/About-Blog
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