You find me on the very edge of the diving board, teetering if you like, about to dive into the busiest summer of my life. I’d like nothing more than to splash around in the River Waveney and drink warm flat beer, but I gone wrote two shows and if I don’t tout them around I’ll spend the Autumn in penury. And, yes, sure, I quite like performing too.
So, here goes, below be info about my new shows, a gig with BECK and a tour with JOHN COOPER CLARKE. Gulp …
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WHAT I LEARNED FROM JOHNNY BEVAN
I’m delighted to announce that I have Joe Murphy (nabokov) on board with me as a director. Joe is top-notch, having won Fringe Firsts and countless other accolades for his work with nabokov theatre company. I have a long standing association with nabokov as its first creative director James Grieve worked on my first three shows. Joe joins a creative team of Ian Catskilken (score), Tom Clutterbuck (lights and technical), Sam Ratcliffe (illustrations and design) and Paul Jellis (Producer). A shitload of cooks and the broth is getting better.
I’m also delighted to announce that Penned in the Margins will be publishing WHAT I LEARNED FROM JOHNNY BEVAN in February 2016. I look forward to working with Tom Chivers again after the splendid job he did with my collection Mondeo Man. This means that my second collection, which is pretty much done, will be delayed until 2017.
Previews
11 July – Hotbed Festival, The Junction, Cambridge | 6pm | Tickets: http://www.junction.co.uk/what-i-learned-from-johnny-bevan
18 July – Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Suffolk | 1pm | Tickets: http://www.latitudefestival.com/tickets
Edinburgh Fringe
7 – 30 August (not 18) – SUMMERHALL, 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh | 4.55pm | Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/what-i-learned-from-johnny-bevan
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STAY-AT-HOME DANDY
My current show of poems and assorted wit (arf arf) will also be at the Fringe after it completes its UK tour, which keeps getting added to. This show feels tried and tested, slick and on song. Because my focus has been so much on Johnny Bevan I’ve kind of forgotten about this one, but there’s no doubt it’s the best hour of poetry I’ve created, so it’s exciting. The fact that I only have 25 mins between shows is exciting, not terrifying, right?
UK Tour
2 July – Hull Central Library | 8pm | Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/freedom-to-tell-tales-presents-stand-up-poet-luke-wright-in-stay-at-home-dandy-tickets-16987885222?aff=erelexporg
7 July – The Square & Compass, Worth Matravers, Dorset | 8pm | with Elvis McGonagall (hurrah!) | Tickets on door
8 July – Bridport Arts Centre, Bridport, Dorset | 8pm | Tickets: http://www.bridport-arts.com/events/luke-wright-stay-at-home-dandy/
9 July – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis | 8pm | Tickets: http://www.marinetheatre.com/luke-wright-presents-stay-at-home-dandy-thursday-9th-july/
11 July – Hotbed Festival, The Junction, Cambridge | 6pm | Tickets: http://www.junction.co.uk/stay-at-home-dandy
Edinburgh Fringe
6 – 30 August (not 18) – THE UNDERBELLY, 56 Cowgate, Edinburgh | 6.20pm | Ticketshttp://www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/whats-on/luke-wright-stay-at-home-dandy
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ON THE ROAD WITH JOHNNY CLARKE
I’m back on tour with John Cooper Clarke in the next few weeks. I’ve missed that emaciated word-slinger. He’s like a kind old punk uncle to me. All tickets details can be found on http://www.johncooperclarke.com
20 June – St Albans Arena
23 June – Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne Minster
24 June – Tiverton Community Arts Centre
25 June – The Watermark, Ivybridge
27 June – The Cabaret Tent, Glastonbury (I’m on stage at 8.35pm-9.05pm, just before John)
10 July – St Mary’s in the Castle, Hastings
12 July – The Ledbury Poetry Festival
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GLASTONBURY
As well as gigging with Johnny at Glasto I have my own headline slot (40 mins) in The Poetry & Words tent on Friday 26 June at 2.15pm.
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A GIG WITH BECK
Two years ago I took part in Beck’s Song Reader gig at The Barbican. It was a roaring success with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Jarvis Cocker and The guillemots interpreting songs from Beck’s scored (but never recorded album). As well as the musicians Kate Tempest, John Cooper Clarke, Simon Armitage and I did some poems in between on the theme of music and creativity. Beck apparently liked it so much he’s asked me (plus Armitage, Don Paterson, Sam Riviere, Jemima Foxtrot and more) to do a special one off gig with him at The Barbican this summer. The plan is we bring the words, he brings the music we have one day of rehearsal and then we do BIG OLD GIG.
Exciting, right? The gig is MONDAY 29 JUNE at The Barbican. Tickets here: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=18353
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LATITUDE
I have, for a tenth year, co-curated the Latitude Poetry Arena. I’m delighted with our line-up, including the likes of SIMON ARMITAGE, DOCTOR JOHN COOPER CLARKE,MICHAEL ROSEN, BLAKE MORRISON
NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE: THE WORLD’S WIFE,NICK HELM, JAZ COLEMAN, EDDIE ARGOS
THE LAST POETS,MURRAY LACHLAN YOUNG,JONATHAN EDWARDS, ROSS SUTHERLAND and many more. Latitude is 17-19 July in Suffolk. http://www.latitudefestival.com/line-up/