Poetry International, Southbank Centre

IN 1967 poet, children’s writer and poet laureate, Ted Hughes founded the Southbank Centre’s (SBC) biennial Poetry International festival.

His vision was to highlight both traditional and new forms of poetry, welcoming poets from across the world for a varied programme of talks, readings, workshops, performances, music, films, family and free events.

Now nearly 50 years on the festival returns to the South Bank for four days of events from Thursday to Sunday showcasing this ancient art form.

This year’s event shines a spotlight on themes of conflict, war, censorship, oppression and shifting politics and features stories of political adversity and personal struggle.

As well as recitals and readings the packed line up features music, translation, new commissions and free events.

It includes a special focus on poets and their work from the Middle East and South East Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Iran and the Palestinian Territories and Syria.

Among this year's highlights will be two groups of Pashtun poets. The first are a group of Pakistan refugees who fled from the Taliban to renew their ancient craft of writing poetry celebrating nature, tribal culture and love after being forced to compose jihadist messages of war and brutality.

The other is Mirman Baheer Society, am Afghan women's literary society based in Kabul who risk their lives to write poetry, often writing under the protection of pen names.

There is also some traditional poetry from Pakistan which is being specially translated into English for the first time.

As well as the groups from Pakistan and Afghanistan there will be more than 30 other poets, writers, translators, performers and musicians at the festival from more than 10 countries who will present a wide variety of work.

Those taking part include Sahera Sharif, Ghareeb Iskander, Sasha Dugdale, Saleem Khan, Sahid Ullah Khan, Dilawar Khan, Choman Hardi, Warsan Shire, Kei Miller, Imtiaz Dharker, Malika Booker and Jo Shapcott.

A year in the making it has been curated by SBC’s Anna Selby who says she is thrilled to be bringing such an "incredible and vibrant" programme to London audiences.

“When the festival was originally set up, Ted Hughes looked at what was happening around the world,” says Anna.

“At that time his aim was to bring poets and poetry from places beyond the iron curtain and share their work.

"He wrote that poetry is 'a universal language of understanding in which we can all hope to meet' and so we thought what would he do today? What are the issues poets face today? We looked at the most pressing issues of the world today and decided to focus on the Middle East and South East Asia.

"We wanted to give poets from these countries a voice and to listen to what they have to say.

"Too often we see such negative images of these places in the news so to have something positive that represents their culture and language through one of the oldest traditions and art forms in the world is amazing.”

However, Anna admits gathering such a contingent together was not without its difficulties.

"It took about a year to put together and there were a lot of challenges,” she says. “To begin with we had to find them – however, there are about 700,000 refugees displaced in camps at the moment and finding them amongst all these people, not to mention the contacts and translators that we could work with was tricky.

"We had to track them down and then make sure it was safe for them to travel."

For some the team were able to get them out and bring them to the festival but Anna says it was not a possibility for everyone.

"For some it was just too dangerous - not just to travel but to reveal their identity," she says. "Also some poets we wanted to be part of the festival were unable to come because they couldn’t get visas – a lot of the places in some countries where you get visas have shut down or they were too expensive to buy.

“It’s meant that for some poets like Iranian Sabeer Haka we will read his work as he can’t be here himself. He is a construction worker and writes some of the best poetry I’ve read in years.”

Despite the difficulties Anna says the festival will nonetheless showcase some of the very best poetry as well as show its power to influence, inspire, and engage.

“Poets are great spokespeople and philosophers of the modern world and getting them to talk about what’s going on is uplifting and refreshing,” she says.

“Language is so beautiful and a lot of countries have strong traditions of poetry and it is the most ancient form of storytelling.

"We have a whole range of events going on over the four days so there will be something for everyone including many free activities."

These include a chance for families to bring along a poem which will be included in a special book to be held in the Poetry Library.

"We have a free session for families on Saturday called Around The World In 80 Poems which we ask people to bring in a favourite poem, story or saying," says Anna.

"It can be from your home, your country, town or community or can even be something you've made up. Those who take part will work with artist and poet Sophie Herxheimer to create beautiful poetry pages to add to a new book which will be housed in our Poetry Library.
"On Sunday writer and photographer Yemisi Blake will be leading a poetry and censorship workshop for those aged between 14 and 18.

"He will help them use creative writing and photography to look at themes of censorship and speaking out.

"It will be an amazing few days," she adds. "I feel poetry is one of the things we still keep as sacred. In any cemetery you will see poetry quoted and at rites of passage such as naming ceremonies and weddings we turn to poetry.

"It will lift your spirits or make your feel morose and it paints a picture and I hope people who come to this festival will be inspired and engaged by what they see and hear.

"Ted Hughes was a global poet and I hope we have stayed true to his vision and that he would approve of the range of countries and languages we have got here.

"It's been such a privilege to have worked on this festival and it feels like a real celebration of lots of different people, cultures and languages coming together."

Southbank Centre's Poetry International festival takes place between Thursday, July 23 and Sunday, July 26. Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk or call 0844 847 9910 for full listings and ticket prices.

Orson's Shadow - Southwark Playhouse

Three stars

IN a clash of theatrical titans it surely doesn't come much bigger and better than one between Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier.

The pair are thrown together in a play about them doing a play together back in 1960. Written by American actor and writer Austin Pendleton, Orson's Shadow is part fact, part fiction.

It imagines what happened when Welles was persuaded by theatre critic Kenneth Tynan to direct Olivier in the English premiere of Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros at the Royal Court.

At the time Olivier was riding on the crest of a theatrical wave having wowed everyone in The Entertainer. Welles meanwhile had the weight of his classic film Citizen Kane on his broad shoulders, something that he couldn't shake off.

Indeed when the play begins, we see him in Dublin, playing in a howler of a production of Chimes Of Midnight to an almost empty house.

And so he is persuaded - perhaps against his better judgement - to meet Olivier and direct him in London.

What actually happened is that somewhere along the line Welles ended up not directing it afterall and Pendleton's story tries to imagine what might have gone wrong.

There is much backstage theatrical sparring to be had between the two great men who clearly had big egos, but it also a chance to see their perceived flaws.

Welles, is a colossus of a man who is still clearly frustrated at the fact the movie bosses in Hollywood have ditched him.

Olivier, recently hooked up with future wife Joan Plowright whilst still married to Vivien Leigh, doesn't take direction well. And while he blossoms like a flower unfurling when praise comes his way, he is also being outshone by Joan, and his petulance shines through.

The six strong cast are great. John Hodgkinson as Welles and Adrina Lukis as Olivier put in well-observed performances. They are ably supported by Gina Bellman as a vampish and fragile Vivien Leigh and Louise Ford as a gentle but determined Joan Plowright.

It is a piece full of gossip, bitchiness and wicked humour, but there is also a lot of sadness within it. As such the play makes a decent stab at what might have happened between the great men and is both entertaining and interesting. However, the characters are so fascinating I was left wanting more!

Orson's Shadow is on at the Southwark Playhouse, Newington Causeway until Saturday, July 25. Tickets cost £18. Visitwww.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk or call the box office on 020 7407 0234.

Romeo & Juliet - Jack Studio Theatre

Three stars

ROMEO and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's best known and best loved plays. The story of the star crossed lovers is a tale full of the universal themes of passion, love and loyalty.

In a new adaptation by CandleFire Theatre Company, now on at the Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley, it has been given a contemporary feel with an up to the minute soundtrack and grungy costumes.

It is a lively and imaginative retelling of the Bard's classic tale. As well as being pared down to just under two hours, there are only 10 out of the original 21 characters to tell the story.

Not only that there are a few interesting twists including the delivery of the prologue and the ending.

Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but there is no doubt that it is staged with energy and enthusiasm.

The stage is bare save for a small table which when moved around the stage serves by turns as a bed, a tomb and a bench.

The direction was spot on and really brought out the characteristics and rivalries of the two gangs - the Capulets and the Montagues.

Romeo and his gang were full of swagger, charm and fun - party animals and out for a good time. Tybalt and Paris by comparison were cocky, aggressive and up for a fight.

And there are more than a fair few of those - fight choreographer Steve Bradley deserves special mention for the incredibly realistic fight scenes in which Balthazar in particular seemed to get more than his fair share of beatings.

The cast was generally good with some great performances, in particular Robert Fellman as Romeo and Turan Duncan as Mercutio.

I wasn't convinved about the ending - a twist on the original that also seemed rushed.

That said, this was a lively adaptation full of passion and energy.

Romeo and Juliet is on at the Jack Studio Theatre, Brockley Road, until Thursday, August 16. Tickets cost £14. Visit www.brockleyjack.co.uk or call the box office on 0333 666 3366.

Against Captain's Orders - National Maritime Museum

FIVE STARS

IF you’ve ever fancied yourself as an explorer, detective or sailor, an interactive show at the National Maritime Museum gives you a chance to be all three.

Against Captain’s Orders is a show which is about as immersive as they come, blending performance, storytelling, adventure and intrigue and is designed for all the family but especially those aged between six and 12.

It has been conceived and put together by theatre company Punchdrunk who have plenty of experience in staging innovative and immersive theatre and this shows off their not inconsiderable talents to the full.

I took my two kids, aged six and 10 to the show and we weren’t disappointed.

On arrival our 30-strong audience was split up into four nautical groups and asked to don the corresponding life-jackets - Midshipmen, Salvage, Ship’s Watch or Navigation.

Although we were never separated from the other groups and went through the 50-minute adventure together, it did allow us to do certain tasks according to our group.

We were met by curator Arthur and Glan (played on our visit by Matthew Odell and Sammy Kissin) who were to take us on our adventure.

It starts off in a pretty ordinary way. We were escorted through a dark door and in our groups were invited to sit in small wooden boats. Each had a mast and within each mast is one of the National Maritime Museum’s treasured exhibits and artefacts – in ours was a pair of drumsticks – each pertinent to the story that was about to unfold. The other boats had a glass bottle with a letter inside, a telescope or sextant.

As Glan and Arthur begin their story and encourage us to find out more about our objects Glan decides – against Museum orders – to take the bottle out of the mast. It is then that the fun begins for as she tries, the objects vanish and the museum appears to go into lockdown with sirens, tanoy announcements and a mist that starts swirling ominously.

As the sound effects begin to get louder we are herded out of the boats and through a door that takes us to the Dispatches Room where our adventure really begins.

This is the first of many rooms we get taken too and explore and it is amazing.

It is strewn with artefacts, objects, maps, papers, and Bertha, an enormous machine in the centre with lots of buttons to press, flashing lights and noises.

We are charged with finding the telescope in amongst all the other objects but we are given clues to do so.

Once found it goes into Bertha and we are taken to the next room. And so it goes on until all four objects are safely returned to the museum’s stores.

It is fascinating not least because of the impressive sets – something at which Punchdrunk excels. The attention to detail is incredible with each room stuffed to the gunnels with props a plenty. We were also taken down a rabbit warren of endless corridors and through the multitude of rooms including one full of maps and globes with a giant compass which we had to use to find the artefact, past the swashbuckling parrot room, evident from the coloured feathers spilling out from underneath the door, and even one which seemed to be made up entirely of sails hanging from the ceiling which we had to navigate our way through - with no real idea of where we were going.

It was dark at times, some rooms smelled, there were loud noises, crashes and bangs, ghostly drumming, it was disorientating and disconcerting and for some of the younger members of the audience, my six year old included, sometimes a bit frightening.

Indeed towards the end when we had but 90 seconds to get out before the museum locked us in, was tense for all of us! Would we get out alive? My six year old had his doubts.

But it was undeniably exciting and a huge amount of fun. Not only that we really felt as though we were on an important mission and thanks to the interactive nature of it we all felt included – indeed even the adults got a bit competitive wanting to be the one to find the rooms’ hidden treasures!

It was brilliantly put together, had a lovely story to it and was a proper adventure that not only entertained but allowed us to use our imaginations and our brains to look for clues so we could find the objects and get out in one piece.

As we had been commanded to be right at the beginning by Glan, we were brave, we were loyal and we were true - and we’d do it all again in a trice!

Against Captain’s Orders is on at the National Maritime Museum, off King William Walk, Greenwich until August 31. Tickets cost £19.75. Visit www.rmg.co.uk/ for full listings.

Wind In The Willows

AFTER a hugely successful run of Goldilocks And The Three Endings last year, theatre company Sixteenfeet Productions is set to return to South London this summer with its unique brand of open-air theatre.

The Walled Garden in Brockwell Park is to become the stage for Wind In The Willows, an evergreen classic by Kenneth Grahame adapted by Brixton-based writer Andy Walsh with original music by Guy Holden.

The production will run at Brockwell Park from Saturday until August 2 before heading off to the Rose Garden at Morden Hall Park between August 7 and 10 and then finally to Streatham Rookery between August 13 and 16.

The Lambeth-based theatre company has been bringing its summer promenade productions to venues in South London for the past five years. As in previous years this performance features original music, which is played live by the six-strong cast of actor-musicians.

For Andy it was a chance to bring this quintessentially English tale to life for modern audiences.

"It's a beautiful story and one I grew up with as a child and loved so I was really keen to adapt it for this year's show," he says.

"It's got everything you need in a story - adventure, loyalty, great characters and is full of sentiment. It is also a story that really lends itself to an outdoor production so it totally fitted the bill.

"It's been a joy to do and we've had a lot of fun getting it ready for production."

As in the original story, the audience will get to meet the impulsive Toad, the good-natured Mole, the wise Ratty and the reclusive Badger and follow them and their adventures around the garden.

However, adapting their story presented a few minor challenges for Andy and the team.

"Some of the language, dialogue and the references in the original are of their time so I've adapted it a bit and given it a bit of a contemporary feel with a few tweaks here and there," says Andy.

"However, I wanted to stay as true to the story as I could so those who have grown up with it like I did will recognise it.

"Also the book is set in different locations and over many months but this play had to be distilled into a performance lasting an hour.

"Not only that, this is a promenade production so each scene is set in a different part of the garden and the audience follows the characters around.

"It's very much theatre without barriers which is great and the audience will be within touching distance of the characters. They will see them zipping about and through the audience so it will be really exciting and a lot of fun.

"The outdoor spaces we are performing in are some of the most beautiful places and really lend themselves to these kind of performances," he adds.

"What's great is that for those who may not have been to the theatre before or who are a bit intimidated by it, it's a great introduction.

"It's also a lovely family production so all ages can enjoy it and will get different things out of it and it's the right length to bring kids along to.

"It's a lovely atmosphere too and each year people bring picnics to have either before or after the show."

Of course the main challenge will be the weather but Andy says they will be able to deal with the the vagaries of the English weather.

"We are all doing sun dances in a bid to make sure this glorious weather will continue!" he laughs.

Wind In The Willows is on at Brockwell Park from Saturday, July 25 until Sunday, August 2, the Rose Garden at Morden Hall Park between Friday, August 7 and Monday, August 10 and Streatham Rookery between Thursday, August 13 and Sunday, August 16. Call 07958 448690 or visit www.sixteenfeet.co.uk to book tickets or for full listings.