@ Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh until Monday 31 August @ 21:00
It’s 2015 and Loud Poets are back at the Scottish Storytelling Centre with another Fringe show that combines, performance poetry, music, comedy and video. The format is similar to their successful show last year, but the poetry is new, the music slicker and the performances bolder.
What makes a Loud Poets show feel unique and fresh is the fact that every night is different. The Loud Poets themselves are a collective of ten spoken word artists, with different members from the collective taking the stage each night. There is also a guest poet at each performance and this night the accolade was given to Edinburgh based performer Freddie Alexander who took to the stage with enthusiasm and vigour.
A comedy video introduced the evening which asked the question ‘why do I write?’. This question was brought up throughout the show, with each poet taking to the stage to deliver passionate and personal verses, that showcased their love for poetry and a compulsion to perform. Agnes Török kicked off the poetry for the evening with a love letter to the medium. Her style and stage presence is immense, with an ability to engage an audience with words and poise. Other Loud Poets on the bill this evening included Miko Berry, Kevin McLean, Katie Ailes and Doug Garry Each poet was backed by the ‘Loud Band‘ who improvised and played a variety of musical styles which evoked hip hop, jazz and folk. Their accompaniment enhanced the poetry and helped take the words to the next level.
The format of the show is a winner, as the audience is exposed to a wide variety of styles and voices. However if you caught the 2014 show, then it may feel just a bit too familiar. Having said this the Loud Poets Fringe show is definitely pure entertainment and is probably the best performance poetry show on the Fringe.