REVIEW: 'Kid, I Wrote Back' Spoken Word Night

Kid, I Wrote Back is three years old. An established part of the London poetry scene created by poets Chimene Suleyman and Dylan Sage it’s a platform for new and established poets to perform. In the basement of Bar Kick every second week of the month magic happens with every type of poetry and spoken word on offer.

The freezing cold night began with open mic show casing poems about Johnny Cash songs, New York and erm...imaging having sex with yourself. We’ve all imagined that, haven’t we? Oh dear.

And so the night began with the first featured act, the brilliant Bruno Vincent who gave us embarrassing stories that ranged from the magnificence of a large poo but its alternative final destination is a thing of deep trauma to the mind and those social moments when creating a gay best friend so as to not appear awkward around other gay people is not best recommended. Who else could have made a story about a woman on a train talking about how she lost her father and brothers so funny, I was doubling up in laughter. It was funny, I promise.

Next came poet and funny man Robert Auton with his tale of the sky that made us realise that there might be television weathermen but there really is a weather man who lives in the skies. He even made the word ‘depressed’ somehow even more depressing yet make everyone crack up with laughter.

At this stage is should mention I decided to put my name down to perform a poem and short story. The result was a very vague short story and a very awkward performance. I’ve turned into a rusty old thing.

After an open mic from the brilliant Anthony Anaxagorou the final act of the night takes to the stage.  Inua Ellams recites poems about his homeland of Nigeria, a love poem from the civil war and we all listen intently in the intimate gathering.

The night was wonderful and expresses the best of what spoken word has to offer. Fun as always, here’s to another three years more to Kid, I wrote back.

https://www.facebook.com/kidiwroteback