Write to Speak featuring Tony Walsh and Dennis Just Dennis at Hull Truck - Wednesday 15th June 09 By Mark Walmsley

The third and final Write to Speak event of this season at the Hull Truck Theatre on Wednesday 15th July, was headlined by two nationally acclaimed performance poets, Dennis Just Dennis and Tony Walsh, who both hail from Manchester. The nights entertainment was introduced by local poet Joe Hakim who was, in effect 'on the subs bench' as far as performing on these occasions go. Joe has a bigger challenge and I dare say a bigger audience to present himself to at the fourth Latitude Festival in Suffolk where he is performing in the poetry arena on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July. So on this occasion he could relax and take in the show.

Mike Watts, a local poet and like Joe, a caretaker of the Write to Speak events who has seen his fair share of national appointments, was the first up onto the stage and in his usual raw style, delivered a volley of entertaining recitals. In my view, 'Five Hundred Yards' is one of his best as Mike encapsulates a real insight into grass roots poetry and is undeniably Hull to the core. His actions, accent and humorous nuances make Mike a great performer and always a pleasure to see.

After the break, Mike introduced the first of the featured performers, Dennis Just Dennis. The audience would have been forgiven in wondering where he could have left his horse, as Ferensway doesn't have a livery stable but the Stetson and Bob Dylan persona where purely for effect. When he spoke, the expected Texan Ranger accent made way for what sounded like Noel Gallagher. Dennis had quite a deliberate style of delivery and he seemed focused on ensuring his lines rhymed for the sake of rhyming in an almost scripted way, which is a style I found quite forced but also enjoyable.

The one part of Dennis's set I didn't find quite right for the night was the unaccompanied singing. At an open festival I could easily see where it would fit in but to my mind, it didn't help the fluency of his set. Never the less, Dennis was well worth seeing and his A-Z poem was quite clever.

Next on was, who I considered the 'main attraction', Tony Walsh. He had an immediate connection with the audience and made everyone quite at ease. His thoughtful requests for the type of poetry he would like to deliver where touching but as this is Hull, not necessary; we are used to much more than a risquŽ poem. After reflection on Tony's set I can best describe him as a great wordsmith. He had good use of volume in his poems from shouting to whispering. Also, the various speeds at which he delivered them, the anticipated next word or line and the emotional feelings he put behind his delivery was great, another twist to my conception of performance poetry.

His poems where very well engineered and I was pretty much transfixed with every one, each a story of its own, a sort of mini book which you can't put down until you finish. A really great part of the show and I hope he makes another visit next season.

thisisUll.com Featured Writer Mark Walmsley
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