Write to Speak featuring Luke Wright at Hull Truck - Monday 29th June 09 By Mark Walmsley

After attending the first Write to Speak session back in May featuring Mike Watts, Joe Hakim and Mandi Lowe, I certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to attend the second instalment with Luke Wright on Monday night. I arrived at pretty much the same time as the last Write to Speak performance at about 7.20 pm for an 8.00 kick off but was quite surprised to see that the bar and seating area was sparsely populated in comparison to the May session.

I grabbed myself a beer, sat down and waited for the deluge of Luke Wright fans.

I thought back to when Mandi, Joe and Mike illuminated my conception of performance poetry and the enthusiastic deliveries they each gave in their own style which then assured me that if that was anything to go by, the seeming lack of a prospective audience would soon be put right. The muffled 5 minute indication finally came over the speaker system that the performance was about to begin in the upper studio area. This made me smile as it sounded like an announcement that the 7:55 to Doncaster was just about to depart from platform 4; which probably tells you more about my bizarre thought processes than the Hull Truck announcer and its sound system, so I duly took my seat, pint in hand.

As the audience filtered in, I was slightly disappointed that the auditorium was only half full (or half empty) depending how you view the world and I already started to feel sorry for Luke playing to a short house which in no way relates to a personal insult to small people in the audience or indeed the cast - well one of them (only joking Mike).

Speaking of which, as the lights came up Mike came out in his usual confident style. I felt in this performance he seemed a little bit more at ease with the audience. His delivery was almost as though he where with his friends and family in front of a set which I assume was an overbuild from the play Every Time it Rains as it formed an unusual backdrop of damp plastered walls and worn kitchen units. At least afforded a central stage doorway by which to enter the active theatre space. Mike recited a few pieces of his work from the first Write to Speak, which I recognised but are still enjoyable to listen to again.

There was a dual performance by Joe and Mike sat in a clinic waiting room, which was very entertaining, and very 'Hull' which seemed to be appreciated by the audience and Mike then formally introduced Joe Hakim to the stage for his repertoire. This time round I thought that he seemed a little less 'frosty' with his entrance and like Mike, very at home with the ensemble of the appreciative crowd and I really enjoyed his set as it is quite clear that the more you listen to Joe, the more of an understanding you can get for his work.

Slightly off the performance issues for both Mike and Joe, it has to be said there was a disturbing fixation with Jeremy Kyle, as both had references to him during their performance, obviously some form of influential or spiritual guidance - Who knows? Intermission - Pint

After a quick break and another announcement that the 8:45 for Cross Gates was leaving from platform 1, we all sauntered back into the auditorium where some of the audience, myself included took advantage of the half filled house and re distributed ourselves into a more spacious area for the main bill Luke Wright, who was introduced by Joe. My first impression of Luke was hard to jump to, with his modular hair do, 12-year-old face, suit and sandals.

I conjured up a vision of what Jesus would have looked like if his dad had made him go to Eton on his first day. That said, Luke took immediate command of the stage and the audience and his fast and well spoken delivery was another angle on what I had previously heard from Mandi, Mike or Joe and the experience of performance poetry just simply gets better and better. Luke was well rounded as a performer and made me feel comfortable watching him, he was also witty and funny as well as literarily competent.

What Luke will not have realised is that in my experience, the people of Hull, although generally friendly (with the exception of my neighbours) do not suffer fools gladly and as a Southerner, Luke could have had a tough time of it should he have been any less skilful with the spoken word than he was, but his whole performance was another inspiring visit to 'Write to Speak' for me. Final Curtain

Now to the downside - not the performances, not the obvious effort put in by all the organisers but the attendance and possibly lack of publicity. Each empty seat represented a member of this city who has missed out on what they never knew existed as performance poetry. The faithful half of the auditorium were an already converted flock who I am sure will turn up as regular as avid churchgoers, but there was, for me, a lost opportunity to take Mike, Joe's and Luke's (see, sounds like 3 apostles already!) skills to a wider audience who are as yet unaware that anything like this exists.

Anyone absent from Monday nights performance who is remotely interested in reading, writing or the arts in general missed an absolute belter of a night but by supporting the Write to Speak performances of the future would guarantee an amazing portal for all budding writers and performers.

thisisUll.com Featured Writer Mark Walmsley
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