Fractious ‘othering’ – Brexit, Trump, fences and closed ports at the borders of Europe, and the rest – poisons our world. In 1630 John Donne preached that ‘No man is an island’. In a collage of 17th-century and contemporary poems and music, No-one is an Island expresses joy, sorrow, pride, anxiety and passion in an aural performance of our emotional connection with each other.
Emerging poet Raymond Antrobus joins the celebrated David Harsent to perform their own work and a fusion of 17th, 20th and 21st century metaphysical poetry. They are accompanied by the music of Holly Cullen-Davies and her creative and versatile performance project, Live Junction. Tough and beautiful work from award-winning contemporary women poets – Judith Kazantzis, Ellen Hinsey, Malika Booker, Hannah Sullivan – weaves through the evening’s playlist.
This innovative event celebrates the prestigious PBS Winter Choice which is awarded to one of the UK’s most important new voices, spanning both spoken word and page poetry traditions. Renowned for his electrifying performances, Raymond Antrobus explores dual heritage and d/Deaf experience in his first full poetry collection, The Perseverance, published by Penned in the Margins.
The performance takes place at St Martin within Ludgate, Ludgate Hill, London. Built in 1677-84 by Sir Christopher Wren, as St Paul’s Cathedral was under construction 200 yards up the street, St Martin within Ludgate is a darkly atmospheric neo-classical masterpiece of form, a resonant stage for the poetry and music of the time and the times we share today.
Fri 23 November 2018, 7.30pm
£20/15 conc. (+ booking fee)
Sensual, god-fearing, terrifying, uplifting, joyous – poems and music that speak to our essential human connection in these fractious and turbulent times. A collage of 17th-century and contemporary poems and music at St Martin within Ludgate, a beautiful and resonant Wren church.
Poems read by
Raymond Antrobus, David Harsent, Guest reader at large
Music performed by
Holly Cullen-Davies & Live Junction
Devised & directed by
Ian Grant
Produced by
Amy Liette Hunter
