Heathcote Williams’ radical new work, Poetry Can F*ck Off is coming to The Cockpit Theatre, London on 29th, 30th, and 31st October 2015; and The Other Place Theatre, Brighton on 20th, and 21st November.
“Poetry Can F*ck Off is a revolution in poetry. And it’s the revolution in poetry”
-Jeremy Hardy
When Brainfruit artistic director and seasoned performer, Roy Hutchins began his daily visits to Brighton Occupy in 2011, he did what he does best – rouse the crowds with the words of radical poet, Heathcote Williams.
Williams, known for his idiosyncratic documentary/investigative poetry style, was in turn inspired by Hutchins’ activism to reflect on the role of poetry in all political uprisings, and Poetry Can F*ck Off was born.
“A picker pucker panoramic poetry parade”
–John Hegley
Performed with live music, Brainfruit’s epic production charts the great resistance movements from the Peasants’ Revolt to Occupy Wall Street. Over 80 poets are referenced in a 55-minute mind-bending maelstrom – a compendium of the courageous, creative voices who called for change, from Shelley to Ginsberg to Pussy Riot.
Their Edinburgh run culminated in Williams being awarded the most prestigious award of the festival: The Glasgow Herald Archangel – Lifetime’s Achievement Award.
“From Tahrir Square to Fukushima to Mesopotamia, this is not canonical school stuff – it’s electrifying and erudite, passionate and political”
-Three Weeks
Roy Hutchins is joined by Sameena Zehra, who cut her teeth performing AIDS awareness shows on the streets of Delhi; Jonny Fluffypunk, designated poet of the Bristol squat scene; Selina Nwulu, daughter of Nigerian refugees, charting her parents’ flight from the civil war in her poetry; and they are joined by a host of special guests – all underscored with live, original music from Dr Blue.
“A convincing case for poetry as weapon of choice in the revolution”
-Sabotage Reviews
In the light of recent political events, this radical work finds itself a part of a much larger movement of artists, liberals and activists calling for change, and the response (and in many cases participation) of the audience has been electric. The reminder that words alone can bring down a tyrant, encapsulate a vision, or simply embarrass complacent leaders into action, has never been more timely.
Auden said, “Poetry
Makes nothing happen.” Auden
Was quite mistaken.
The world that you know
Can have its entire shape changed
By just one poem. Poetry teaches
The heart to think.
“Poetry was school”
Roddy Doyle recalls.
“All poetry could fuck off.”
Professor Wu says:
“This much needed poetic call to arms promises to provide a crucial rallying cry against authority figures whose pursuit of power at all costs threatens to reduce our society and culture to binary and uninspired norms of cultural subservience and insignificance. Nothing in the Rulebook wholeheartedly recommends you attend one – if not all! – of these upcoming shows. This revolution will be poetic.”
Further reading
To find out more about the project, follow @PoetryCanFckOff on Twitter, Like their Facebook Page and check out their website!
nothing in the rulebook 