Dry/Soak at the Alma Theatre
The Alma Theatre provided a perfect space for this performance, an intimate venue that held the words spoken. More spoken word must be performed here, although based on this sold out evening, these shows will demand a bigger venue soon. Soak by Isadora Vibes aka Katie Grant and Dry Season by Kat Lyons are both solo poetry/spoken word shows, written and performed by these two women.
Isadora is the artistic director for Dada For Girls, creating award-winning feminist, avant-grade punk performance. Her book starts with this quote: ‘I feel all the shadows of the universe multiplied deep inside my skin.’ – Virginia Woolf, Diary, 5 November 1931.
This performance breathed life into her debut poetry collection, Soak: tender; cutting; ethereal; vulnerably sensual, yet sharp as knives, as she explores her role as a woman, mother, daughter, wife, partner and the power-play within these relationships. I’ve seen Isadora perform a number of times and love her utter immersion and commitment to what she does. As a ‘woman of a certain age’, I find her un-conformist nature completely inspiring; if you are drawn to the off-kilter, under-ground world of how women really feel and what they really want, you’ll love her.
Bristol based people go and see her show, while she’s still local, read her book, her passion is contagious.
You can buy Isadora Vibes’ Soak from ‘Burning Eye Books’ here.
Kat Lyons is a Bristol-based poet, writer, storyteller and performer with a background in live art and troublemaking.
I first saw Kat perform at ‘That’s What She Said’ Bristol based feminist spoken word night organised by Bridget Hart and ‘For Book’s Sake’ – I was hooked immediately. Her unapologetic words deliver eloquent punches, her poetry challenging audiences to look her straight in the eyes and meet her for who she is. Kat’s performance is compelling and magnetic. If you enjoy, twisted fairy tales, mixed with blood, dirt and power go and see Kat.
Lately, I’ve noticed Kat is in demand, she’s performing all over the UK and hosts events with spoken word producer, ‘Raise The Bar’.
Dry Season speaks intimately about identity, aging (my auto correct changed that to raging – and I feel that was quite appropriate) as a woman and menopause delivered through a poetic autobiographical journey. While Kat runs to the Blondie track ‘One Way or Another’, she talks about her experience of premature ovarian failure and the death of her mother. The juxtaposition of this delivery makes her words human and hard-hitting, while literally keeping the show moving forward.
Dry Season is Kat’s first solo show and has been developed through National Lottery funding from Arts Council England. It was performed as a work in progress and I’m excited to see how the work develops.
See what else is coming up at the Alma Theatre
