James Domestic new “unwieldly titled” fringe show Poetry for People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry seeks to convert even the most poetry-hated to the love of the art form. FringeReview’s Noah Alfred Pantano asked James Domestic a few questions ahead of his upcoming performances at Colchester Fringe July 24/25.
NAP: Hey James! Tell me: what is the quick pitch for your show?
JD: It’s an hour of irreverent poetry and humour, with visuals also by me. There will be a little bit of audience participation (no singling people out and making them uncomfortable though; I don’t do that), and we’ll take a look at celebrities, cats, the dangers of technology, celebrity chefs, British politeness, addiction, prize-winning onanists, skiving off work and more. If you enjoy words and the absurdities of everyday life, then you’ll really enjoy it!
NAP: Poetry is admittedly an instant turn-off for a lot of people. Despite being an artsy person myself, I often wince at the idea of going to a poetry reading. How do you convince someone who doesn’t like poetry to come see your work?
JD: I think a lot of it is word of mouth. I’ve lost count of the times someone who does like poetry drags a reluctant partner or friend along and after the show the reluctant one comes up and says they didn’t know poetry could be like that and that they really enjoyed it. Those are the best moments – I consider those a real win!
I try to give people a clue in the show titles too…the aim is to let people who might be a bit put off by the word “poetry” know that this isn’t like the stuff they did at school and they can come and have a really fun night out.
NAP: What is it about poetry that makes people so adverse to it, and does your show do anything to subvert those opinions?
JD: I think, in the UK at least, most people’s first contact with poetry is at school, where they have Shakespeare and the war poets rammed down their throats. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with Shakespeare or the war poets but it’s the wrong place to start. Teenagers aren’t interested in that; they need something a bit more relatable to get them hooked. I absolutely hated poetry at school! Luckily, I discovered people like Ivor Cutler and John Cooper Clarke and realised it didn’t all have to be like that. Maybe it’s different in schools now; I really hope so.
I have a poem in my show called Here Come The Poetry Police, which light-heartedly mocks the snobbier aspects of the poetry scene.
NAP: You mentioned Cutler and Clarke. Do you have any other favorite poets?
JD: It’s so hard to choose, but the aforementioned Ivor Cutler and John Cooper Clarke for starters. Also, off the top of my head, Ben Zephaniah, Attila the Stockbroker – who wrote the foreword for my new book; what an honour! Henry Normal has always been great, and I was lucky enough to support him a few weeks ago. Not only a great talent, but a really nice bloke too. Oh, and Rob Auton, who I keep missing live due to other commitments. Mark Grist. So many! I can’t list them all!
NAP: How would you describe your style of poetry?
JD: Well, it’s often described as “punk poetry” I suppose because it’s quite irreverent, smart but occasionally rude. There’s a little sprinkling of politics in there too. Also, I came to poetry via punk. I’ve been in bands most of my life and in the last fifteen years have played all over Europe with my band, The Domestics. Punk and the DIY spirit has always been a big driving force for me and that seeps through into the poetry.
I think what I offer that many poets don’t is humour. Although I take the art of poetry seriously, I don’t take myself too seriously. When people come to see me, I want them to listen and think and ponder…but also to laugh like drains and get involved. I’m painting pictures with words, and I want people to have a fun time at my shows. It’s a night out after all!
NAP: You’ve performed poetry all across the UK. Other than Colchester, where has been your favourite place to perform and why?
JD: Ooh, there have been lots of good ones…Manchester Punk Festival was good, Foreword Festival in Eye. I’ve done a couple of brilliant ones at Sudbury Arts Centre where I live, supporting Andy Riley, Luke Wright, and Attila the Stockbroker on various occasions. Peterborough and Nottingham are always good to me too, and Chelmsford.
NAP: What made you want to perform at Colchester Fringe?
JD: I did the “regular” Colchester Fringe last October with my That’s Not Poetry! show and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great learning experience as it was the first hour-long fringe show I’d ever done. Having one in July is so much better for me, though as I suffer very badly from Acute Seasonal Affective Disorder, which had begun to manifest by the time I did last year’s shows. I used to live in Colchester, and I still work at the University, although I live in Suffolk, so it’s a town I know quite well.
You can catch James Domestic: Poetry For People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry! at Colchester Fringe July 24/25. Tickets are on sale now.
Be sure to check out all the upcoming plays at Colchester Fringe, including Fringe Review’s “Highly Recommended” A Year and A Day and One Man Poe and FringeReview’s very own resident reviewer and blogger, Noah Alfred Pantano’s Pup Play: A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts) who you can read our interview with here.
