The Word On The Streets
Improvised comedy. Poetry. Stand up. Storytelling. MC’ing. Norwich is of course a UNESCO City of Heritage, but that fact isn’t just reflected in UEA’s renowned creative writing course, our magnificent Writer’s Centre or the huge success of places like The Book Hive. Sometimes it’s just about being involved with your community and having a safe platform on which to speak your truth. We bent our ear to the street to find out what’s going on in our pubs and cafes and discovered Norwich has a hell of a lot to say for itself. Word.
Norwich Poetry Collective
What?
Poetry Collective nights are filled with a mix of local performers, mostly poetry and spoken word performers but also comedians, musicians and storytellers. Audiences really engage with all the performers and aren't afraid to get in a little friendly heckling with host and co founder Freddie, something which always makes for an entertaining night.
Why?
Poetry Collective was set up by Freddie and Jodie three years ago over coffee. Freddie had completed a creative writing degree at NUA a few years earlier and Jodie was just beginning to get into writing poetry again. They’d both been to a few open mic nights in the city and started talking about setting up our own collective to act as a platform for local performers, whether they be poets, musicians or any kind of artists. They first performed as Poetry Collective at the Norwich Fringe Festival in 2014 and launched their own night at The Birdcage the following March.
When and where?
Poetry Collective Open Mic nights take place at The Birdcage on the last Wednesday of every other month, with the next one being January – they’re hoping to make these nights more regular in the future.
The Intellectual Hooligans
What?
The Intellectual Hooligans hold monthly workshops at UEA’s INTO building on Tuesdays where anyone can come along and learn improv skills. It’s open to everybody of any ability to enter the warm, welcoming safe performance space, try improv and make new friends. For only £2 a session. The performers put together a night of totally improvised comedy in the style of Whose Line Is It Anyway? asking for audience suggestions and playing brief games using these suggestions.
Why?
Dan set up and ran UEA Headlights Comedy Society at UEA in 2009 which did stand-up, sketch and improv comedy, and felt that after a few years of being in the student sphere that he wanted to expand, try new places and work with non-students who might be interested or have had improv experience elsewhere, so the Intellectual Hooligans started in 2013. They do it entirely for the love of improve, are non-profit making, cover their running costs and anything left they donate to local charities.
When and where?
In 2017 The Intellectual Hooligans will be mainly doing improv gigs at The Maddermarket Theatre, Café Bar Marzano, Aroma Café/Bar and The Birdcage on either a Friday or Saturday evening. The starting time varies but follow them on Facebook or Twitter to find out the details or if you’re interested in getting involved.
True Stories Live
What?
Real people (usually non performers) tell true stories of their own personal experiences inspired by a theme set in advance for five to ten minutes (on average) without notes to an audience. Potential storytellers can attend fun workshops in advance of each event and be helped to find their voice and their story. There have been five True Stories so far including themes like It Wasn’t Me and Truth Or Dare.
Why?
True Stories was inspired by true story events put on by the New York based Moth organisation and by the fact that we live in a city and county with a huge and vibrant literary reputation and culture. Everyone has a story to tell, and True Stories gives people the chance to be heard in a welcoming and supportive environment and to meet plenty of like- minded and interesting characters.
When and where?
The next True Stories is at Norwich Arts Centre on 29th January and the theme is Voyage. You can find True Stories at Norwich Arts Centre bar once about every six weeks on a Sunday evening, doors open at 7 and the evening begins at 8. Pay what you can. Find out more on their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page. If you have a story to tell contact truestorieslive@gmail.com.
Volta Poetry
What?
New night Volta offers a varied selection of main readers alongside open-mic. They're eclectic in our tastes and whilst they invite, and plan to invite, established writers to read they are also passionate about providing a platform for emerging talent. They believe that open-mic, in its brevity & fleetingness, is the perfect way to discover new writers. Some of their previous open-mic readers have gone on to headline their nights, or have featured in the Volta magazine and anthologies.
Why?
Over the past five years this group have immersed themselves in the local literary scene, and set up their own press - Salò Press - in that time. Their first night in early 2016 was to launch the eighth issue of the experimental poetry magazine Fur-Lined Ghettos, and it proved popular, so popular they couldn't resist hosting another. Mostly though it's because they love poetry & poets - Norwich has such a vibrant literary community, you only have to attend one of their nights to see just how diverse and talented folk are.
When and where?
The first night is 19th January at The Birdcage. At previous nights they’ve had slam style poets, assured poets, comedic poets, the surreal poets, poets that inspire, poets that subvert, the quietly nervous first timers. Find more details or sign-up to read at their Facebook page.
Dogface Improv
What?
Dogface Improv run courses, workshops, team building days and put on improv shows regularly in Norwich. They run an improv open mic night, which anyone can come and watch, and any improviser can come put their name down and perform. They also perform improv battles, where two teams perform Whose Line Is It Anyway? style games and the audience vote on their phones after each round. The champions are crowned at the end of the night.
Why?
Chris lived in Brighton for seven years, and enjoyed their improv scene. He always wanted to do improv since watching Whose Line Is It Anyway? when he was a kid. He took a beginners class and when he moved back to Norwich, his hometown), he found a small group of improvisers and ended up starting Dogface.
When and where?
Dogface Improv are starting two new monthly nights on Sunday evenings. These will be at the Doghouse bar every fortnight from 8th January at 8pm. Check out their website dogfaceimprov.com.
Organised Rhyme
What?
Organised Rhyme is a monthly from-the-ground-up event encompassing the whole range of the poetic spectrum. The majority of the night is made up of a busy poetry and spoken-word open-mic showcase; every style is represented from strictly-rhyme-schemed political commentary to metaphor-heavy free-verse and everything in between. There’s also an open mic hip hop cypher performed over live musicians at the end of the night. Alongside the monthly events they occasionally put on Speakeasy Sessions; these are run in a guerrilla-gig style and take place in secret locations with tickets and location details only available to regular attendees of Organised Rhyme events.
Why?
Organised Rhyme was started in order to fill a gap in the Norwich scene. Norwich has a fantastic nightlife and music scene and is also a UNESCO city of literature; before Organised Rhyme begun there already existed some poetry events and hip hop nights in Norwich but the city was distinctly lacking a poetry promotion which also embraced hip hop under its umbrella. Both the promoters of Organised Rhyme are active poets with a deep desire to help to push Norwich’s spoken-word and poetry scene forward.
When and where?
Historically they have used the gallery room of The Alley in Bridewell Alley for their monthly events. However they aim to be a fluid promotion whose events are unique every time and as such in 2017 you'll be seeing Organised Rhymes not just at The Alley but also in a range of venues. Check out their Facebook page for further details.
