| 26 July |
A good review… |
On page nine of the July 23rd Totnes Times, the following review appeared, penned by Louise Bennett…
Turning the world back on to poetry
MATT Harvey’s Wondermentalist Cabaret became the shining jewel in the Ways With Words festival, packing the Dartington Great Hall with a 400-strong crowd of local enthusiasts and nationally-recognised literary stars.
They were all happy to participate and wonder at the snowballing success of the Totnes-born cabaret movement which is determined to turn the world back on to poetry.
Matt said: ‘People love poetry. They just need to remember why, and that is what Wondermentalist is here to do. Bringing the cabaret to Dartington and the festival was the perfect way to celebrate our love of ideas, while getting some quite big stars to take part in the Dead Poets’ Slam encouraged more people to buy tickets.’
BBC2 Earth Pilgrim Satish Kumar, along with other notable literary figures including author James Long, storyteller Clive Fairweather, and Daily Telegraph literary editor Sam Leith, took part in the Dead Poets’ Slam – each pitting dead poet against dead poet in a head-to-head of sheer literary delight.
Christopher North’s poem The Ruin won the vote of the audience, which later helped to compile a poem called Windmills – What Are You Like?
Matt provided a turn of comedic and poetic genius while Mim Darlington and Beryl the Feral added sparkle to the event.
House band Nomad Shuffle and local musician-cum-poet John Elliott added musical magic, while comedian and singer/songwriter Jerri Hart delighted and disturbed with two sets of slapstick brilliance.
The Wondermentalist Cabaret will be returning to Ways With Words next year. It can be caught before that at the Westcountry Storytelling Festival in Totnes on September 5, and at the Plymouth Treasury on October 3 – with a visit to the Royal Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes the following day.
Louise Bennett
Any similarity between Louise Bennett and our own wondermental Liv Torc is entirely coincidental…