Hegley Reviews Hegley Interviews Clerkinworks Reviews Houston Reviews Interview: Emma Gladstone

John Hegley's poetry and unique presentation style are well known and, if you don't enjoy his work, then this show is not for you. I'm a fan and have laughed at his poems since seeing him live at a charity bash. We heard some great old ones like 'The Luton Bungalow' and some new ones written specially for the show. As a spectacle wearer myself, I can relate to his poem about the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that we 'four-eyes' endure. Like many of his works, the ones that recall his early life combine poignancy as well as humour. It was good to see his snaking, double-jointed movements incorporated into short dance pieces, particularly 'Sweeping Gestures' with Steven Whinnery.

For those concerned that a poetry reading is not their ideal evening out, I would estimate that about 60-70% of the evening is dance. The first spot goes to Clerkinworks, with 'Cinder Reilly', a re-telling of 'Cinderella' to Irish dancing. I thought it very funny and everyone I spoke to agreed that the dancing is terrific. It was also good to see top quality Irish dance ensemble work that does not suffer the burden of a gifted ego-maniac stealing the limelight at all times. Who can I mean? All the Clerkinworks dancers are a delight and Marguerite Egan as Cinder, in particular, is lightning quick and sure-footed.

The other longer section is by Wendy Houston with a solo set in a bar. This started well with interesting gestural work from behind a bar top, but faltered as it proceeded and the dance gave way to monologue. It may well be that with sharper timing, the piece works better later in the week.

The other dance segments are 1-2 minute Hotspots with two each evening and different groups perform each night. On Saturday, there will be an extended charity event where all 10 Hotspots will be featured. The first by Arlette George and Stephen Kirkham focussed on a couple disco dancing and taking their trousers off, but despite Arlette's wonderful legs, the joke fell a bit flat. The second was by La Ribot, a Spanish performance artist and it was a lithe and witty conjunction of place names and sections of La Ribot's anatomy.

Overall, the evening is great fun and varied, with a majority of the experimental ideas coming off. It also provides a chance to see the amazing John Hegley live in an intimate setting. Full details are in Listings.