16.81°C If the word “poetry” makes you think of classrooms, Shakespeare and lessons you’d rather forget, James Domestic completely understands. In fact, he felt exactly the same.
That’s the starting point for Poetry For People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry!, which comes to Coda as part of the Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender.
Rather than taking poetry too seriously, James uses humour, sharp observation and plenty of wordplay to tell stories about everything from celebrities and cats to technology, music festivals and the strange behaviour that makes everyday life so entertaining.
In a conversation with Rodney Appleyard, he said, “I’d like people to know that they shouldn’t be put off by the word ‘poetry’.” “Plenty of poetry fans like what I do, but I often have people approach me after shows to say that they’d been reluctantly dragged there by a friend or partner but unexpectedly had a brilliant time.
“So many people were put off poetry at school – me included! I hated it!”
James performs across the UK and has shared stages with performers including Henry Normal, Luke Wright, Mark Grist and Attila the Stockbroker. His work has been praised by writers, poets and musicians alike, with Henry Normal describing him as “a powerhouse of performance poetry”.
Whether you’re a regular spoken word audience member or someone who’s convinced poetry simply isn’t for you, this hour at Coda might just change your mind.
James Domestic performs Poetry For People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry! at Coda, 63 High Street, on Friday 24 July at 7pm and Saturday 25 July at 3pm as part of the Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender.
Event Details
Venue: Coda, 63 High Street, Colchester
Friday 24 July: 7pm
Saturday 25 July: 3pm
Running time: 60 minutes
Age guidance: 16+
Tickets: £8
More information and tickets for Poetry For People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry! and the full Colchester Fringe Summer Weekender programme are available via the official festival website.
You can read the Keep Colchester Cool guide to the weekender here.
