This year Totnes held their very first Sea Change Festival. Hosted by Drift Record Store, it was the first of its kind to bring a host of artists and musicians to the small town of Totnes, and of course we at Apples and Snakes just had to be a part of the small revolution. We headed over to the Birdwood House on Saturday 27th August to present Forked with Mama Tokus, Rose Cook, Rob Barratt, Jackie Juno and Londoner headliner, Kayo Chingonyi!
M
aking my way on the train to Totnes, everything ran smoothly – until I got to the new town and was instantly confused by the entwined hilly roads. Navigation isn’t my strong point, but luckily I’d got there with enough time to get a little bit lost and helpfully rescued by the locals.
Mama Tokus hosted the night brilliantly as always – this was her last hosting performance for Forked, and I was glad to be there for her last one. Her performance poetry, all about vaginas, was written and performed in classic Tokus style; shockingly provocative and hilarious.
Jackie Juno brou
ght out some motherly instinct in her first encapsulating poem, and flipped it on its head with some sassy feminist poetry. In her classically lavish style, she seduced the audience into laughter and amusement with her dulcet and husky tones.
Next up was Rob Barratt; having no idea what he’d be like, I really enjoyed his performance. A former teacher, he had all the characteristics of that larger than life teacher that made your lessons worth going to. He was lively and full of spirit, and performed what he said to be an ‘uncharacteristically sweary’ poem that cracked up the audience even more.
Totnes based poet Rose Cook was next to grace the stage with her poems based on the theme of ‘sea change’ and the feel of change in general. Her poetry was sombre and thought provoking, not to mention beautifully performed. I would recommend that everyone go and check out her poetry!
Last but not least was London based performance poet, Kayo Chingonyi. Performing poems based on his childhood in London and what it’s like to have a name no one can pronounce (and as someone with the last name Kiremitcioglu, I fully understand the pain involved with this). He was an absolute delight and sprung to life with confidence throughout his performance.. I enjoyed how he narrated his poems with humour and modesty.
If you haven’t been to an Apples and Snakes evening, I would definitely recommend that you come along to one. The next Forked will be in Plymouth on September 22nd, featuring our very own Hollie McNish!
Seren Kiremitcioglu is a freelance writer based in the South West. She writes for Tribe Magazine and runs her own blog, www.thursddayaddams.wordpress.com. You can find out more about her over at her website, www.serenkiremitcioglu.com.
