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Loud Poets

 
Victor Black Review by Victor Black 4 Published: 28 Aug 2025 Scottish Storytelling Centre Show Dates: 1 Aug 2025-21 Aug 2025

Loud Poets is a Scotland-based spoken word organisation which endeavours to find the best poetic talent across the nation and put them centre stage. After witnessing today’s lineup, I’d have to say they're meeting their mission statement.

A few cuts above the standard you might expect to see at a regular poetry night

The Loud Poets running today’s event were Mark Gallie and Katie Ailes, with an illness from co-host Kevin McLean making way for an extra guest spot. Mark opened the show with a glorious poem providing commentary on the nature of poetry, which struck me as the kind of material Stewart Lee might come up with if he ever immersed himself in the world of slam poetry. This was followed by an affectionately self-aware and self-deprecating insightful piece from Katie.

By the time we had heard from our regular hosts, it had become apparent that, while accessible to first-time Loud Poets audiences, you needed to be familiar with the brand and performers to fully appreciate it. This first struck me by the brief manner in which the lead performers introduced themselves, while guest acts had their names electrifyingly emblazoned onto the screen. Moreover, Katie’s poem, while excellent, felt like a gift to an ingroup who already knew her, while I would have liked an insight into her style to pique my curiosity before delving into the minutiae of her thought processes.

Mark and Katie then performed a stunning duet Dungeons & Dragons poem with vim and vigour, assisted wonderfully by Jack Hinks’s bard. They showed great teamwork and chemistry, and Mark’s dragon voice was something to behold. It’s refreshing to see poetry pushing boundaries and playing around with different formats that help separate it from the type you probably think of when you hear the word ‘poetry’.

The first guest act was Ben Macpherson, whose own show, Poems at Adults, I had very much enjoyed the day before. Ben pulled out his three biggest hitters – a trilogy of liquid-themed pieces, with music from Hinks to accompany proceedings. Ben has masterful control of tension, building each piece to an epic conclusion, and his self-proclaimed ‘flex’ poem, the univocalic (one vowel only) O Pos, must be heard live to be believed. If you like poets who deliver a variety of styles and can make you laugh, cry and ponder, you’ll want to keep an eye out for him next year.

The final act was Kate Ireland, who has also been taking the Fringe by storm with her theatrical piece Golden Time. Golden Time felt poetic, and so it was unsurprising to see her on this elite lineup. Kate’s performance was a powerhouse, deftly juggling being amusing and personable with powering and inspiring insights into her grandmother and various other aspects of her life.

With Mark and Katie returning for swan songs about the Netflix ghost and anti-Trump activism respectively, there was certainly room for another act or two within the 75-minute runtime of the show, but nobody could complain about who we saw tonight. The lead and support poets were all of the standard you’d expect from a Loud Poets event, convincing the whole audience they truly are a few cuts above the standard you might expect to see at a regular poetry night. Perhaps this goes some way to justifying why their audiences don’t need an introduction to the core performers – once you attend their show, you’ll want to come back again.

Amir Nisi

Victor Black

Victor Black has been performing magic since childhood, and enjoys working on cruise ships and in light entertainment platforms across the country. He has worked as a cabaret producer, comedian and entertainment consultant, as well as being in the audience for hundreds of Edinburgh Fringe shows.

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The Blurb:

Loud Poets have been bringing the very best of spoken word poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music will thrill poetry lovers and turn sceptics into fans. This year the Loud Poets themselves take the stage with a special show featuring the team’s core poets Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean, with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest poet each night. Don’t miss ‘the most reliably entertaining spoken word show at the Fringe’ (TheWeeReview.com). 'A kaleidoscope of spoken word' ***** (EdFringeReview.com)
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