The Word Café presents both the diamonds and the rough and makes for an enjoyable if varied hour.
Compere Julie Mullen, Edinburgh’s only tap dancing poet and founder of The Word Café, produced poetry far less inspired than her creation of the company. Her poem Grave Matters, for example, lacked sophistication and traipsed over a well-worn topic. An exception to otherwise unexceptional poetry was her erotic poem Cumquat, a delightfully silly composition from her book Erotic Poetry for Vegetarians and Vegans, which she performed with great panache.
The first act to be introduced by Mullen was singer songwriter Jasmine Rodgers, whose charmingly funny self-introduction far surpassed the one given to her by the compere. Rodgers’ acoustic ukulele and guitar music was incredibly beautiful, her voice as soft and sultry as her lyrics.
Rodgers was to be outshone only by Sara Hirsch, who produced the stand-out performance of the show. Her poem S and T were here is a triumph, both in terms of content and presentation. Hirsch gave an electric energy to her witty and moving piece, and proved her status as current UK Slam Champion to be well-earned.
Alan Woolfson’s performance did not pack the same punch, starting slowly with some awkward stand-up and equally awkward use of props. However, as his performance picked up pace it improved immeasurably. Woolfson’s poetic style suits snappy delivery, and when he focuses on the energetic delivery of his words, their wit shines through.
The final performer, Mel Jones, fell alongside Mullen as one of the weaker links. Much of her poetry lacked the humour it was professed to contain, and her use of rhyme often felt uncomfortably forced. Most of her poetry and stand-up depended on a single comic conceit, which would simply be repeated in different forms, becoming less witty the more times it was rehashed.
The Word Café presents both the diamonds and the rough and makes for an enjoyable if varied hour.
