Our next show is the launch event for the Farrago Festival of Spoken Word 2009 and definitely promises poetic pyrotechnics! So come and spend Fireworks night in the warm and dry at RADA Foyer Bar with the best feature line up of the week in London, an open to ANY poet SLAM! and some special prizes for all the slammers!

Later in November we’ll be hosting the London SLAM! Championships, the FIRST poetry slam to be run in the UK and the longest running in Europe and the UK SLAM! Championships, the UK’s only truly National poetry slam competition open to any UK slam winner.

The Farrago Fireworks SLAM!
Thursday, 5^th November, 7:30pm.
@RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St. Goodge St Underground.
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

Open to ANY poet SLAM! Any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY poet wins a prize!

+ Features: Jasmine Cooray, performing from her first collection, Everything We Don’t Say, ..Mark Niel,Milton Keynes poetry supremo & Farrago Spring SLAM! Champion, Rachel Pantechnicon, poet, children’s author and Home Counties style icon, Lady Rhymes, making her Farrago feature debut, Pierre Ringwald, Canadian PBS award winning poet and superstar dj, Niall Spooner-Harvey, former London & UK SLAM! Champion, getting much play on BBC Radio 1 & Paula Varjack, with her Berlin crew of poets.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Info: 07905078376.  farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. e-poets.net www.myspace.com/farragopoetry  & Facebook page & group

The Farrago October SLAM! Thursday, 15^th October @ RADA Foyer Bar.

Our new Autumn Season continues on Thursday, 15^th October at RADA Foyer Bar with the Farrago October SLAM! Open to ANY poet, any subject or style, read or perform + another brilliant feature line up. Come early to sign up for the slam! 7pm onwards, and to take advantage of the bar's happy hour. If you can make it to London please come down!

John Paul

The Farrago October SLAM!
Thursday, 15^th October, 7:30pm
@RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St, WC1. Nearest tube: Goodge Street.
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

Open to ANY poet SLAM! Any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY poet wins a prize!

+ Features: Hollie McNish, The UK SLAM! Champion, Amani, Canadian based blues poet, Rob Auton, the new Farrago Autumn SLAM! Champion, Keith Jarrett, former London SLAM! Champion, Fran Landesman, octogenarian jazz poetry diva Sabrina Mahfouz, rising young poetry star & Idil Sukan, poet, comic & ukulele virtuoso.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Info: 07905078376.  farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. e-poets.net
www.myspace.com/farragopoetry  & Facebook page & group

 

Thanks to everyone who came to support, read and perform at the show on Thursday. We had a brilliant night of poetry, the features were superb and we had one of our best ever August turn outs. Congratulations to all the slammers and especially to Red2Worth, the new Farrago August SLAM! Champion, winning a slam at his first attempt.

Our next show launches our new Autumn season on 17^th September. The Farrago Autumn SLAM! is again at RADA Foyer Bar and has the usual open to ANY poet SLAM! and a great feature line up. Please put the date in your diary and I hope you enjoy the rest of summer!

John Paul

If you can make it into London on Thursday please come and support The Farrago August SLAM! our final show of what has been a great season! We’ve got an open to ANY poet SLAM! and a superb feature line up including the two Radio 4 semi final qualifiers from the recent Farrago London Grand SLAM! at The Drill Hall, The Champion Cat Brogan & Deanna Rodger, Mark Walton, The London SLAM! Champion, Fran Landesman, AF Harrold & poet & playwright Vanessa Walters.

I am hoping that it’s the air con that’s more important than the building being totally watertight for this one! RADA Foyer Bar is a great venue, with a happy hour that lasts until 7:30, so come early for that and if you’re slamming for sign up that opens at 7pm It is a quiet time of year so please spread the word and hope to see you at the show!

John Paul

The Farrago August SLAM! & End of Season Celebration!

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

OPEN TO ANY POET SLAM!  Any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY Poet wins a prize!

Features: AF Harrold, UK spoken word star, Catherine Brogan, The Farrago London Grand SLAM! Champion, Fran Landesman, octogenarian jazz lyricist & poetry genius, Deanna Rodger, former UK SLAM! Champion, Vanessa Walters, journalist, playwright & poet & Mark Walton, the London SLAM! Champion reading from Frostbitten, his first collection.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Info: 07905078376.  farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. e-poets.net www.myspace.com/farragopoetry  & Facebook page & group

Farrago Summer Season 2009.Two shows @ RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St, WC1. Goodge St, nearest tube.http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

The Farrago Spanish (& English) Showcase.
Thursday, 6th August, 7:30pm

A night of poetry in Spanish & English, original & translated, open to ANY poet & poetry lover. If you bring your own poems in English  bring a favourite poem in Spanish or translation!

+ Features: Ascen Arriazu, Claudia Blanco, Leonardo Boix, Sofia Buchuk, Maria Eugene Bravo Calderara, Alfredo Cordal,  Indio Lirico, Albert Pellicer + others tbc. Hosted by John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5/£3

The Farrago August SLAM! & End of Season Celebration!

Thursday, 13th August, 7:30pm

OPEN TO ANY POET SLAM!  Any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY Poet wins a special summer themed prize

Features: AF Harrold, the Bard of Berkshire, Catherine Brogan, The Farrago London Grand SLAM! Champion, Fran Landesman, octogenarian jazz lyricist & poetry genius, Deanna Rodger,  formerUK SLAM! Champion, Vanessa Walters, rising poetry star & Mark Walton, the London SLAM! Champion, others tbc. Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5

Finally congratulations to all the slammers in the Farrago School’s Out SLAM! but especially to the winner Garrett Turner. Thanks to the features who came and everyone who came out and supported a really mellow and enjoyable show.

John Paul
 

Info: 07905078376.  farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. e-poets.net. www.myspace.com/farragopoetry  & Facebook page & group

 

Congratulations to Catherine Brogan the Farrago London Grand SLAM! Champion and to Deanna Rodger who will be joining her in the semi finals of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam competition! Hollie McNish placed third and will be the reserve. Thanks to everyone who came to The Drill Hall last night to perform and to support it really was a brilliant night of London poetry!

The next show is on Thursday, we’re trying to get our annual Farrago School's Out SLAM! in before the Back to School signs go back up in the shops. If you we’re there last night this is your chance to get up and perform, the slam is open ANY poet, sign up from 7pm.

The feature line up headed up by the UK SLAM! Champion Hollie McNish, with Audley Astwood, (aka Illegal Poet), who almost lost his shoes the last time he came through visiting from the Turk & Caicos islands, Sophie Cameron, comic poetry star, Under Da PoeTree, superb poetry duo, Idil Sukan, who’s off to the Edinburgh Festival next day & Gemma Weekes, who is making a long overdue return to Farrago reading from her much acclaimed first novel, Love Me.

If you can get into London on Thursday please come down and please spread the word!

John Paul

 The Farrago School’s Out ..SLAM!

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

OPEN TO ANY POET SLAM!  Any subject or style, read or perform.
EVERY Poet wins a  prize!

Features: Hollie McNish, the UK SLAM! Champion, Audley Astwood aka Illegal Poet, Turk & Caicos’ biggest poetry star, Sophie Cameron, Idil Sukan, comedic poet and producer, Under Da PoeTree, acclaimed US poetry duo & Gemma Weekes, making a long overdue return to Farrago with her first, much acclaimed, novel, Love Me.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Information: 07905078376. farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk 
Facebook page & group

The Farrago London Grand SLAM!

The London heat of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam competition.

Friday, 24^th July, starting 6:30pm

The Drill Hall, 16, Chenies St, WC1. Goodge St Underground.

A night featuring London’s poetry slam champions battling it out for two places in the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam semi final draw!

Tomas Adejumo, Ray Antrobus, Leanna Beveney, Catherine Brogan, Sophie Cameron, Alain English, Bunmi Hazzan, Sabrina Mahfouz, Hollie McNish, Shauna O’Briain, Vera Rich, Deanna Rodger, Warsan Shire, Wizard of Skill, Adam Spinks, Richard Tyrone-Jones & Mark Walton. ( Two other poets awaiting final confirmation).

Plus special feature guests: Jasmine Cooray, Abraham Gibson, Fran Landesman, Rachel Pantechnicon, Rachel Rose Reid &  Dudley Sutton.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £7/£6.

Information from 07905078376. farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. www.myspace.com/farragopoetry

The Farrago London Grand SLAM! is the London qualification heat for the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam national competition. There’ll be around twenty London poetry slam winners battling it out for two semi final places, including the current UK & London Slam Champions Hollie McNish & Mark Walton heading up easily the best line up in the history of UK poetry slam, going right back to the first one Farrago Poetry ran in 1994!

The professional judges are Keith Jarrett, who made it through to the final the last time the competition was run in 2007, Jacob Sam La-Rose, director of the London Teenage Poetry Slam, Joelle Taylor, SLAMbassadors & Russell Thompson from Apples & Snakes. They’ll be joined on the night by judges chosen at random from the audience.

We also have some great London artists featuring: Rachel Pantechnicon, writer & Home Counties style icon, Dudley Sutton, veteran actor & writer, Rachel Rose Reid, UK Young Storyteller of the Year, Abraham Gibson, former London Transport Poet Laureate, Jasmine Cooray, reading from her first collection, Everything We Don’t Say & Fran Landesman, jazz lyricist & poetry legend.

There will be three rounds. The first will include all the poets. The second will have a minimum of 10, the final round a minimum of 5. The preliminary round will start off at about 7pm, with the final rounds an hour and half later, with the features on before and in between rounds. If you can make it to the show please book up your ticket from The Drill Hall box office in advance and please spread the word about what’s going to be a fantastic night of poetry!

John Paul

 

Thanks to everyone who came out, supported, read, performed & slammed on Friday and congratulations to Bob Goody, the new Farrago Easter SLAM! Champion!

We start a new season of shows at RADA Foyer Bar on 14th May with the Farrago Spring SLAM! I’ll be putting up some more information about all the spring and summer shows over Easter.

First info about Farrago Spring SLAM! below, including an awesome feature line up coming together, again more soon!

John Paul

The Farrago Spring SLAM!

Thursday, 14th May. Starts: 7:30pm.

@RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St., WC1. Nearest Tube: Goodge St.

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

Open to ANY poet SLAM! Any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY poet wins a prize!

Featuring: Jasmine Cooray, performing from her debut collection, AF Harrold, poet and wit, Rachel Pantechnicon, poet, children’s author & Home Counties style icon, Fran Landesman, octogenarian lyrical & poetry genius & Farrago March SLAM! co-winners Bunmi Hazzan & making her Farrago debut Sabrina Mahfouz + others tbc.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Information: 07905078376. farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. We also have a Facebook page.

This year’s Farrago Easter SLAM! is taking place on Friday, 27th March at  RADA Foyer Bar, with the very serious business of chocolate eggs up for prizes!

The show also has a stellar line up, with the current UK SLAM! Champion Hollie McNish, joined by two past champions, Deanna Rodger & Niall Spooner-Harvey, legendary jazz lyricist and poet Fran Landesman, AF Harrold, multiple SLAM! winner & wit, leading Birmingham poet Cheri Riddle Woman Gillings & Farrago’s most recent SLAM! winner Bunmi Hazzan.

If you can make it into London for Friday night please come to the show and please spread the word!

John Paul

The Farrago Easter SLAM!

Friday, 27^th March. Starts: 7:30pm Slam sign up from 7pm.

@RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St. WC1. Nearest Tube: Goodge St.

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1E+7HY

Open to ANY poet ..SLAM..! Any subject or style, read or perform. This time it’s serious! The prizes are chocolate.

Features: Hollie McNish, The UK SLAM! Champion, Cheri 'Riddle Woman' Gillings, AF Harrold, Bunmi Hazzan, Fran Landesman & two former UK SLAM! Champions Deanna Rodger & Niall Spooner-Harvey.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

Information: 07905078376. farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. We also have a Facebook page.

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the Farrago March SLAM! at Charlie Wright's International Bar and to all the superb features & slammers. Congratulations to the joint winners Sabrina Mahfouz & Bunmi Hazzan.

The Farrago Easter SLAM! is now confirmed for Friday, 27th March at RADA Foyer Bar, (Malet St, WC1. Goodge St tube), with the very serious business of chocolate eggs for prizes! The show starts at 7:30pm with sign up for the slam from 7pm.

The feature line for the show is awesome and includes Hollie McNish, The UK SLAM! Champion, Cheri 'Riddle Woman' Gillings, coming down from Birmingham, AF Harrold, the bard of Berkshire, Bunmi Hazzan, multi SLAM! winning poet, Fran Landesman & two former UK SLAM! Champions Deanna Rodger & Niall Spooner-Harvey. More information to follow!

John Paul