Whiteknights Studio Trail

As well as admiring the work of all the wonderful artists, I am looking forward to hearing readings from new poetry books by Peter Robinson (English Nettles) and Adrian Blamires (The Pang Valley) this weekend. They are reading at 3pm on Sunday at the hang out of Two Rivers Press - 24 New Road, Reading.

Romeo and Juilet

Illyria production - Friday 11 June - Greys Court, Henley on Thames. Open air Shakespeare - it must be summer, but R&J as slapstick? I wasn't convinced. It was a long way into the play before it turned into the tragedy it is. I'm not sure you need to play it this way for the family audience - we all know what happens after all - or have the muscians dressed as the fab four with mop top wigs - a nearly 50 year old reference. Still, it is admirable that a troup of five can pull off all the part and costume changes required and cope with a relatively uncut script. Hurrah for their stage craft, if not the direction.

Salome at Oxford Playhouse

Saturday 5th June. Great play - shame about the performance and direction. Far too much shouting to be heard above the industrial sound track and the dance of the seven veils disappointed - no veils not much dancing. Sensuality entirely absent. Pity. Oscar deserves better.

Turbine House Reading

Lesley Saunders and I read our river poems on 5 June alongside the work of artists Hilary Kneale and Ann Rapstoff. The reading added an interesting dimension of words and sound to their residency and preparing for it was an exciting opportunity for me to consider how different media enter into a conversation. Our reading interlaced my individual poems with one long sequence of Lesley's. We are keen to do it again somewhere else equally watery.