Announced as a celebration of the rite of passage from winter to spring, the third edition of The Bloody Poets was an exercise in controlled chaos where public and artists were united by one religion only: art!

Set in Stoke Newington's The Old Church, the only surviving Elizabethan church in London, The Bloody Poets brought a show made of skits and performances, ranging from music to poetry, from spoken words to dance.

Hosted by Belén Berlín and Mad Pirvan, the evening gathered a small crowd of intrigued spectators and an impressive panel of artists. Though the old church was quite chilly on this February night, the atmosphere grew stranger and hotter with every performance. Alicia Macanas was the first artist up, singing soft songs and accompanying herself on the piano. It was eerie and melancholic, kind of just out of a dream.

Debra Watson gave an outstanding spoken words performance, allying words, shadows and incantations, with a Tibetan bowl punctuating her every move.
Another highlight was the Spanish singer Ale Oseguera accompanied on guitar by Laura Tomás delivering an amazing version of a breakup song on an air of tango. Scenery, words and music all intertwined to form a fantastic performance!

Fred Snow, dressed as a sailor, sang a couple of songs sending a retro vibe, as if we were back in time, along the docks, drinking a beer in a dodgy pub. It was beautifully vintage and exquisitely poetic.

The final improvisation, which gathered all the artists, was quite surprising as it was a song called "Marry me, John" which was essentially about Brexit. It was a funny and light end to an evening made of a melting pot of awe-inspiring artists. It is quite difficult to classify the genre of the show but it was definitely one of a kind!

If you'd like to catch the fourth instalment of The Bloody Poets, head over to their social media pages; they're on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Photo credit: Lilith Sparebib

LATEST REVIEWS