Introducing: Dominic Berry, compere

Back to perform with us is Dominic Berry, compering 15:30-19:00 Friday; 11:50-15:30 Saturday; and 14:30-17:00 Sunday . If he’s new to you/ you’d like a reminder, read on:

In his own words:

“Dominic Berry is an internationally award-winning performance poet. He was 2017 Glastonbury Festival Poet in Residence, winner of 2017 Saboteur ‘Best Spoken Word Artist’ award and has toured his verse across USA, Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia, South America and Europe.

“His other awards include winning New York’s Nuyorican Poetry Cafe Slam, UK Superheroes of Slam and, as of 2019, seven Arts Council England Grants for the Arts awards.”

Fay’s words:

Dom is one of my favourite people in the world. And for once I’m going to get the very rare treat of getting to see him outside Edinburgh, and in a different month from August! We met as flatmates in 2013, my second year doing a full run at Edinburgh Fringe, and (I think) his first. He was performing a kids’ show first thing in the morning, so we didn’t cross paths as much as I would have liked. He was a caring, generous, and energetic flatmate, and then I discovered that all of this comes out in his poetry too. He is witty, passionate, committed, and clever, and knows when to go slow and allow his audience to absorb the challenging moments. Outside the children’s shows he talks articulately and devastatingly honestly about mental health, class, the queer community, sex, veganism, gaming, and how all of those things and more can intersect. Every show of his I’ve witnessed I’ve ended up astonished that it took a full hour as I’ll be absolutely suspended in whatever world he’s chosen to take us to, whether dragons and trolls, or a complex weave of gaming, anxiety, and sexuality.

I have no doubt he’ll bring that energy and commitment to his compering of this wildly talented stage, and I hope he gets a chance to slip a few of his own poems our way as he goes!

Sneak preview:

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