Have Your Cake

Doug Sandle writes:

Linda Marshall and Lis Bertolla              Photo by Sheila Chapman

During this year’s March LitFest we held two events at the delightful Meanwood Institute and we decided it was the perfect venue for a pleasant Sunday midsummer afternoon listening to readings of poetry and prose on the theme of cafés and food and drink generally, presented by two local poets Linda Marshall and Lis Bertolla -especially as there was an opportunity of an afternoon cup of tea and to partake of the delicious cakes on offer. 

The Institute decked in bunting and the stage set up with a table, cake stands and tea cups, the two poets entertained a full house with their readings. The programme featured the writings of such as Nigel Slater, John Betjeman, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carrol (the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party of course) as well many of their own writings. A highlight was an amusing dialogue between the two that was based on a conversation overheard by Linda in a café in downtown Leeds. With titles such as Making Jam Tarts with Mother (Nigel Slater), At Betty’s (Linda), The Friendly Cinnamon Bun (Russell Hoban), How to Eat an Orange (Lis), In a Bath Teashop (John  Betjeman) the audience soon had an appetite for the delicious cakes on sale. 

The two highly talented poets entertained a very appreciative audience, many of whom remarked that it was a delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon – and please could they have some more!

Many thanks are due to Mary Francis of the Headingley LitFest, Tracy Cooper of Café 57 and currently on-line purveyor of antique china (The Leeds Vintage House)* for their delicious cakes and  to Malcolm Coles for flowers from his allotment - and of course to the two café poets, Linda and Lis themselves. [*https://www.facebook.com/TheLeedsVintageHouse]

MADEIRA (Linda Marshall)

If only Madeira

Were nearer -

Then happily I would meander

Under the blue jacaranda.

Meander - I say it with candour,

Because after the sweet, heavy wine,

I'm unable to walk in a line.

If only Madeira

Were nearer

For the sake of the tea and the cake

And the view

At the Villa Cliffe.

If only Madeira were nearer,

Then our lives would be simply

Superior.

How to eat an orange (Lis Bertolla)

First, lift gently in both hands. 

Raise it to your nose, inhale the sharp sweet smell

of sunshine, the excitement of childhood Christmas -

whatever is there for you...

Then, use your eyes; study the skin, porous yet

protective. Regard the navel, recall your own births.

Remember, imagine, orange blossom on laden trees

fragrant in some foreign land.

Look and smell...

Inside, a small miracle of segments, contained yet

conjoined, nudging each other for comfort.

Ease them apart; the first one you select is important.

Now put it in your mouth, the skin will break

without force, release juice.

Finally the richness is yours, a trickle of goodness

bathing in the taste buds, soothing the throat...

Thank God then, for simple, complicated things.

Ray Brown's launch of 'In All Beginnings'

Challenging yet exciting

Serene Leong writes:

Serene Leong

Heading to my first event at The New Headingley Club, I was mixed with emotions of excitement, anxiety and nervousness. That was the first time I was meeting the literature and arts lovers of the Headingley LitFest community. 

I checked the bus timings again and made sure I wouldn't be late for the show. Within minutes of getting there, I was greeted with smiley faces and was immediately welcomed by the committee. I helped out with leaflets, feedback forms, collected tickets by the door and even got the chance to talk to the director and actors! 

Throughout the next month, I attended various events and got to know people and listen to their stories. Working with the committee was challenging yet exciting. I was given freedom to organise my work schedule and voice out my opinions for input. Headingley LitFest is made up of volunteers passionate for the arts and promoting it within their community. This small and intimate setting allowed me to realise my potential for initiatives and at the same time starting up something on my own, the LitFest Instagram.  

I am grateful for this opportunity to work with a group of talented and dedicated individuals. I made friends and I experienced new things. I’ve been to Headingley before, but Headingley LitFest brought me to places I didn’t know existed. Thank you for welcoming me into the Headingley LitFest community with loving arms. It’s been a fun ride and I can’t wait to get involved next year again!

(Serene was our student intern this year)

Thinking about next year already...

Dates for the next LitFest are 7 - 23 March 2016, but there will be 'Between the Lines' events before then. 

The theme will be INTRIGUES.

Poetry at Ralph Thoresby

Sally Bavage writes:
Thanks to funding from the Outer North West area management committee of Leeds City Council, managed by Headingley LitFest, a poetry ‘slam’ was held at Ralph Thoresby on the last evening of term.  The audience of 100+ clapped, whooped and hollered as young people bared their souls in original words both spoken and sung.  And two dance teams from the school left us even more impressed with the energy and talent that today’s youngsters can generate. 

The audience comments at the end of this report tell most of the story: the quotes that follow are those of the young poets themselves when interviewed just before the performance began.

I got experience of performing in settings with proper audiences; it was a chance to get involved.

You mingle with other talented people, especially those from Leeds City Academy.

We get real feedback from other students and our teachers.

Slamming – so enjoyed it!

I have really enjoyed the workshops, as they focused on different things each session.  I have gained good skills in writing poetry.

It was fun!  Everyone got really involved.

“Teamwork”  I made a good group of friends, so easier to perform in front of each audience.

It boosted my confidence and I now can read out poetry to an audience without feeling too shy.

[Michelle] made me feel like a proper writer.

It helped improve my confidence and writing skills – and I have noticed this in other subjects too.

No-one had a bad word for anyone in the group, so refreshing.  Michelle was really inspiring.

The workshops were well designed as we gave feedback to each other each week.

We all got on really well, and I made a new group of friends.  All of us have started writing and/or reading for pleasure now; it wasn’t like that before.

It was a ‘safe’ zone where you could work with different year groups to share a love of creative writing that wasn’t frowned upon.

And, not least, headteacher Will Carr commented that “this sort of work is vital.  It offers an opportunity for self-expression in a safe environment to children of all abilities. Writing and creativity just for fun – so different from much of what children get offered at this age.  It is recognised by Ofsted  that enhancement opportunities such as this offer students a chance to create an ethos where it’s OK to be creative and excel at literary pursuits.  It gives them a chance to explore their leadership qualities too."

As Michelle said at the start of the evening: “We expect children to be soooo much, so many things.  Writing introspectively can help them find themselves.” 

Many poetic themes were covered: loneliness, nature (even mud), bullying, happiness, shadows and the monsters that hide there, letters to younger selves or daughters of the future, explanations of dark events, even the flirting of middle-aged women.  A real mix of emotions, genres, rhythms and ideas.  Something Else indeed.

Thanks to the young poets involved: Alex, Amber, Emma B, Emma R, Casey, Daniel, Faye, Freya, Hannah, Mya, Nida, Lucas, Lucy and Una. 

Thanks too to the skilful and mesmerising dancers Alice, Becky and Freya from year 11, and the body-popping ‘Rough Diamonds’ new group from year 7 as well as Megan and Phoebe who volunteered to organise and sell refreshments in the interval.

Thanks for the easy jazz riffs and funky tones are also due to two young musicians, Tom and Owen – one of whom said that it had been “just the best night, just fantastic.”  The audience felt the same way too, as you can read below.

And, of course, what wonderful leadership from young Nida as mentor and compere for the evening, Michelle Scally Clarke (poet, performance coach, writer and director) herself, with Stella Litras on keyboards to accompany the singers. Other staff were there to give their technical and moral support, a lovely thing on the evening at the end of a very long term.

Especial thanks to English teacher Kate Wolstenholme who made the poetry flow.  Really a team effort, this time the words unspoken in the body language of the young people who inhabited the stage with such professional aplomb. Final word to the headteacher: “Wow.  Amazing, inspiring, uplifting, extraordinary. Wish I had been able to do that at their age!”  So where might it lead our performers?  Poet Laureate indeed.

The poems that were read were titled:  I talk Back, To My Five year Old Self, Mud, Beautiful, Octopus Revolution, Moss on the Rocks, Watching Grass Grow, Hand in Hand, It's Over, I Just Thought That You Should Know, My Home, Advice to My Daughter, Daughter of the Railway, ... and That's What the Life Sentence is For.

Audience comments:

                                                   Photo:  Sally Bavage

Showcasing new talent with plenty of ability.  A very good production with a nice warm compere.  Excellent.  Let’s do it again!

An excellent event, representing a really good selection of emerging and established talent.  It was a very inspirational set of performers to see!

Fantastic, very enjoyable – tremendous talent

My son is writing and performing poetry which is something I did not think would ever happen!  I am 100% certain it is down to the incredible inspiration that the writing group has provided along with tireless energy, hard work and support from his English teacher and the visiting author.  Thank you so much for helping him to find his voice and progress into owning it.

Very good entertaining evening

Fantastic allowing the children to express their thoughts

Really high standard of talent and creativity

We liked Nida because she was confident, spoke clearly and showed emotion when saying her amazing poem

Great to see children enjoying these things, being encouraged to express themselves and have the confidence to do it

Really enjoyed the evening

Fantastic show.

It was great to see all the kids’ work and creativity and for them to have this chance to perform their work.  Thank you!

This was a brilliant show of talent – keep it up.

Great platform to showcase young creativity and talent

Fantastic evening, showcasing Ralph Thoresby’s talented hard-working students.  Thank you.

Great venue.  Really nice to see the kids grow in confidence.

First half = AMAZING.  Second half = EVEN MORE AMAZING!!!

What a wonderful opportunity and delight to experience.  Thank you.

Again, fantastic.  What great talent.

Very very enjoyable.  Recommend everyone to see it.

I really liked Tom and Owen’s music. I also liked Stella’s music.  I really enjoyed tonight.

The Yerney Project by Ray Brown

L-R  Dick Downing, Stephen Anderson, Jem Dobbs, Everal A Walsh, Jamie Smelt, Derrick "Digger" Holt                          Photos: Richard Wilcocks

CAST

Yerney  Derrick “Digger” Holt

Jurincic, Andrew, Thief, Bosnian  Dick Downing

Judge, Jailer, Inkeeper, Mayor   Jem Dobbs

Gostach   Stephen Anderson

Italian father, Spy, Costic, Micho   Everal A. Walsh

Young Sitar, Tony, Koshir, Prison Cart Driver   Jamie Smelt

Stage manager and script writer    Ray Brown

Roberta Stabilini writes:

Yerney is an old farmer and former bailiff. He has been working near his hometown, earning the respect of the local community. The story begins when a new young bailiff takes Yerney’s place when his partner dies.  Even though he is the son of Yerney’s old master, with whom Yerney worked for forty years, he bullies him, telling him that he is old, and that he should find some other place to stay (“Time flows. All things must end”). Yerney tries to reason with him, telling him that he and Sitar built that master house together when they were young. But when he realises that he cannot convince Young Sitar, he decides to go look for justice by himself.

     Ray Brown      

Thus, failing to get justice from the local Mayor, Yerney goes to Ljubljana to discuss his situation in court. However, the judges do not take him seriously because of his clothes, his countryside manners and his repeated and agitated requests to “put this on paper.”  As a result of his talk with the judges, Yerney gets very upset and thus is sent to prison. However, despite the hostile circumstances, he keeps asking for “justice for those who deserve it, and mercy for those who don’t.”

He is aware of the rightfulness of his behaviour and he is determined to be treated according to his rights “When justice is done, they will be ashamed. They will regret their behaviour.”

Despite all the previous vexations, Yerney decides to go to Vienna, the capital of the empire, to speak with the Emperor himself.  Once again, he is not taken seriously; he is jailed, mistreated  and then shipped back to his hometown.  The play ends when Yerney goes back to Sitar’s house to get his pipe and the house is set on fire.

The story of Yerney is told very realistically and movingly in The Yerney Project. The play perfectly portrays the indifference of powerful, corrupt men in front of the requests of an old, poor, hard-working countryman.  The Yerney Project is a quest for justice, in which Yerney bravely strives to find the meaning of his life, of all those years spent working, only to discover he would lose his place in the community once old.

The play was beautifully staged by the actors, who succeeded in mesmerising the audience throughout the performance.  A wonderful opportunity to see a Slovene classic with so many echoes for today.

Ray Brown based his play on a novel by Ivan Cankar (d1918) - you can find out about him by clicking HERE.

Audience comments:

Wonderful.  Very moving!  Superb actors.

So good to have the opportunity to see new work.  Thank you.

Very interesting play – the innocent who believes in justice and still retains his dignity despite his maltreatment.  Very good performances and moving too.

Very engaging.  Well performed and imagined for a confined space.  Lots of energy and interesting adaptation.

Enjoyed ‘intimate’ presentation in a small space.  Actors appeared to be speaking to us individually.  In turn therefore possible to follow the ‘plot’ because every actor could represent a number of players, so it was enabled to enlarge the political system against the individual.

Felt the piece was very intense and the inevitability somewhat crushing/saddening.  Found it had great universal  truth and therefore engaging.  Greatly enjoyed the work of the cast.

Ideal venue for performance.  Well acted, great clear characterisations.  Poignant story well told.

A moral and affecting piece.  Excellent performances all round.  A very worthwhile evening.

Very interesting – good to have a play from a different cultural background.  Well performed.

This was my first time at LitFest and I came because I am Slovene.  I was interested in this particular event because I know the original short novel this play is based on.  I was very impressed and enjoyed the play very much.  It was cleverly written and very well performed.  I would be interested in coming to more events organised by LitFest in the future.

A brilliant piece of writing, powerful and timeless (unfortunately!)

A very good opportunity to see a new (I think) and v interesting piece of work without the cost or hassle of going to the theatre in town.  Thank you.  Well worth seeing and well done.

Very good, suitable venue.  Very thought-provoking play.  Well done.

A gripping play – very glad I came.

I thoroughly enjoyed the play.  It was engrossing, credible and took me wholly along with the story of Yerney.  The author captured the despair of a dispossessed simple man.

Excellent and moving tale of injustice.  Well researched and well performed.

A very enjoyable, well acted and well written performance worth the trip out.

Well written, acted and a comfortable venue.

A real heartfelt play. Full of soul during time of hardship!

Very powerful play.  Excellent writing and construction – very poignant.  Well acted, and spoken – deserves a wider audience and prestigious venue.

Interesting project.  Good acting.  Perhaps next year we can have some sporting interest, hopefully cricket!

I found the play gripping and the plot very plausible.  One felt sympathy for Yerney – we should be grateful for Legal Aid and Citizens Advice Bureaux!  Well acted – each character was well defined. 

Bravo a tutti

It was amazing play that I’ve ever seen before.  The script (story) and actors have carried the audience to another dimension.  Thank you for arranging this play and the unexpected night.

Very well acted.  Moving, depressing but worthwhile. A good adaptation.  Thank you!

Excellent. Atmospheric, funny, poignant and powerful.  Very punchy, well acted.

Unusual subject and period of interesting mix of accents to bring the characters to life.  Well executed play

Powerful drama, well acted by excellent cast. 

Excellent!

Excellent acting.  Ending was too fast to follow.

Really enjoyed it.

Great to see a ‘read’ performance.  V enjoyable storytelling that echoed so much present injustice!  Let’s have more.

Very moving play, very well performed by company.  Lots of food for thought.

Very powerful and moving radio play

Thought-provoking original new work.

Really vivid portrayal.  Moving and real.

Very impressive performance of a fascinating play.