With a new Poet Laureate due to be announced in 2019 Wrighty’s chucking his hat in the ring.
But let’s be honest, he’s a dark horse at best. He rejected his invite to the palace in 2012 and he’s really got to stop penning all those one-vowelled invectives about Tory politicians if he’s to get a look in. But Luke really does care about Britain, so he’s on a mission to write poems that might be able to unite a nation divided by austerity and Brexit.
Can it be done? Can one poet ever really represent an entire nation? And just who are these previously
laureled rogues? Luke delves into the murky world of poets laureate past: the heroes, the villains, and ones who didn’t even write poetry.
The centre-piece of the show, as always, will be Luke’s own blistering verse. Big-hearted and quick witted, Wright’s poems have been lauded by everyone from Patti Smith to Blur bassist Alex James. Truly a wordsmith and raconteur at the top of his game, he’s a Fringe First winner, a Stage Award winner (for acting, no less!) and he’s been the Fringe’s favourite poet for fifteen years. In 2019, by coincidence, he celebrates the twentieth anniversary of his first gig. So maybe he can pull it off? Luke Wright tours the world each year with his unique brand of poetry and can often be seen opening for John Cooper Clarke. His verse documentaries on Channel 4 have been enjoyed by millions and his poems can often be heard on
BBC Radios 3 & 4, sometimes further afield. He curates the spoken word line-ups at Port Eliot Festival, Festival Number 6 and The Edinburgh
International Book Festival. Luke’s multi award winning verse plays What I Learned From Johnny
Bevan and Frankie Vah were huge Fringe hits and subsequently toured extensively
to huge critical and audience acclaim. To date he has published five books. Venue: Bar Bados, PBH’s Free
Fringe (Venue 32) Dates: 13-25 Aug
Time: 15.45 (60 mins)
