March 19 -22
Teignmouth Poetry Festival 2020
Featuring: Liz Berry, Hannah Lowe, Inua Ellams, Vanessa Kisuule and many others
Festival details: www.poetryteignmouth.com/festival-2020
Tickets available from: www.pavilionsteignmouth.org.uk
March 1
The 2020 International Book & Pamphlet Competition
Judged by Imtiaz Dharker and Ian McMillan
Deadline: last post, February 29; midnight, March 1st, online entries.
February 28
Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize
February 4-8
An Inspector Calls
Liverpool Playhouse
https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/
On tour until May 23
4*
Make no mistake, this is most bizarre, so much so, that comes an announcement early on requesting the audience to leave the building, no mad rush for the exit because everybody assumed it was to do with the play. As if that didn’t provide more than enough drama for one night….
Orbis 189 (Autumn)
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘The Silent room’ by Van Renselar
back cover, detail from image: http://www.van-renselar.com/
Do not despair…
We may be going less than gently into the darkest part of the year,
taking too much of a Forward Step along with Elizabeth McSkeane,
but like Harry Gallagher, best keep Clutching At Dreams because it’ll soon be
you-know-what, and that could mean Pass the parcel with Alison Chisholm,
raising a Toast with Liz Byrne – and a few Presents from Michael Swan.
But some of you may perhaps follow Rob Walton’s lead, making Assignations,
while others, as Linda King suggests, could make themselves useful mending; no,
not those kind of Seams, from Tracey Hope but what Laura Potts is telling us about
The Body Broken. Or finding out about Samuel Prince’s Olympus Camera Rupture
and Martin Bennett’s Staffordshire Macwhirr.
Yes, it may be cold outside but you can always escape into the warmth of Orbis.
Featured Poet Gerður Kristný: Anne Frank; Triumph; Ægisíða; God; North
Poems from:
Jan Ball, Not sharing at Yoshu;
Alexander Hand, White sesame seeds, about two pounds;
Heikki Huotari, Confirmed; Beth McDonough,Yet another riddle of strange states;
Ann van Wijgerden, Elephantine
Prose from
Sari Pauloma;The Train Arrived; David McVey, Offending the Senses;
Mark Reece, Boy
Translation, Judith Wilkinson: Toon Tellegen, Wat Ik van een gedicht verwacht
and Woorden die hij niet kan schrijven
Past Master: Peter Viggers on Cesar Vallejo
Article: ‘The Spring And Fall In A Writer’s Step’ by Will Daunt
Reviews: Maria Isakova Bennett, Ross Cogan, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
Clairr O’Connor, D. A. Prince, Theresa Sowerby and Andrew Taylor
Orbis 189 Contributors also include
Alex Barr; Jill Boucher; Brian Docherty; Peter Ebsworth; Joel Robert Ferguson;
Anas Hassan; Alistair Heys; Nigel Jarrett; Carl Nelson; Mhairi Owens;
Khadija Rouf; Frances Sackett; Hermione Sandall; John Short
Orbis 188 (Summer)
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Key to madness’ by Kelly Marie Davidson
back cover, detail from image: https://www.artgallery.co.uk/work/293532
We like to do what it says on the can, or rather, the cover,
so contents always range far and wide, in time as well as space,
and of course, from contributors all over the world. OK, maybe
it’s just a Meeting in an Upstairs Room, with Vivienne Hanna-Artt,
but Will Daunt welcomes you to dear old England, and times gone by,
with Adlestrop, and you can go back to Thira with Wendy Goulstone,
or aim for The Starry Outer Paradise with Yuan Hongri
(Translated by Manu Mangattu). Eamonn Lynskey takes you Walking
on the Via Vittoria Colonna, Rome, but you’d be surprised where
Andrew Curtis is headed in Bang to time; maybe even more so
when Sheila Aldous reveals The Secret of Breathing. Indeed, lean in to
Kevin Griffin, because he’s talking Sotto Voce, revealing perhaps that
Royston Tester is Still in love with the bass player,
the truth about Odin and the Caterpillar, from Warren Mortimer
and what Stuart Pickford’s up to in Big Nose and Fat Man.
So, like Cat Campbell, do you know what you Want?
In the end, let Taylor Strickland show you: @RestAndBeThankful,
there’s plenty to enjoy in Orbis…
Featured Poet Gareth Roberts (Tidelands; Weeping from the King’s Wood…;
When the words are leaving)
Poems from: Lynn Foote (Veulettes-sur-Mer); Maggie Reed (Wonderful Clowns);
K. V. Skene (Moonsplaining the man); Anthony Watts (Ozymandias in the Wood)
Prose from: Desiree Kendrick (Don’t Hate Me);
Lani O’Hanlon (So bright and tender); Charles Osborne (Line 13)
Translation: Pablo Dubois (Espiga: The Ear Of Wheat);
Yvonne Reddick (Firesetter;
into German, by Jutta Kaussen; into Hungarian, by Júlia Lázár)
Past Master: Benjamin Keatinge on Konstantin Miladinov
Reviews:Maria Isakova Bennett, David Harmer, Jenny Hockey, Afric McGlinchey,
Clairr O’Connor, D. A. Prince, Andrew Taylor and Noel Williams
Orbis 188 Contributors also include
Sheila Aldous; Cat Campbell; Andrew Curtis; Will Daunt;
Maggie Davison; Miranda Day; Linda Ford; Wendy Goulstone;
Kevin Griffin; Vivienne Hanna-Artt; Alice Harrison; Paul Jeffcutt;
L. B. Jørgensen; Lavinia Kumar; S. W. Layzell; Chris Luck;
Eamonn Lynskey; Nancy Anne Miller; Warren Mortimer;
Robert Nisbet; Katherine Noone; Gabrielle O’Donovan;
Stuart Pickford; Theresa Sowerby; Taylor Strickland;
Royston Tester; Robin Thomas; Hongri Yuan
Orbis 187 (Spring)£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘World’s Away’ by Megan Duncanson
back cover, detail from image: http://www.madartdesigns.com
First, Ted Hughes, then Sylvia Plath (although some of you may want to argue
about that), in an article by Paul Stephenson. But Spring is here, somewhere,
although still chilly enough to snuggle up with Neil Beardmore,
In Bed, Writing Poetry About Hokusai, as long as you don’t end up having nightmares
about Annie Newcomer’sUkraine. Much better to have A Dream To Dare,
like Morgan Kenney, or to imagine being The God of Little Things (Faye Boland).
And does Louise Wilford, When He Marched Back, have anything to do with
Rodney Wood’s ABC of the Royal Navy? Or, Tim Cunningham’s description of
Nostalgia Day In Paradise – even Alisa Velaj: Aniara, Aniara…
Or My Transcendence of Night? Back down to earth, sort of, let Claire Booker
tell you all about being Eyeless in Riyadh. Last, but by no means least, pay a visit to
Tim Dowley’s Life class. And if you fancy being transported to a classy life,
you know where to look. Right here:
Featured PoetDenise McSheehy: Seamless & Complete; Night Walk; Somewhere
Poems from: Marie Lecrivain, My Amygdala Didn’t Get the Memo;
David Lukens, Beware The Smart Toaster; Marcus Pavard,
What We Worshippers Do Afterhours; Sue Spiers, In Silence; Richard Toovey,
There ought to be a word for it; Susan Wicks, Night Breathing
Prose from:Charlotte Gringras, Happy Families;
Denise McSheehy, White; Jenna Plewes, Yellow
Translation: Laura Chalar, Paisaje by Federico García Lorca
Past Master: Jonathan Cooper on Charlotte Mew
Reader’s Response: Philip Dunkerley
‘In Defence Of Humour:
Comedic effect in the poetry of Sylvia Plath': Paul Stephenson
Reviews: Maria Isakova Bennett, David Harmer, Jenny Hockey,
D. A. Prince, Lynne Taylor and Noel Williams
Orbis 187 Contributors also include
Fred Beake; Patricia Brody; Lucinda Carey; Victoria Gatehouse;
Jenny Hockey; Glenn Hubbard; Eve Jackson; Fred Johnstone;
Robert Keeler; Martin Kerry; Jenny King; Craig Kurtz; Hilary Mellon;
Tom Paine; Katherine Barrett Swett; Jules Whiting
Orbis186, Winter
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Art Deco‘ by Phillip Ward
back cover, detail from image: www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/phillip__ward
A Raven and a Crow walked into a bar? No joke ,
but a tale you’re sure to want to sample, about Ted Hughes, and John Smelcer.
And indeed, such a good start to the year with an issue ranging far and wide,
literally from the Sublime to the Ridiculous, if via the rather Grim:
Self Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, anyone? Thanks to Kevin Densley.
So perhaps I should ask myself, like Christine Curtis, Am I doing this right?
And move swiftly on to the practical, to watch Lorraine Carey, Patching up Loulou,
or fathom out the perplexing, in Keith Moul’s description of Avid Disinterest:
the Yogi, the Mentor, the Model. Or we could join Camino Victoria Garcia
By the Aspetuck River, well, rather than following Eurydice’s Husband,
in Úna Ní Cheallaigh’s version. while David Mark Williams can bring us
back to Reality in Light Programme Avenue. Then we’ll finish off
with Love from Dinah Livingstone – and from Orbis, wishing you all the best for 2019.
Featured Poet
Christopher Rice: In Transit; Skylark on Stackpole Head; Decoys; Paranoia
Poems from: Miles Larmour, The Corncrake, Alive and Cupped;
Dinah Livingstone, Love; Geraldine Mills, Above their station;
Lani O’Hanlon, My dream out; John Smelcer, Exodus Raven;
Alec Taylor, The Archaeopteryx and the Smilodon
Prose from: Michael G. Casey, Letter to Meryl; Shirley Jones,The Museum;
Marcie McCauley, Spectators
Translation: Dan Veach: Conde Arnoldos
Past Master: Sue Tyson on Edward FitzGerald
Reviews by Angelina d’Roza, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
Jenny Hockey, D. A. Prince, Lynn Taylor and Noel Williams
Orbis 186 Contributors also include
David Ball, Clare Bevan, J. E. G. Blanchard, Sheena Bradley,
Jennifer Compton, Robin Ford, Richard George, Caroline Gill, Chris Hardy,
Derek Healy, Ashleigh John, Tim Love, Elspeth McLean, John McOwat,
Keith Moul, Natalie Scott, Roger Singer, Sue Tyson and Robert Penn,
Olivia Walwyn, Helen Whitten, Richard Williams
Orbis185, Autumn
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘The Travellers‘ by Jane Indigo Moore
back cover, detail from image: www.janeindigoart.com
Fancy a taste of The Full English Brexit, offered up by Michael Henry?
Or fed up already, perhaps that’s why Frederick has gone to ground;
Anne Osbourn has a puzzle to solve, And if you’d also like to escape
the gloomy weather,along with Maxima Kahn, in this Gathering Fall,
lose yourself in Art, and enjoy Kevin Cahill’s description
of How They Met Themselves. Well, better than giving cause for concern:
Stratford A. Kirby’sSheep Worrier –
even more so with the Cow Trespassing, from Bill Dodd;
could end up thinking, may as well Make me a wilderness, like Matthew Smith…
or even a Red Brick Wall (John Bartlett). But one thing’s for sure,
reading Orbis helps build up inspiration.
Featured Poet
Fokkina McDonnell: Animate and inanimate objects relating to J Abraham;
Just another week; Partial view of a loch
Poems from: Chrissy Banks, An Agnostic’s Christmas; Kevin Cahill,
How They Met Themselves; Chris Raetschus, Limerence;
Frank Wood, Pericles, His Diary
Prose from: María Castro Dominguez, Blind Insight;
Phil Knight, Campanula Capratica;
Fokkina McDonnell,This is a portrait if I say so;
Vincent Smith, Love that will not let me go
Translation: Ranald Barnicot, From the Italian of Gabriele D’annunzio
Past Master: Jocelyne Thébault on Arthur Rimbaud
Article: ‘His Chosen Islands: Richard Murphy’ by Benjamin Keatinge
Reviews by Angelina d’Roza, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
Clairr O’Connor, D. A. Prince, Andrew Taylor and Noel Williams
Orbis 185 Contributors also include
Nick Burbridge; David Burridge; Malcolm Carson; Eileen Casey; Ian Caws;
Doreen Duffy; Attracta Fahy; Carol Featherstone; Lorna Grinter;
Claire Louise Hunt; Simon Lewis; Ray Malone; Probal Mazumdar;
Dave Medd; Stuart Pickford; Marilyn Ricci; Sheila Spence;
Jill Townsend; Davide Trame; Frank Wood
Orbis184, Summer
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Dragon with Hiroshige‘ by Jeff Gettis
back cover, detail from image: https://jeff-gettis.pixels.com/
What are we to make of this fabulous Summer? Yes, enjoy the Heatwave,
along with Julie Mellor; it’s a veritable River of Light (Ali Pardoe),
as Peter SuttonEcho o o o o (s). But let’s start by finding out about
Mark Paffard’sMountaineers of Leningrad, or trust Margarita Serafimova,
and venture to The Water’s Edge. However, if we find ourselves wondering about
Colin Pink‘s Beautiful Lies, it may lead to Lara Frankena
and The Plagiarist’s Lament, or perhaps all turn out to be Magic,
as Hiram Larew says. So why not stop to smell the (Pressed) Flowers,
from Marybeth Rua-Larsen, although sadly, they’re not to be found
in Denise Bennett’s account of Blossom Alley, or with Calamity’s Child,
as Daragh Bradish explains. And before it’s all what Tim Dwyer calls an
Imagined Memory, snap up a bargain, for example, In This Style, 10/6
(Georgina Titmus). And here’s another one to make the most of –
make this issue of Orbis top of your reading list.
Featured Poet
Ian McEwen: The riches of embarrassment; A spell of wind; Homily on practice
Poems from: Michael Atkinson, Kafka’s Garden; Holly Day, The Sacred Texts;
Briege Duffaud, La Vie Simple à la Campagne;
Mary O’Donnell, A Report to the Home Galaxy on ‘Speck’;
John Zedolik, Concluding Comfort
Prose from: Peter Eagan, Mr Tortilla;
Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois, Turbine Syndrome and The Baroness;
Fiona Vigo Marshall, The Library of Dreams
Translation: Luba Ostashevsky, Two poems by Anna Akhmatova
Past Master: Hannah Stone on Andrew Marvell
Reviews by
Maria Isakova Bennett, Angelina d’Roza, David Harmer, Jenny Hockey,
D. A. Prince, Andrew Taylor, Lynne Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 184 Contributors also include
Anne Banks, Jill Boucher, Peter French, Mary Melvin Geoghegan,
Ann Gibson, Alice Kinsella, Pete Langley, Gill McEvoy, Robert Ronnow,
Paul Saville, Pam Thompson, Carl Tomlinson, Ray Whitaker
Orbis 183, Spring
£5 (Overseas: £11/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £40/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Dragonflies First Flight’ by Amanda Dagg
back cover, detail from image: www.dagg.co.uk
Who wouldn’t love to know More About the Marmoset? Fortunately,
Max Gutmann can explain. And why is Alex Josephy writing
On Not Going into the Garden? It’s a Gift,
says Sarah Lindon, like creating poems such as Julie Maclean’s Light Wave
and Particles of Icarus, and John Timothy Robinson: A Keepsake
in Handfuls of Memory Earth.Or even when you know things like
This is how it feels before the rain, as Ben Macnair tells us.
Meanwhile, Yvonne Adami can be discovered Walking the Merri,
whilst Katherine Swett is a Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog.
Mark Carson however reveals the grim details of being an Apprentice;
like John-Christopher Johnson, think Frankenstein. On that rather dark note,
let us reassure you there’s plenty here to make you Smile, thank you,
Lorna Sherry; you’re sure to enjoy this issue,
along with Grahaeme Barrasford Young – Because I say so.
And finally, or rather, with Tony Hendry,
simply And…
Featured Poet, Judith Shaw: Greek Juggernaut; genuine middle eastern sculpture;
it helps somehow; There are more fences now
Poems from Lucía Orellana-Damacela, Rain Noir:
Zebulon Huset, Of Chivalry and Chance;
Ed Jones, When Jesus Spoke to the Elephants;
Mary Makofske, Creation/Apocalypse;
Hannah Stone, ‘How unpleasant to meet Mr Eliot’;
Martin Zarrop, Sleepers
Prose from Jim Meirose, The Burning Bush;
Luba Ostashevsky, People are crazy;
Lorna Sherry, Smile
Past Master: Eamonn Lynskey on Eugene Lee Hamilton
Reviews by Maria Isakova Bennett, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
Afric McGlinchey, D. A. Prince, Andrew Taylor, Lynne Taylor and Noel Williams
Orbis 183 Contributors also include
John Arnold; Anne Ballard ; Stephen Clarke; Jim Conwell;
Nigel Ford; Paul Francis; Pauline Hawkesworth; Richard Hughes;
Paula Jennings; Lindy Newns; John Perrault; Anne Rees;
Peter Viggers; F. J. Williams; Nicky Winder
Orbis182, Winter
£5 (Overseas: £10/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £38/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Venice Costume Drama‘ by John Penney
back cover, detail from image: www.artistjohn.co.uk/
Have those long, dark nights had you observing, along with Jo Peters,
It’s not that I don’t believe in ghosts? Well, as we head into the light, finally,
we can echo Laura Ciraolo and Go lightly through life, especially if January
involved a bit of a Dry Patch (Mat Riches) – or were you as determined as
Jenny Johnson, declaring I Am Swift Purpose? Although, as Brian Daldorph
explains, there is an art in knowing when it’s Time to go, while Oz Hardwick
will tell you the Rudiments of Practical Philosophy, something about which
the Ancients knew a thing or two. But rather than making Bronze Offerings
In The Water, along with Tim Miller, maybe we should pour A Libation,
thanks to Ginny Sullivan. And to everybody who enjoys poetry –
Orbis is filled with some excellent samples.
Featured Poet, Ben Bransfield: Surfaces; Penance;Cellar; The Weight; The Chord
Poems from
Andrew Button (Johnny Marr’s Fingers); Wendy Everett; (The silence of);
Jean O’Brien; (Paper-Chain-Dolls): Harry Owen (Unhinged at Chintsa);
Theresa Sowerby (A Charm of Gates);
Anne Tannam (The Poet Transformed Into Anger)
Prose from Alexa Recio de Fitch (Fabrication); Grahame Lloyd (Seeing the Light):
Sam Smith (Ideas not derived from experience but with observable outcomes)
Translation From the Early Irish: Terence Brick (Líadain)
Past Master: Becca Menon on Isolde Kurz
Reviews by
Angelina d’Roza, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer, Clairr O’Connor,
D. A. Prince, Lynne Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 182 Contributors also include
Sheila Aldous; Jean Atkin; Veronica Beedham; Martin Bennett;
C M Buckland; Ann Flynn; A. P. Fraser; Adrian Green; Jenny Hamlett;
Simon Leonard; Kathleen McPhilemy; Frances Nagle; Carsten Smith-Hall;
Laura Solomon; Jonathan Totman; Richard Williams; Jim C. Wilson
Orbis181, Autumn
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Front cover artwork: ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ by Shanina Conway
https://shanina-conway.pixels.com/index.html?tab=images&page=3
The Long and the Short and the Tall? Well, long poems this time, certainly,
and a lot that rhyme (which perhaps this should do in honour of the occasion),
except – Helen Harrison’sThe Rhythm of Wood. Plus a couple under 10 lines,
and maybe you’ll agree with Gregory Arena, that We’re all Dr Who?
Yes, quite a few Tales of the Unexpected: ever come across
The Patagonian Su? Let Colin Sutherill explain. Or you could visit Mt. Hiei
in the company of Pauline Flynn, perhaps pay a Cold Call, with Martin Malone.
Meanwhile, Lay by Gale Acuff is entirely open to interpretation,
and better pay heed to Marie Dolores’s suggestion: Beware the Meek.
What exactly does Cathy Whittaker have in mind, saying, I will buy a trunk?
No prizes however for guessing whom Grahame Lloyd’s
Trumpery Trumpety Trump is about. And forgive us
if we seem to be blowing our own trumpet, Because reading the magazine –
you’ll soon see why…
Featured Poet
Lyn Moir: Life Drawing; Playing Deck Shuffleboard with Somerset Maugham, 1948;
At the Movies, Ohio 1942
Poems from Matt Barnard, A Portrait of the Artist as a Sasquatch;
Judith Drazin, A Blue Time; Jonathan Edwards, Best Man;
Eve Jackson, The Dutch Circus Came To Town and They Missed It;
Grahame Lloyd,Trumpery Trumpety Trump
Prose from
Gregory Arena, Examination: the Italian English Certification Centre Cambung ©;
Christine Despardes, MassCity; Joanne Feltham, Perspectivo (Translation):Perspective
Past Master: David Troman on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Article: Carol Sausman: On Rhyme and Reason
Reviews by Maria Isakova Bennett, Ross Cogan, Angelina d’Roza,
David Harmer, Lindy Newns, Lynne Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis Contributors also include
Kevin Barrett; Jane Blanchard; A. C. Clarke; Michael Coy;
David Crann; Fiona Donaghey; Kieran Egan; Scott Elder;
Aidan Fadden; Leo Holloway; Patricia Leighton; Tim Love; Julie Lumsden;
Patricia McCaw; D. A. Prince; Tanya Prudente; Alexandra Sashe;
A. K. S. Shaw; Anne Symons; Philip Williams; Alessio Zanelli
bis180, Summer
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Front cover artwork: ‘Day Out by James Walsh ©
back cover, detail from image: www.sarahsamuels.co.uk
Here’s one for all those with a child genius, and a vague yearning to learn
(just try googling it…): be intrigued by Laura Seymour
and The fate of the peanut specialist. Not to mention Frances Sackett’s
description of the Moon in Flood –and why is Mum’s Laughing (Anne Stewart)?
And just how do you go about Outwitting Baba Yaga? Pat Farrington explains,
while John Andrew spins a yarn about his Line of Ancestry.
Join in with Elizabeth Barton’sSong of a Suburb, keeping a watch, though,
for Sue Davies and The Strawberry Thieves, as well as The Burner
(Tom Moody). Then relax with some Cocktails in the company
of James Conor Patterson, raising a glass to Neil Beardmore’sAmanuensis.
But heed the Teachings of the Shaman from Louis Nthenda,
and Sarah Barnsley’s instructions:
We have made a number of key appointments –
be sure to keep yours with this issue of Orbis…
Featured Poet Kevin Casey: A New Confectionery; Promises; Darning the Sky
Poems from:
Arthur Broomfield, Seeing Limerick Station through quantum physics;
Craig Kurtz, Huswife’s Velleity; Edward O’Dwyer, The End of Ice-Cream;
Fiona Pitt-Kethley, Figs and Amethysts; Gwen Sayers, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
Prose from Charles Osborne, The Girl in the Sand;
Jennifer Ouellette, The Heroes;
Pavle Radonic, LOVES HIGH AND LOW Wives and Devotions
Translation: Brent Southgate, Poems from Martial
Past Master: Helen Ashley on Edward Thomas
Reviews by
Clairr O’Connor, Angelina d’Roza, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
D. A. Prince, Andrew Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 180 contributors also include
Mike Alderson; Aidan Baker; Linda Benninghoff;
Toby Campion; Andrew Curtis; Nathan Fidler; Angela Howarth;
Ian McLachlan; Antony Mair; Katherine Noone; Val Pargeter;
Karen Petersen; Laura Potts; Paul Protheroe; Natalie Scott;
K. V. Skene; David Troman; Chris Woods
Orbis179, Spring
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Front cover artwork: ‘Waverley Abbey’ by Melanie Zohrabi
back cover, detail from image: www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/melanie_zohrabi_2
It’s easy to get confused: do you need to be a Mystic,
like Marilyn Donovan, to be able to understand what lies Beyond,
as Nick Conrad says, or even fathom out the Rubber Hand Trick
with the help of Sue Norton. Coming From Here with Nick Carding,
you can find out why the Half-Light at Scarborough is important to
Sue Spiers, before learning from Helen Harvey, who is Coming Home to Roost?
On a more serious note, Lavinia Kumar tells us about
A Slave Catching God’s Eye, and there’s a warning from
Jill Boucher: Droit du seigneur. But you can still enjoy Michael Swan’s Ballade
and relish Audrey Molloy explaining why Envy is a Daylily,
then let Antony Johae tell you all about an African Epiphany. So remember,
if Marlon Brando makes his Debut on a Shopping Channel (Peter Ebsworth),
you’re all welcome to make yours here in Orbis…
Featured Poet: Maggie Butt: Oare Creek; Beachcombing;November 1918
Poems from: Daragh Bradish, Extract from the Villa Journal. Cheeses;
Fiona Colligan-Yano, The Sea Rabbit; Barbara Cumbers, The Quaggy and the Kid;
Jane McLaughlin, Dita’s Scarf; Martin Reed,The Man Who Died in his Own Porch;
David Mark Williams. School of Little Birds
Prose from: Michael G. Casey, Letter to Meryl – The Sequel;
Charlotte Gringras, Jay Bee and crew; Sari Pauloma, Never Give All The Heart
Translation: Philip Dunkerley: Emilia Pardo Bazán, Almas Gemelas
Past Master: Pat Galvin on William Butler Yeats 2
Article: Lyn Cooper: Poet from 19 to 91 by Marti Cooper
Reviews by Maria Isakova Bennett, Clairr O’Connor,
Angelina d’Roza, David Harmer, D. A. Prince, Lynne Taylor,
David Troman andNoel Williams
Orbis 179 contributors also include:
Marti Cooper; Clive Donovan; Michael Farry; Doreen Hinchliffe; Charlie Jones;
Marie Lecrivain John McOwat; Lee Nash; Tanya Nightingale; Charles Osborne;
Felix Purat; Zara Raab; Lynne Taylor; Li C. Tien; John Whitehouse
Orbis178, Winter
£5 (Overseas: £10/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £36/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Underneath the Grove of Sycamore” by Gavin Singleton
back cover, detail from image: https://www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/gavin_singleton
Not long now, surely…Saving the Light (Tom McFadden) tells us
Spring is on the way.and we’ll all be outside, tucking into Haagen Dazs
alongside Geroge Saito,somewhere, oh I don’t know, perhaps overlooking
a Harbour Scene, sharing the view with Jack Little.
We could be looking for Charlie Baylis and his Mermaids, or even
The Witch, Her Book in Martha Street’s tale.However, given the English weather,
more likely we’ll be thinking Sarah Sibley’s got it right: The wind is a curse,
if not quite as bad as what Vuyelwa Carlin says concerning
a Rat in the Frosty Garden. But let’s get serious and discover
what Dorothy Yamamoto knows about A brief history of footwear.
Or should that be Surreal? Courtesy of Michael Henry, Je suis un mouchoir –
because you can enjoy all sorts, even the unexpected, in Orbis.
Featured Poet
Pat Galvin: The Moon Fell Among the Trees; Unseen; It was a Different Life,
Poems from: Derek Coyle, Carlow Poem #59; Robin Daglish, Nowhen;
Helen Kay, Dyslexia and the Live Art Hit; Elizabeth McSkeane,
Arguing with Arithmetic; K. V. Twain, At Night I Covet the State of the Sculpture;
Martin Worster, The Night Guard
Prose from: Linda Griffin, Soldiers in the garden;
Mark Reece, A Meeting of Strangers; Sarah Samuels, The Parcel from Kabul
Translation: Fred Beake, Four poems from Theognis (Book 2)
Past Master: Philip Dunkerley on Cora Coralina
Reviews by
Ross Cogan, Clairr O’Connor, David Harmer, Afric McGlinchey,
D. A. Prince, Lynne Taylor, David Troman andNoel Williams
Orbis 177 contributors also include:
Mark Behan; Denise Bennett; Gail Dendy; Richard George;
Ann Gibson; Alan Hester; Dorrie Johnson; Fred Johnston; Robert Kennedy;
Mary Lee; Michael McCarthy; Dave Medd; Nancy Anne Miller;
Simon Perchik; Jenna Plewes; Joan Sheridan Smith; Ginny Sullivan;
Peter Sutton Merryn Williams; Martin Worster
Orbis177, Autumn
£5 (Overseas: £10/€14/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £36/€50/$60)
Front cover artwork: ‘Copper Rain’ by Kelly Marie Davidson
back cover, detail from image: www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/kelly_marie_davidson_2
Singing in the Rain, and Walking the Dog; as you may guess
from the cover, plenty here to be making a song and dance about,
rather than having to think about Xxxx…present buying,
unless a copy of the magazine of course, could be Contained,
Alison Chisholm claims, while Jenny Hockey makes the case more strongly:
Why not end your days without because you and Bobbie Sparrow both,
could be awaiting The quiet intercession of Eros,
or savouring the sound of Noctilucence with Noel Williams.
Isn’t that The key (John Brooke)?
Craig Dobson tells us all about Water’s Way,
but the way we do things at Orbis is to ensure
that you continue enjoying the magazine.
Featured Poet
Anna Wigley:The Mysterious and Devastating Library Disease;
Papilloma; The Last Soirée
Poems from:Geoffrey Godbert: The Deaths of Little Things;
Alice Merry: Like one of my skeletons;
Stuart Nunn: Fugitive dishes of the world #7;
Juliet Wilson: The Animals Decide to Become Invisible
Prose from: Cristina Haraba: Blindness; David Olsen: Frau Bieber’s Confession;
Rosa Thomas: Dancing Girl
Translation: Pablo Vieytes: Words;
Manu Mangattu:Yuan Hongri:The Song of the Universe – Thy Song;
Neither Day nor Night in the Kingdom of Heaven
Past Master: Stuart Nunn on Alexander Pope
Reviews: Maria Isakova Bennett, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
D. A. Prince, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 177 contributors also include:
Christopher Allan; James Aitchison; Anne Banks; Stephen Bett;
Jo Burns; Mark Czanik; Adele Fraser; David Harmer; Richard Hughes;
David Lloyd; Michael Loveday; Eamonn Lynskey; James McKee;
Olha Matso; Kathy Miles; Anita Ouellette; Ali Pardoe; Sari Pauloma;
Fred Pollack; Neil Reeder; Marilyn Ricci; Marg Roberts; Davide Trame;
Jay Whittaker; Helen Whitten; Nicky Winder
Orbis176, Summer
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Front cover artwork: ‘Horizon’ by Peter Leslie Wilks
back cover, detail from image: www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/peter_leslie_wilks
Still waiting for the sunshine? Maybe this issue will brighten things up
with Helen Ashley and some Borrowed Light, whether you join
Grahaeme Barrasford Young, Playing, Lorna Sherry up in Edinburgh,
Nicki Griffin, In CarnadoeWaters, or go with Juli Jana on a Bus Ride
Further still: Alec Taylor’s Space Ilimad. And humming along to
Lara’s Theme (John Arnold), you could enjoy Miraculous Kashgar,
a Story told by Li Suo and Liang Yujing, and Watching The Invisible Man
with Patrick Deeley. But fine weather or not, unlike Hilaire, (I make no) Apology,
because to experience anything fully,as Bibhu Padhi tells us,
what’s needed is: Touch, Taste, and Time –
all of which you can have with Orbis
Featured Poet
Peter De Ville:
Amoxy and Metro face the Dragon; The Blue Scarf; Protest and Intervention
Poems from: Daniel Roy Connelly: Austerity drives;
Katherine Crocker: Nakwetikyawa’s Well;
Alex Josephy: Misericordia:
Mary O’Donnell: On Reading My Mother’s Sorrow Diary;
Terry Trowbridge: The Raven Puppet; Patricia Walsh: Bruscar
Prose from: Phil Dunkerley: As Red as Rubies;
Oz Hardwick: The Drifter’s Song;
Val Williamson: Escapement
Past Master: Sean Howard on Charles Sorley
Reviews: Maria Isakova Bennett, Philip Dunkerley, David Harmer,
D. A. Prince, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 176 contributors also include:
Gary Beck; Jane Blanchard; C M Buckland; Lucinda Carey;
Jim Conwell; Stella Davis; Judith Dimond; Frances Galleymore;
Chris Hardy; Ashleigh John; Gloria Keeley; Richard Livermore;
Tim Love; Terry Quinn; Chelsea Ruxer;
Caroline Smith; Jean Taylor; F. J. Williams
Orbis 175, Spring
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Front cover artwork: ‘White lacy April in Sussex’ by Gill Bustamante
back cover, detail from image: www.gillbustamante.com
Can we tempt you, since Di de Woolfson
is providing a Lure, to accompany us, and Sheri Vandermolen, on Holi Days,
or perhaps observe St. Kevin and the Otter with Mark D. Hart.
Or how about a visit, indeed, a visitation, from David J. Costello’s Angel,
although that may lead to States of emergency, Michael Bartholomew-Biggs,
warns us, in which case, like Anne Rees, you’ll be thinking:
May the Force be with you. But you could take refuge with Luke Palmer,
In the house of lying-in, where Kevin Griffiths is getting Next to the Skin,
because, as Neil McCarthy says, it’s Something of a sign –
you do not want to be missing out on this issue.
And then find out from Sean Heslin, maybe, the result of A Courtroom Drama…
Featured Poet: Jane Spiro: Painting eggs; Half, Whole
Poems from: Terence Brick: Ballade des Dames de Temps Jadis;
Susi Clare: CIRCUS ELEPHANT GOES AWOL;
George Moore: Natural Order n the Hands of Thomas Aquinas;
Andrew Pidoux:The Grammar of the Garden; J. Twm: Fire of The Gods;
Kelley Jean White: Women Who Refuse to Wear High Heels
Prose from: Kimmy Beach: Nuala: a Fable; Jane Spiro: Special Delivery
Translation: (Latin): Martin Lyon: To Wallace Batchelor, Librarian, on his Retirement
Past Master: Peter De Ville on Sidney Royse Lysaght
Reviews by: Maria Isakova Bennett, Ross Cogan, Angelina d’Roza,
David Harmer, Jennifer A. McGowan, Clairr O’Connor,
D.A. Prince, Andrew Taylor and Lynne Taylor
Orbis 175 contributors also include:
Ruth Arnison; Prue.Chamberlayne; Kathryn Daszkiewicz; Richard Halperin;
Jenny Hill; V. B. Irons; Tom Kelly; Jenny King; Simon Leonard;
Caroline Maldonado; Lindy Newns; William Oxley; Cedric Picken;
Anne Rees; Roger G. Singer; Sue Spiers;
Rosamund Taylor; Peter Viggers; Lyn White; Howard Wright
Orbis 174, Winter
£5 (Overseas: £9/€12/$16); Subs: £18/4 pa (Overseas: £35/€42/$58)
Front cover artwork: ‘Contemplation’ byChristopher Langley;
back cover, detail from image: www.christopherlangley.net
The light is brightening, finally, dawning you could say, with much to contemplate. For example,
Richard Toovey and Thirty-Six-Immortal-Poets-Japanese-Asian-Culture-/360314130089 pt=Art
_Prints&hash=item53e4. But keep a very close watch on Colin Sutherill’s Snake Eyes
when accompanying Andy Hickmott andZoology 101. Instead, you could head for the coast
to watch Carolyn Oulton watching the Ebb-Tide, or join Beth Somerford
at Ditchling Beacon, steering clear of The Hound of the Baskervilles (Will Kemp)
and David Greenslade’s Wicker Basket Tank if it comes at you, maybe After a minor medical hiatus
(Elizabeth Birchall)… So, back where we started, and Antony Mair is Thinking of Shelley in the Winter Gales,
John Vickers pondering The white shadow, while Paul Connolly considers the Night and Stars
Indisputable Truth (Bogusia Wardein), that’s what you are mostly going to find in this issue –
though maybe best take it easy with Jenny Hamlett and The Enchanted Cakes at Capenhurst
Featured Poet
Michael Coy: Ambrose Clues-Up Augustine; Hitler’s Watercolours
Poems from: Roger Caldwell: John Steed in retirement remembers Mrs Peel;
Jane Houston: Piddocks; Eve Jackson: It isn’t easy being sea;
Jules Whiting: Tucked Between the Pages of a Wordless Glance; Jeremy Young: Metamorphosis
Prose from: Michael Coy: McBurney’s Urn; Jilly Funnell; Dinner Date;
Laura Solomon (with Kya Solomon, Zoe Solomon and Nadia Smith): Castle
Translation: David Ball: François Migeot: Faces
Past Master: Jean O’Brien on Dora Sigerson Shorter
Reviews by David Harmer, Jennifer A. McGowan, Clairr O’Connor, D. A. Prince,
Lynne Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 174 contributors also include:
Arthur Broomfield, Shane Doheny, Julie Lumsden, Achilleas Katsaros,
Rupert M Loydell, Katherine Noone, Ann Osbourn, Rob Packer,
Donna Pucciani, Adam Rooke, Alexandra Sashe,
K.V. Skene, Sheila Spence, Jean Stevens, Marc Swan, Frank Wood
Orbis 173, Autumn 2015
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Front cover artwork:
‘Night wolf’ by Lolita Parekh;
cover, detail from image:
http://atlolis1989.artweb.com/
But you’re all right now… as the old joke goes.
And so is Linda Benninghof,
with Gas, food, lodging, Patricia Griffin,
despite having to battle
The Wind from the West,and Pat Farrington,
back From the Underworld.
There, she may well have encountered
That Man (Breda Spaight),
Pete Langley’s Airside Bagatelle Lady
or The Cern Archivist (Julian Turner).
No wonder Sharon Black enquires Are My God So Different From Yours?
And thank goodness Maurice Devitt provides a Beginner’s Guide to Escapology.
But if you do go Astray with Clifton Redmond,
or end up feeling a bit Lost, like Patrick Moran,
at least you’ll find something good to read in here, all 96 pages of it.
Although of course, as they always say,
and Lavinia Kumar points out, It’s Not the Size…
Featured Poet: Belinda Rule: Lust; Siren; Letters home
Poems from Chaun Ballard: Phrase Not Found in Search Engine; Simon Fletcher:Yüan; Samuel Prince: Drowned Doll by the Herons;
Catherine Rockwood: Landtschip: Belmont; Jane Seabourne: Now I Can Make Scones; Charles Wilkinson:The Comedian’s Seabed
Prose from Jennifer McGowan: How Blackthorn Came to Be;
Anna Geraldine Paret: If Wishes Were Fishes; Paul Saville: Rajasthan
Article: Venice by Frances Sackett
Past Master: Peter Butler on Robert Bloomfield
Reviews by Ross Cogan, Angelina D’Roza, David Harmer,
D. A. Prince, Lynne Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 173 contributors also include:
William Alderson; Tara Ballard; Denise Bennett; David Burridge; Keith Chandler;
Scott Elder; Jonathan Greenhause; Pauline Hawkesworth; Claire Louise Hunt;
Patricia Leighton; James B. Nicola; Ilse Pedler; Tanya.Prudente; Jimmy Rodda
Orbis 172, Summer 2015
£5 (Overseas: £9/€12/$16); Subs: £17/4 pa (Overseas: £35/€42/$58)
Front cover artwork:
‘Heart Angel’ by Garry White;
back cover, detail from image:
www.garrywhitesculptures.com
Summertime –
that usually means something like
The Zoo in the rain (Brian Daldorph),
and sadly,
it does appear to be raining cats and dogs
in Letters and After They Have Gone
by Richard Dinges Jr,
so you may prefer Tariq Latif’s view of Dawn by Victoria Parade.
Wondering what a Souvenir of Lowestoft means to Peter Wallis,
or Zen Romance: Reflections, to Michelle R. Disler?
And what would happen if Sheila Wild’s Cassowary at the Court of Louis XIV
got a Foothold (Susan Rouchard)? Well, you can learn about Naming from
Maggie Butt and Tooth Wisdom from Andrew Pollard,
and look forward to many a happy, fairytale ending.
Or maybe not, because according to Yuko Minamikawa Adams –
Mickey Has Chopped off Dumbo’s Left Ear
Featured Poet: Owain Lewis,
Note to an unknown person; Passing Place; The Lost Connection
Poems from Allen Ashley, Jesus is on the Internet;
John Casson, I feed on insects;Dawn Gorman,The Looker;
Jodie Hollander, Tomodachi
Prose
from Brenda Bea Hutchings, For All The Princesses;
Antony Johae, Writing on the Wall;
Chris Raetschus, Revenge; J.S.Watts,Target Setting
Translation
Laura Chalar: Fernando Pessoa, A Sonnet Already Old
Peter Boyle and Raymond Farina, NOTES FOR A GHOST: A fanciful portrait
Past Master: Chris Raetschus on Constantine P. Cavafy
Article: Simon Fletcher interviewed by Neil Leadbeater
Reviews
Maria Isakova Bennett, Angelina D’Roza, David Harmer,
Jennifer A. McGowan, Clairr O’Connor, D.A. Prince,
Andrew Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 172 contributors also include:
Veronica Beedham; John Casson; David Crann; John Dixon; Lee Nash;
Jocelyn Page; John Perrault; Peter Phillips; Zara Raab;
Gerard Smyth; Angela Topping; Phil Walsh
Orbis171, Spring 2015
£5 (Overseas: £9/€12/$15); Subs: £17/4 pa (Overseas: £35/€42/$58)
Front cover artwork: ‘Birds’ by Tammy Ruggles;
back cover, detail from image: http://tammyruggles.deviantart.com/gallery/46117265/
If there’s one thing we’ve got plenty of, it’s Stories (Bibhu Padhi),
sometimes artful, like The Yellow Cow by Jennie Osborne,
sometimes dark and mysterious, with David Banks Exorcising Gehenna,
or Geraldine Clarkson’s After-woods, and often both,
when you join Robin Thomas and Edward In The Garden.
You’re off on A Strange Journey, as Kathy Miles will tell you.
Spend a Moment with Roxy Dunn, enjoy Michael Henry’s Nocturne in Biarritz,
play Rock, Paper, Scissors with Richard Williams, or discoverKimmeridge, courtesy of Khadija Rouf.
Yes, follow E. Kristin Anderson’s instructions: “A Nearby Fence, Pull” –
then all will be revealed…
Featured Poet: Bethany Pope
Hanging, Among the Oranges; My Mother, Masking; A Taint in the Blood
Poems from: Jean Atkin: Itsuarpok;
Alex Dreppec, [INSERT TITLE OF THE POEM HERE];
Cathy Whittaker, Waiting; Alan Zhukovski, The End of Oblivion
Prose from: Julie Maclean, Animal Rites; Don Mulcahy, Back There;
Bethany Pope, Teamwork; John Short, Nobody Talks Anymore
Translation: Judith Wilkinson: Menno Wigman, Herostratos; Stramien
(with support from the Dutch Foundation for Literature)
Past Master: Helen Ashley on Matthew Arnold
Article: Orbis: Genesis and Exodus by founder Robin Gregory
Reviews: Angelina Ayers, Maria Isakova Bennett, Ross Cogan,
David Harmer, Jennifer A. McGowan, D.A.Prince,
Andrew Taylor, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 171 contributors also include:
E. Kristin Anderson; Anne Banks; David Banks; Fred Beake;
Geraldine Clarkson; Monica Corish; Dagmar Drabent; Roxy Dunn;
Nausheen Eusuf; David Harmer; Michael Henry; Jenny Hockey;
Kathleen Kummer; Simon Lewis; G. P. Manuell; Kathy Miles;
Caroline Natzler; Jennie Osborne; Bibhu Padhi;
Jeff Phelps; Khadija Rouf; Gerry Stewart; Ginny Sullivan; Declan Sweeny;
Robin Thomas; Olivia Walwyn; Richard Williams; Jim C. Wilson
Orbis170, Winter 2014
£5 (Overseas: £9/€12/$15); Subs: £17/4 pa (Overseas: £35/€42/$58)
Front cover artwork: ‘Church Street’ by Steve Williams;
back cover, detail from image: http://steve50wicks.wix.com/paintings
Of course you want to know what happened
on the road to Ploubalay with Chrissy Banks,
though admittedly risking a peek over John Paul Davies’s shoulder into
Jack The Ripper’s Bedroom will makes you Perfectly Blue, Faye Boland warns.
Nobody, including Aidan Baker would classify it asThe Finest-Hour Syndrome. –
best stick to the Facts, provided by Fokkina McDonnell
because you never know just what will squeeze out of the Genie’s Bottle (Li C. Tien).
Or do you have an answer for Susan Lindsay:
Shall We Get Swept Away By Lunch-time?
Why not find out? Will you be attracted to the shining lights in this issue of Orbis,
along with a surprising number of moths…
Featured Poet
Mark Carson: Grogan’s Castle;
Incognito, Cumbria; Holy Week, Ronda
Agoraphobics, Cambridge; Night flight, Karachi
Poems from: Sue Burge: Seven Easy Steps to Working with Angels;
Luba Ostashevsky; The Fish; Jonathan Lewis:Walking to The Nutcracker; Benedict Newbery: Film Review by Vlad
Prose from: Ágnes Cserháti: Standing on the Corner; Charlotte Gringras: The Thief of Time; Mark Reece: Forced Exercise
Translation: Anita Marsh; Anthony Costello; Anthony Howell: Alain-Fournier,LaRonde
Past Master: Merryn Williams on W.H. Davies
Article: Reading Poetry Aloud by William Alderson
Reviews: Angelina Ayers, Maria Isakova Bennett, Clairr O’Connor, David Harmer,
Afric McGlinchey, Jennifer A. McGowan, D. A. Prince, David Troman and Noel Williams
Orbis 170 contributors also include:
John Ashley; Nick Burbridge; Jennie Christian; Annemarie Cooper; Barbara Cumbers; Fiona Donaghy;
Richard George; Alice Harrison; Liz Horrocks; Mary Lee; Jim Lindop; Richard Martin; Jean O’Brien;
Anita Ouellette; Edward Ragg; Rachel Spence; John Whitehouse; Alessio Zanelli
Orbis 169
Front cover artwork: ‘When The Forest Calls‘ byTheresa Tahara;
back cover, detail from image: http://theresa-tahara.artistwebsites.com/
Featured Poet
Maureen Hill: Bering; Anna Christina; Glass; Bertha – Mrs Rochester
Poems from:Yvonne Baker:The taste of black moss; Simon Fletcher:Landscape;
John Hart: Elation; Kate North: Hematocyte;Paul Stephenson:The Swell Speed of Mrs Jackson’s Knees
Prose from: Gail Dendy: Breath’s Journey; Ayelet McKenzie: Broken Surfaces;
Luke Murphy: The Glass Cage
Translation: Michael Swan: Petrarcha Canzoniere 272
Past Master: Dave Troman on Edgar Allan Poe
Article: Enda Coyle-Greene: One Woman’s Voice – the poems of Sheila Wingfield
Reviews by:Angelina Ayers,Maria Isakova Bennett, Suzannah Evans,
David Harmer, Afric McGlinchey, Jennifer McGowan,
Clairr O’Connor, Lynne Taylor, D.A. Prince
Orbis 169 contributors also include:
Niamh Boyce; Séamas Carraher; Ross Cogan; Ian Colville; Stella Davis;
Siobhan Daffy; Eliza Dear; Marianne Dissard; Martin A. Egan; Margaret Gleave;
Cora Greenhill; Oz Hardwick; Chris Hardy; Gloria Keeley; Noel King;
Simon Leonard; Luke Palmer; Ali Pardoe; Kathleen M Quinlan;
Marilyn Ricci; Marg Roberts; Catherine Rockwood;
Phil Ruthen; Martha Street; Alec Taylor; Linda White
Peter Pan
Storyhouse
December 21-January 12
Reviewed for Writebase: https://writebase.co.uk/
4*
Storyhouse of course enters into Christmas spirit full blast with this first class adaptation of an old classic. The aerial feats are absolutely amazing (balanced by the characters’ frequent descents below stage), as is the entire design, exquisitely realised via setting, music and costume. What’s not to like, especially having Tinker Bell upgraded to virtually partnering Peter Pan and Captain Hook played by a woman.
Snowdrop Festival Competition
Closes 31st December 2019 11pm
Celebrating snowdrops and the world of The Snowdrop King
November 11-16
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Liverpool Playhouse
https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/
3*
It was a dark and stormy night… back in 1816, the Year Without Summer, when Byron challenged his companions to write something to rival a German ghost story. Fruitful indeed, considering Dr Polidori’s tale of The Vampyre seems to have influenced Stoker’s Dracula. And curious that neither Byron himself nor Shelley were able to conjure anything up, while it turned out to be Mary Shelley’s claim to fame
Yes, here we are again, and yet another Gothic production, but this time, there’s a distinctly modern sensibility as Ms Shelley herself is narrating, commentating, and smashing up the Fourth Wall. Eillidh Loan whirls around the stage, hefty book clutched under her arm like a Journal, doing a splendid job, part emo teenager, part junior version of Fleabag, if rather flippant at times. One suspects that Mary Shelley, undoubtedly precocious, was altogether more serious and sophisticated.
But what an impressive set, visually stunning, which, mostly in monochrome, imbues a dream-like atmosphere. A window-lined gallery also serves at the opening as the prow of Walton’s ship in the Arctic wastes. Throughout the play, access to this level is gained by stylized, wizened trees, although being white does bedeck a cheerful hint of Christmas. The stark whiteness, nonetheless, is becomingly set off by black costumes, mostly World of Leather. However, the Monster is clad in flesh coloured long johns which emphasises his vulnerability – Michael Moreland is quite remarkable, combining stilted jerky motion with, almost literally, heart on sleeve emotions. For all his atrocious deeds, he still engages our sympathies. Likewise, Mary’s; fascinated and fearful, facing up to what it is which she in fact created.
Now I must confess never, somehow, having got round to reading the actual book although I have seen a couple of adaptations, and the film of the RSC production, but of course, all versions are different so some aspects seem new, or least, have you racking your brain. Or turning to Google… But one particularly interesting interpretation is that Mary Shelley and the brilliant young scientist Victor Frankenstein are drawn almost as two sides of the same coin, so driven and so passionate, almost as if they have collaborated in writing this epic tale. Ben Castle Gibb, obsessed, frenetic, has also met his match in the monster, both so good at portraying Father and Son, Creator and Creation, Hunter and Hunted, both doomed never to find peace.
On the other hand, Sarah Macgillivray was perhaps a little too much over the top to endow Justine with sufficient pathos while Thierry Mabonga, called upon to provide some variety as the Captain, younger brother William and old friend Henry, as the last, seemed mostly focused on the importance of being earnest. There again, Dr Frankenstein would not have been the easiest of people to deal with. Hence Natalie McCleary’s delicate turn as exasperated fiancée, Elizabeth. And Greg Powrie as the sombre, down-to-earth father, appropriately, helped to hold the whole thing together.
The purpose of this production, as announced by its heroine is to be the ultimate in horror stories, although in trying a bit too hard and a bit too loud to emphasise that, it tends to undermine questioning the morality of the experiments made by men of science. But Frankenstein is indeed an astonishing story. The eponymous doctor brought the dead to life but it was a clever young woman who animated something revolutionary, and that has proved to be the enduring stuff of legend.
Reviewed by Carole Baldock
November 11
