The Last Word 2024 | Epic Spoken Word Festival Returns
The performers taking to the stage at Camden’s Roundhouse this June are all as good as their word.
Which is unsurprising seeing as they’re all talented poets, writers and spoken word artists – and they’re getting together for a fortnight-long festival celebrating the art of the word. It’s been an annual tradition for over a decade now, and the line-up for 2024 is looking extremely decent.
It kicks off in June with the Poetry Slam Final – a fixture of the festival since 2013, in which six young finalists who’ve battled through national heats (you can catch the London heats in early May) duke it out in one final night of quick-fire spoken word, each performing their own original compositions. It’s one of the fastest-paced, most exciting nights of the programme, and gives you a chance to discover the next generation of writing talent for only a fiver.
Then, there’s all the special one-off events for this year, including:
- Redacted, a night of ‘blackout poetry’ created from scoring out words in clippings from books, poems and newspapers to create something new;
- Anonyms, an interactive quest into nominative determinism;
- Search Party, in which award-winning playwright Inua Ellams will riff on audience suggestions with writing from his own archive;
- The Rhythm and Poetry Party, in which ten poets will share their work while DJs select music in response;
- A solo show for Isaiah Hull, a rising star from Old Trafford who’s returning to headline this year’s festival;
- Last Black Girl on Earth, a glimpse into work in progress with award-winning writer and Roundhouse Resident Artist Tife Kusoro;
- UnReality Live, an experimental piece of storytelling through sound;
- Golden Time and Other Behavioural Management Strategies, a new one-woman show from poet and playwright Kate Ireland; and
- The Eyes Open and Shut Show (in which you’ll need to open and close your eyes accordingly), with comedian Rob Auton.
Who, technically speaking, will have the last word.
NOTE: The Last Word 2024 runs from 1st – 30th June, but you can catch the London poetry slam heats from 30th April – 4th May. You can read more about all the different events taking place, and book your tickets, HERE.
Roundhouse | Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH
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