Essex Lion – The Bike Shed Theatre – Exeter – 05/01/14 – UK

Officer don’t be a benny
the thing we saw was MGM-y.

It’s been quite a year for Luke Wright. He’s opened for punk legend John Cooper Clarke at the Palladium (and stacks of other venues), had his first collection published (“a riot” 5 stars, The Huffington Post), and stormed Edinburgh with his rambunctious new show Essex Lion.

Ever seen a lion? In the wild? In England? Last year in Clacton some campers thought they did. They didn’t of course, lions aren’t native to north-east Essex. But their not-sighting triggered something in the brain of Radio 4 favourite Luke Wright. Now he too is seeing things others don’t. Step into Luke’s world of romping satirical verse where posh plumbers, paunchy ex-rockers and Lovejoy roam free. Get ready to roar.

“His lexical acrobatics are astounding, often motor-mouthed and breathtakingly honest…Go for the wordsmithery, stay for the painful poignancy.” The List

“Wright perfectly captures the glamourless pulse of mainstream Britain and transforms it into rhythmic, transcendental beauty…Quite simply, this is the future of popular poetry.” The Skinny

“This is a great show and his poetry itself remains as vital and redolent of our times as ever.” Exeunt

“Cool poems!” Patti Smith