Satirical one-man show on Columbus' voyages heading to Shrewsbury Festival
The voyages of Christopher Columbus may not be described as a literary classic – but a satirical one-man show will focus on the great explorer during an inaugural festival in Shropshire.
The Shrewsbury Festival of Literature will be held at venues across the town later this month and a host of big names have already signed up to take part.
One of the more unusual offerings is Roll Over Atlantic, a one-man show by John Agard, which comes with the sub-title: what our guns don't do we'll do with the flu.
Mr Agard said: "My influences behind my latest show include what I would describe as having the sentiment of the 'Poetsonian' – a combination of poetry and the rhythms of calypso – and the satirical, irreverent potential of cabaret.
"As a former Poet In Resident at the National Maritime Museum, producing work to accompany objects in the museum's Atlantic: Slavery, Trade, Empire gallery, I found myself wondering how could the Atlantic, so tainted by the slave trade, find redemption 'to make a libation of itself'."
The show takes place at the Blackburn Theatre, Prestfelde School, on November 27, from 8pm to 9.30pm.
Prize-winning novelist Marion Molteno will also discuss her latest creation Uncertain Light with an audience at Unitarian Chapel on the same day. She will be in conversation with Tim Cook between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
Uncertain Light is set in central Asia in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ms Molteno's writing comes from the breadth of her life experience, growing up in South Africa and later as a policy adviser for Save The Children across Asia and Africa. A Poetry Cafe will take place on November 27, from 3pm, at Darwin Townhouse.
