*SOLD OUT* Yomi Sode featuring GOBS Collective
7.30pm - 10pm
Theatre Royal and The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham - Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
£10
Yomi Sode is an award-winning Nigerian British writer. He is a recipient of the 2019 Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship and was shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021. His acclaimed one-man show COAT toured nationally to sold-out audiences, In 2020 his libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with award-winning composer James B. Wilson and performed with Chineke! Orchestra, premiered on BBC Radio 3. In 2021, his play, and breathe…premiered at the Almeida Theatre to rave reviews.
Manorism:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 T. S. ELIOT PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE
A GUARDIAN AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
Impassioned, insightful, electric,
Manorism is a poetic examination of the lives of Black British men and boys: propped up and hemmed in by contemporary masculinity, deepened by family, misrepresented in the media, and complicated by the riches, and the costs, of belonging and inheritance. It is also an exploration of the differences of impunity afforded to white and Black people, and to white and Black artists. Caravaggio – originally, unexpectedly – looms large: as a man who moved between spheres of exalted patronage and petty criminality; as a painter who, amid the elegant conventions of late Mannerism, forged his own style of visceral dark and light; and as an individual whose recognized genius was allowed to legitimate and excuse his violence.
In this profound and moving debut, Yomi Sode asks: what does it mean to find oneself between worlds – to ‘code-switch’, adapting one’s speech and manners to widely differing cultural contexts? Who is, and who isn’t, allowed to be more than their origins? And what do we owe each other? What do we owe ourselves?
‘Manorism is a classic’ – Caleb Femi
‘Thrilling … once-in-a-generation’ – Jackie Kay
‘Genius … tells a thousand stories in stunningly crafted verse’ – Nikita Gill
‘A must for all lovers of poetry and its power’ – Roger Robinson
Support comes from Nottingham’s GOBS Collective
GOBS Collective
GOBS Collective host poetry events and education programmes. Founded by Bridie Squires in 2020, the group formed through workshop series co-produced with Ioney Smallhorne; over 40 Nottingham artists created poetry films, digital zines and live performances alongside Debris Stevenson and Casey Bailey. The group co-founded spoken-word night SPRAYBOX with Nottingham Community Artists Network, and had a residency at Nonsuch Studios which culminated in their Full Moon showcase as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival. GOBS is supported by Apples and Snakes.
The closest tram stop to this event is: The Royal Centre
