Video: DICK! The Fringe Festival Show — ‘Reading Richard Live’

Here is the full video performance of our show “DICK! Reading ‘Richard’ Live”

On Friday, Feb 21, 2025, I performed the show “DICK: Reading ‘Richard’ Live” with my friends James Gilberd (drums, percussion) and John Kingston (guitar, effects) at Photospace Gallery, Courtenay Place, Wellington.

James and John work together under the name Filtersphere — as a fan of their ambient, instrumental improvisations, I knew they would be just perfect for this assignment. We met over a few weeks and built the show from scratch. I read from my latest book, The Richard Poems (Cuba Press, Wellington NZ, ISBN 978-1-98-859589-4)— but I also “remixed” the poems live, adding repeat lines, reworking some of them, shortening some poems, elongating others. I did not read everything in the book, and there was one new work specifically for the show. I also shaped them into a story-arc which matches the delivery of the book, just telling the story in a new way. I added improvised percussion, including typewriter.

I think the musicians and I would all love to do this again — and we might, so watch this space — but for now there was one performance. It’s done. And it’s here for you to see and hear.

The show was well-attended, a small venue (purpose built for this kind of performance) and the money we raised was all donated to Women’s Refuge — feel free to donate to their cause if you missed the show, or if you want to just donate to them.

Massive thanks to Peter Jameson for sound recording and mixing, and Jono Li for video shooting and editing.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

To check out the rehearsal process and see some clips and chart the evolution of the show you can follow through the links below:

You can ask for the book in any bookstore — if they don’t have it in stock, they can order it for you. Or buy direct from The Cuba Press.

And please check out Photospace Gallery and its wonderful services (Passport photos, etc) and exhibitions.