Poetry World Slam Champion, Kat François at The Drum.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Use: Mon 20 Apr
Seven Times Me: Love, Life & Tales of Seven – Thu 10 May 7.30pm
BBC3 Poetry Slam winner and Poetry World Slam Champion 2005 Kat François is bringing her latest work Seven Times Me: Love, Life & Tales of Seven to The Drum on Thu 10 May, 7.30pm. Seven Times Me is an incredibly strong piece of autobiographical theatre combining story telling, poetry, movement and visual art into a single explosive experience. The show moves through poignant and memorable moments in the artists life, dealing with universal themes as diverse as puberty and domestic violence. It is ultimately a story of triumph over adversity, using humour and exposing the frailties of human nature to weave a compelling tale.
Lynton Kwesi Johnson states:
“Kat François’ one-woman performance was simply captivating. It was more than a passionate tale of rite of passage. It was a great story of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity told with humour and pathos. It was a very accomplished and moving performance.“
Kat François is the creator and host of Word4word monthly music, poetry and discussion night and Word-up poetry slam, both held in the bar of the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. She has performed extensively both nationally and internationally. In places such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Oslo, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Belfast and Derry. Kat Francois is also an educator using spoken word and creative writing to tackle social issues with children and adults. Seven Times Me debuted at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in March 2006, and has been performed at the Oxford Live literature Festival and at the festival of freedom of speech in Stravanger, Norway. The perrormance at The Drum is part of a nationwide tour.
“Kat François is a genuinely talented star, and it’s only a matter of time before every one will be whispering her name.” Roger Robinson, author, poet and co-creator of Malika’s Kitchen.
Tickets for Seven Times Me are £5 and are on sale now from The Drum Box Office Tel. 0121 333 2444 and online at www.the-drum.org.uk
ENDS
For further information and details of interview opportunities please contact Sati Parmar 0121 333 2404 / s.parmar@the-drum.org.uk
Notes for Editors
KAT FRANCOIS
Performance Experience
Weekend Arts College, February and June 1999
LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE 1999
Urban Griots 1999
UNISON RALLY 2001 AND 2002
Organic Essence 2000
Melting Pot, Ladbroke Grove, 2000
Soul food 2003 and 2004
Brotherman events, June, July, August, September, November, December, 1999,
January, February, March, April, May, September, November 2000.
Lewisham literary festival 2003
EPN black achievement awards, 2003
Fulham cross youth club 2003,
Avonmore Youth club 2003,
Pure poetry 2003 and 2004
Express excess 2003, 2004.
Verbalise, red lion pub, August 2004 and December 2004
Speak easy, 291 Gallery October 2003 and August 2004, July 2005.
Soul food: 2002,2003,2004, 2005.
Slam, Leicester square Jan 2003
Shepherds Bush Library 2004
Kensal Rise Library 2004
Spitlit festival 2005
Whitechapel Art gallery 2005
Farrago: June and December 2000, 2001 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.
TEN POET JAM, THEATRE Royal Stratford East, February and June 2003
Palabras, Amsterdam 2004
Pheonix festival Exeter,
BBC SLAM POET TV SHOW: Televised October 2004
Blue Peter: Televised October 2004
Word4word BBC3 radio show 2003
BBC3 radio February 2004
Radio 1 EXTRA 2004
CHOICE RADIO 2004
East London radio 2004
Destination 3 BBC3: Televised March 2005.
Norwegian morning television April 2005
Belfast BBC RADIO: February 2005
ABC RADIO Ausburg Germany July 20056
Published work
SICK AND TIRED: SHORT FUSE: Rattapallex press 2003
WHITE ROSES: Uprise press 2003
Awards
Winner of Farrago London Poetry slam 2003.
Team member of the Farrago international slam 2004.
September 2004 winner of the BBC3 TV poetry slam show.
June 2005 World Slam champion Rotterdam <)/span>
Art foundation award nominee.
Hammer and tongue Brighton festival slam winner 2006
Overseas experience
Holding workshops and performing.
June 2004 Northern territory, Australia, Aboriginal reservation. JUNE 2004
April 2005 : African history week in Oslo.
Belfast Cathedral arts festival resident poet May 2005
Rotterdam 36th international poetry festival: June 2005
Resident poet, Windsor school Germany July 2005
Gasyard project, Derry Northern Ireland August 2005
Vancouver, Canada, October 2005,
Amsterdam, December 2005
Galway Ireland, Cuirt festival April 2006,
Munich, Germany 2006,
Sweden, Hultsfred festival June 2006.
Rotterdam, 37th Poetry international festival, June 2006
Ausburg, Germany Berlot Brecht festival July 2006
Jerusalem November 2006
Current Projects
Organiser and host of Word4word a monthly poetry event held in the Bar of the theatre Royal Stratford East, October 2003- present day.
Organiser and host of Word-up a monthly poetry slam also held at the bar of the theatre Royal Stratford east, Started January 2005.
Debut of my one-woman show March 2006, Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Creative producer on the Spoke-fest, spoken word festival theatre royal, Stratford East, march 2006.
