Bound

<p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The poetic monologues in </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Bound</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> are the unspoken thoughts of individuals who find themselves in situations in which they are somehow tied or trapped. In their own way each 'speaker' attempts to come to terms with their situation to reconcile themselves with it and - in some cases - perhaps find a way out.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Echoing some of the work of Samuel Beckett and T.S.Eliot the poems are designed both to be read off the page and delivered on stage as dramatic monologues. The final piece in the collection </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Crash: the last 30 minutes of a life</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> was performed at the Ripon Theatre Festival in June 2023:</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><ol><li data-list=bullet class=ql-align-justify><span class=ql-ui contenteditable=false></span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A very moving piece of performance poetry. Beautifully executed with fabulous imagery. Thought-provoking soul-baring and delivered with such poignancy and realism that it left a lasting impression.</span></li><li data-list=bullet class=ql-align-justify><span class=ql-ui contenteditable=false></span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)></span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Crash</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> is impressive solo story-telling a dramatic homage to T.S. Eliot that counts down the last minutes and seconds of a man's life. It is thoroughly enjoyable both as writing and performance.</span></li><li data-list=bullet class=ql-align-justify><span class=ql-ui contenteditable=false></span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A meticulously-crafted flow of images and ideas that was both absorbing and intriguing.</span></li><li data-list=bullet class=ql-align-justify><span class=ql-ui contenteditable=false></span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ian Gouge commanded the sell-out audience seated in the vault at the Ripon Festival with his performance of </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Crash</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. His highly original poem with hints of Dylan Thomas and Milton was more than a reading: Ian's acting gave life to the stanzas and the spaces around them.</span></li></ol><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Although appearing on the page as contemporary free verse the poems in </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Bound</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> are written in something of a hybrid fashion having the potential to be reformatted into a more formal script or even as stream-of-consciousness fiction. This flexibility is a deliberate attempt to blur the borders between genres.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This edition presents the pieces in their 'poetic' form and each is prefaced with an indication as to how the monologue might be staged. In all cases the intention is to keep any staging as sparse as possible and only in the final poem Beyond the Curtain is there the potential for a second actor. If performed throughout each monologue there may be the requirement for movement gesture etc. and whilst it would have been entirely feasible to include such low-level instruction in the text I have decided not to interrupt the flow of the poem with such asides.</span></p><p><br></p>