Springboard Festival Still Bouncing

Emilie Lauren Jones. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Springboard Festival, Criterion Theatre, Earlsdon, Coventry, running until Saturday 11 May.

Review by Barbara Gouldon.

There's something different every day at the Criterion's Springboard Festival although some of the moving parts are reprised on other days because they're just too good to miss.

The festival, in Berkeley Road South, Coventry, continues all this week and is well worth a pick and mix even if you end up seeing one of the sketches, playlets, poets or musicians twice.

Last night (May 7) local musician Wes Fench and his two strong band The Mechanicals set Philip Larkin lyrics to their bluesy Americana set which left everyone wanting more.

And there was more. So much of it on just one night including work by compere and poet Emilie Lauren Jones about community and the HB pencils her grandfather brought home from Massey Ferguson. By complete contrast we were also offered the scribbled words and spoken truth of Olugbemi Moronflu who this time only offered one of her poems.

Later Emilie introduced us to the Side by Side Theatre - several of whose members have learning difficulities - who presented their own musical snippet of Alice in Wonderland.

We also had glimpse of the funnier side of dementia in the sketch Honey and Salt (mentioned in previous reviews) before moving on the poignant short play, Grace, written by local man Dean Sheridan.

Once again Coventry's roots were on display. This time the Irish ones as Anne Collins took on the title role and quite stunningly presented us with a Catholic mother trying to make right a decision she believed her faith forced her to make 18 years earlier. Thought provoking for younger members of the audience and with all too familiar resonances for older ones.

The Springboard Festival is on all week. Tickets are still avalable on most nights. Catch it if you can.

To reserve seats visit www.criteriontheatre.co.uk