Tongue Fu

Witness the UK's sharpest poets, storytellers, comedians and writers perform for a riotous experiment in live literature, music and improvisation.

At Tongue Fu the UK's sharpest poets, storytellers, comedians and writers perform with improvised soundtracks from the genre-hopping Tongue Fu Band (credits include Nostalgia 77, Jamie Cullum, Puppini Sisters) and improvised films-on-the-fly from design studio CR and D.

Created and hosted by performance poet Chris Redmond (Scroobius Pip's Beatdown - XFM; Bespoken Word - BBC Radio 4), it is one of London’s liveliest and largest spoken word shows: a riotous experiment in live literature, music and improvisation.

Tongue Fu has been resident at Rich Mix for five years. Other shows include London Wonderground, Edinburgh Festival (4 and 5 star reviews), The Barbican, The Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room, Glastonbury Festival, Bestival, Latitude and many more. Guests have included Kate Tempest, Akala, Robin Ince, Salena Godden, Inua Ellams and John Hegley.

"Poetry, but not as you know it...amazing" - The Guardian.

"An event, nay experience, that has taken the literary scene by storm... Tongue Fu has to be experienced to be believed." - The London Word.


FEATURING:

Chris Redmond: Spoken worder, musician and Tongue Fu front man who, this year, has bounced from the Royal Albert Hall, to Glastonbury Festival to South Africa. Sometimes deep (ish). Other times content to splash around in the shallows. Like a poetry narwhal, but skinnier and without the prongy bit.

Rafeef Ziadah: Palestinian refugee, powerhouse poet and civil rights activist whose poems 'We Choose Life Sir' and ‘Shades of Anger' went viral within days of release.

Mark Grist: Youtube smashing, rap battling teacher, poet and funnyman, whose 2014 Edinburgh show 'Dead Poets' won rave reviews and featured on BBC6 Music with Steven Merchant.

Vanessa Kisuule: Fire-powered festival favourite, award winning poet, playwright and winner of the 2014 Roundhouse Poetry Slam. Her first collection is published by super hip Burning Eye.