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Jardel Rodrigues and Yandass Ndlovu are performers in ‘Alphabus’, a meeting of spoken word and dance from FlexN & Young Identity for the upcoming Manchester International Festival. Spoken word artist Jardel Rodrigues explains that writing for the God-like character ‘Lexicus’ has pushed him into new territory. Jardel has been mentored by the spoken word organisation Young Identity, and says he picks something up from every writer he meets whether in person or on the page. Dancer, actor and director Yandass Ndlovu explores the vocabulary of dance and its role in the show’s unique mode of storytelling.

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Tickets for Alphabus are available

Willow Mirza has been mentored by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Writer’s Room Scheme which she credits with helping stretch her as a writer and pursue new genres such as satire. Willow’s short play ‘Borders’ is the latest in our series of Verb Dramas. The play explores the humanÌý impulse to establish who’s in charge - even in an almost empty space. Willow discusses the notion that younger people are more sensitive to the way we talk about each other, and the impact of ‘the court of public opinion’ on a generation been raised on social media. Borders was produced with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers Room and was directed by Emily Demol and starred James Quinn, David Judge and Sasha Parkinson.

Jack is interested in the battle between the hero and the anti-hero and wants to give some advice to super-villains, who, despite everything, always seem to lose out. He considers the villain’s language world – why are they so into wordplay (particularly puns) and he wonders about the job satisfaction of the goons in a superhero movie – what’s in it for them? Jack is a comedy writer and columnist. His original sitcom ‘The Lentil Sorters’ was broadcast on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 – he’s also contributed to series such asÌý ‘Horrible Histories’ ‘The News Quiz’ and ‘Dead Ringers’, and to the children’s animation ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’.

Alice Gretton is a young poet from Kent, which she ‘s representing as part of this year’s #³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖLocalPoets #³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖtruths project. Kent is a very important part of Alice’s life, she calls it ‘the city of my art’. Alice also reads poetry inspired by the language of space, and her desire to give a voice to Princess Jasmine from Disney’s ‘Aladdin’. This year’s ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Local Poets scheme is a collaboration withÌý National Poetry Day, and aims to tackle lazy clichés used about the places we live. 13 poets across the country will write new poems of place to perform on 3rd October. More information here: Ìý