2027 SCHOOL TOUR SHOWS
Poetry in Action is proud to present shows for both high school and primary school audiences!
WILL & ED MAKE WORDS DO GOOD STUFF: YEARS 7-8
Will & Ed Make Words Do Good Stuff is perfect for upper primary and lower secondary students still getting to grips with the fundamentals of poetry. Will and Ed are wannabe influencers chasing views by letting AI churn out their content until it all falls flat and a mysterious pop-up ad pulls them into a wild journey through their own memories. There they must unlock the four building blocks of great poetry for themselves: rhyme, rhythm, imagery and theme. As Will and Ed discover their own hidden potential, your students learn that real creativity can’t be outsourced, and that they can write poetry too. Funny, fast, and surprisingly moving, the show strips away poetry’s intimidating veneer, making it accessible and exciting.
CLASH OF THE POETS: YEARS 8-10
In Clash of the Poets, a die-hard devotee of the classics and a fierce champion of contemporary verse are at each other’s throats, and their boss has finally had enough: one of them is getting fired today. The catch? It’s their level-headed teammate who gets to decide, and a backstage accident has just knocked every scrap of poetry clean out of their head. Suddenly, the two rivals need them back, and the only way to restore their memory is to prove, poem by poem, that they truly know their craft. As they battle it out from sonnets to slam, your students discover how rhyme, rhythm, imagery, metaphor and form bring language to life. Sharp, funny and full of poetic sparring, Clash of the Poets proves that great poetry is timeless, whoever wrote it, and is a perfect fit for Years 8 to 10.
WORDS OF WAR: YEARS 9-12
Dive into the raw world of Wilfred Owen with Words of War, a dynamic three-hander that brings several of his most powerful poems to life. As the performers spar over who Owen really was, reckless thrill-seeker or anti-war truth-teller, students explore imagery, irony and rhythm, and trace Owen’s journey from disillusioned church-boy to decorated soldier and one of history’s greatest war poets. Educating and provoking in equal measure, the show links text and context and asks hard questions about the realities of war.
SILENCE TO SPEECH: YEARS 9-12
The bulldozers arrive in thirty minutes. The protesters are gathered, the cameras are rolling, and Adam is the only one who can stop it. He’s an idealistic film student who knows every great underdog speech by heart but has never found his own voice, and now he has half an hour to turn borrowed words into a rallying cry that will hold the crowd, face down the machines, and save the forest before the first tree falls. In Silence to Speech, students race against the clock through some of the most powerful persuasive words ever spoken: protest songs, wartime rallying cries, and speeches that shaped nations. They discover how rhetoric, ethos, pathos and imagery can move a crowd, defuse a powder keg, and change history. As the bulldozers roll in, the moment falls to Adam. Can he find the words, in his own voice, to bring people together when it matters most?
WILL & ED MAKE WORDS DO GOOD STUFF: YEARS 3-6
This version of Will & Ed Make Words Do Good Stuff, specially adapted for primary age students, is sure to capture their attention! It is perfect for students still getting to grips with the fundamentals of poetry. Will and Ed are wannabe influencers chasing views by letting AI churn out their content until it all falls flat and a mysterious pop-up ad pulls them into a wild journey through their own memories. There they must unlock the four building blocks of great poetry for themselves: rhyme, rhythm, imagery and theme. As Will and Ed discover their own hidden potential, your students learn that real creativity can’t be outsourced, and that they can write poetry too. Funny, fast, and surprisingly moving, the show strips away poetry’s intimidating veneer, making it accessible and exciting.
