The pub: a haven from the outside. A place to get away from it all – to have a quiet one, or a few laughs with friends. Until technology came along and ruined both the peace and conviviality of the boozer.
Now, the world invades this sacred space through the proliferation of our smartphone screens. As artificial intelligence, big data, and virtual reality threaten to further undermine the traditions and social glue that hold us together, what will become of a simple drink and a night out?
Stand-up poet Dan Simpson takes the mobile from your hand for an hour of full-battery, electrically-charged, powerfully-funny verse, swiping through the impact of technology on our everyday lives.
Dan Simpson is a writer, performer, and producer working in spoken word and poetry. He has two collections published by Burning Eye Books, and commissions from Southbank Centre and the European Commission. Dan has performed around the world – including at Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, and on the BBC – and is host of comedy VS poetry show Stand Up & Slam. A former Canterbury Laureate, he has been poet-in-residence for the National Trust and at Waterloo Station.
“wordplay alchemy… Simpson wants to show us that poetry can connect with everyone.” – Fringe Review