Agnes Török: I Don't Speak Culture (Electric Circus Lizard Lounge, 2pm)
Gripping spoken word discussing how we relate to each other - how we stumble through this life and what it means to eventually grow old. Agnes is instantly engaging and an extremely natural performer, guiding us through a creative journey that is filled with poems that are startlingly honest and, in parts, devastating. The individual pieces vary between deeply personal anecdotes to topics of wider social and indeed global importance; handling complex issues that span cultures, borders and social structures. Török mixes wit with biting social contemplation, by no means daunted by the task ahead. She is a fierce performer and her messages are important, so my advice is to sit up and lean in.
The Underground Clown Club: Love & Rabbits (Electric Circus Lizard Lounge, 12.45pm)
The theatrical pair have arrived at the fringe this year with their perfectly pitched poetical dualogues. Underground Clown Club have successfully encorporated enchanting storytelling with snort-worthy comedic charm. Billed as "children's poetry for adults", Clown Club certainly meet the expectation that silliness is, indeed, imminent; instantly transporting us into their whimsical tales. The playful pair retrieve delightful chuckles and coos from their audience throughout, as they skip through a polished, well-paced and triumphant show.
Sophia Walker: Can't Care, Won't Care (Banshee Labyrinth, 1.40pm)
BBC Slam Champion Sophia Walker has set herself the challenging of returning to the Fringe this year with, not only one show, but two. Can't Care, Won't Care is the latest offering from the free fringe favourite who was awarded the PBH award for Best Spoken Word Show in 2013 for Around the World in Eight Mistakes which also opens this week. Her new solo show offers blistering observations on the UK care system, through characterised dramatic dialogue peppered with all of the expected Walker intensity. Sophia is a staggeringly gripping performer with plenty to say, and if you've managed to catch her at the fringe before then you'll know what all the fuss is about - if you haven't: hold on tight.
Loud Poets (Scottish Storytelling Centre, 9pm)
If you are reserved about the phrase "spoken word", confused by the term "performance poetry", or have simply been in a black hole for the past 10 years then you should get along to this show and educate yourself. It encapsulates the entire reason I fell in love with spoken word: the brilliant connectivity that only occurs between storyteller and live audience. The Loud Poets are passionate about their craft, which wholly invigorates the audience, leaving the crowd brimming with emotion as we spill out into the street, still cheering, still bleary eyed and some genuinely stunned by the uproar they have just whitnessed. The usual Edinburgh faces (Miko Berry, Agnes Török and the boys from Big love) are joined by rotating special guests each night and a trio of live musicians to accompany each piece with a moving score. In short, the Loud Poets take poetry in both hands and shake it off the page.
Jess Green and the Mischief Thieves: Burning Books. (Electric Circus Lizard Lounge, 4.30pm)
Jess Green returns to this years Fringe with her solo show Burning Books, which offers pulsing rhythmic poetry alongside powerful musical accompaniment. The score was punchy enough to match Jess Green's fast paced lyrical style, effectively punctuating her performance. The piece takes a detailed look at the British education system (featuring Green's notorious poem "Dear Mr. Gove") and is emotive and poigniant while exposing the audience to the comic flaws that teachers and students face each day.
'Wingman' by Richard Marsh (Pleasance Dome, 2.10pm)
Performing to sell-out crowds, Richard Marsh (one half of 'Dirty Great Love Story') has combined poetic storytelling with theatre in the form of Wingman: a warming tale of father and son full with twists and conflict. The story is not only heartfelt but genuinely funny; Marsh's writing is sharply observant, layered with wit and manages to cleverly confront the realism within family disfunction. The plot flows naturally between verse and dialogue in this two hander where both parties work tremendously well together, proving the natural place for contemporary poetry is in the theatre.
