As hard as it must be to put on a comedy show that responds to these turbulent times, spare a thought for a poet like Luke Wright. Imagine the frustration when a series of cutthroat verse aimed straight at the ugly face of Britain’s fractured state goes out of date in only a year or two. A provocative poet and veteran of the Fringe, Wright returns with a pair of shows. The Remains Of Logan Dankworth is a dramatic monologue in verse while Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (Poems) is a collection of short-form poetry, much of which was conceived during lockdown.

They both show Wright’s outstanding wordsmithery and ability to reap both laughs and emotion from his work. Describing a couple’s growing distance as they try to sort the ‘Rubik’s Cube of their shared calendar’ to find some time together is heart-breaking, whilst an inebriated camper in Essex stating that he did indeed see a lion the other night and it was ‘MGM-y’ gets a round of laughs from the audience. 

^{Picture: Andrew Florides}

The Remains Of Logan Dankworth tells the story of a political pundit who forsakes his morals to play both sides, forsaking his own beliefs and marriage in the process. Set mostly during the Brexit vote, Wright manages to balance the political commentary and personal story deftly, avoiding any obvious metaphors. It might have been more thrilling to see the titular character traverse a greater emotional journey, as it does feel a little bit unsatisfying by the story’s end.

Wright’s evening show is a collection of provocative performance poetry delivered in a laid-back atmosphere. A highlight is his take on univocal poetry, a style that deploys extreme constraint upon a writer to delve into the subconscious. Wright also takes the audience into more poignant territory, with verse about his young son and elderly dad. As effective as these are, it does make for a jarring hour at times, partially because of the effectiveness in which emotion is conveyed just minutes after we’ve heard a crude joke in ‘Burt Up Pub’ (a poem using only the vowel ‘u’).  

These two shows demonstrate Luke Wright as a lyrical force, a punk poet in the classic vein of John Cooper Clarke. While some of his shorter poems feel like they could be sharper, and Dankworth feels lacking in narrative scope, Wright’s charisma along with his technical skills make it difficult to not be engaged when he takes the stage.  

The Remains Of Logan Dankworth, Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 August, 3.45pm; Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (Poems), Pleasance Dome, until 29 August, 11pm.