Scroobius Pip - Words

• Robin Ford Coron
• 22 August 2013

This article is from 2013.

Spoken word mastery

A dark figure walks onto the stage to the boisterous cheers and applause of a packed crowd. With his black leather jacket, black slacks and long black beard, Scroobius Pip exudes an obscure aura and powerful charisma which instantly captures the attention. For the following 55 minutes, we are all enthralled by the wit and talent of this spoken word artist.

Pip does not hold out on emotional content and pulls us into an opening piece on self-harm. For those not familiar with the London-based wordsmith, such an introduction could be the ominous sign of a bleak hour of mournful poems. However, this is where his humour and confessed fondness for stand-up balances out the set’s mood.

Suicide, murder, abuse, boredom and lost love are all themes studied and tastefully tackled but the show never sinks into the depths of depression. The man on stage has a command over the crowd, and an ability to keep us laughing and in good spirits that is laudable.

At the end of this gig, his incredible deftness with the written word and stage presence leaves us begging for more.

Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 9.40pm, £10.50–£13.50 (£9–£12.50).