I Performed My Spoken Word Poetry Live: Supporting Georgie Jones on Tour!
There's a particular kind of dream that sits quietly in the back of your mind for years. For me, that dream was performing my poetry live to a room full of strangers and seeing people react to my words in real time. Last Friday, at the Acorn Theatre in Penzance, I finally did it.
I had the honour of supporting the incredible poet and performer Georgie Jones on her tour, And The World Spins Anyway. And this was, without question, one of the best nights of my life. Georgie was brilliant, and her audience was so accommodating of me and receptive to my work. I truly couldn’t have wished for a better first gig.
What is spoken word poetry?
Spoken word poetry is exactly what it sounds like — poetry written to be performed aloud. It's an art form that lives in the voice: in the pauses, the rhythm, the way a word lands differently when it's performed, rather than simply existing on the page or screen.
If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I've been sharing confessional poetry to camera for a while now. My Monday words are short, intimate poetic reels about love, relationships and my connection to the Cornish landscape. I’ve really appreciated the responses I’ve received via likes and DMs, but performing live is something else entirely. There’s no editing, no second takes. It's just you, your words and the audience members’ raw reactions, which is why, I think, it felt so meaningful.
My first experience performing live
I should say, this wasn't my first time reading poetry to an audience. I've had the privilege of performing at weddings, sharing words at some of the most tender and significant moments of people's lives. But those were intimate gatherings, full of people who already knew and loved each other, and I wasn’t really the main focus.
The Acorn is a proper venue. There were over sixty people in that room, and they had bought tickets. For Georgie, yes — but I was the one they'd hear first, standing up there clutching poems I'd scrawled in my journal or typed into my Notes app and never read aloud to anyone.
I won't pretend I wasn't terrified, but something really changed in me the moment I started reading. People laughed, people cried. They clapped. The audience knew it was my first official gig, and they were so supportive.
There is something really grounding about a room of strangers choosing to be present with your words, letting them land, responding to them honestly — no matter how nervous you are. I came away from The Acorn wanting to do it all again.
Georgie herself was wonderful, too. Her hour was a love letter to real life in all its beautiful mess: unfinished, unfiltered, uncertain and somehow deeply comforting. If you haven't come across her work yet, go and find it immediately. We're hoping to work together again in the future, which still feels a little surreal to say.
This was genuinely so nerve-wracking but I enjoyed every second of it!
I can’t wait to do it again sometime soon. Huge thanks to Georgie for giving me space to do what I love in front of so many lovely people!
Follow my poetry journey
If you'd like to hear about upcoming performances, poetry events and creative workshops here in Cornwall, the best place to start is my newsletter, Studio Snippets. Here, I share studio news, art pieces, journal prompts, upcoming events and the occasional behind-the-scenes moment. No spam, just creative and inspirational things worth reading.
