The opening night of this year's Springboard Festival at the Criterion Theatre in Earlsdon did not disappoint.

As Artistic director, Anne-marie Greene said in her opening welcome, this is the 4th year of the festival which consists of a week-long celebration of creative arts, featuring a variety of music, poetry, theatre, literary discussion, community groups and even visual art. The festival brings together amateur and professionals in one space, with in-house Criterion company performances and community/Criterion collaborations alongside external artists, musicians and poets from Coventry and Warwickshire. 

The opening slot of opening night featured one of the three new plays by local playwrights that have been specifically developed for the festival this year. Tell Them by Hodan Mohammed features popular chat show host Nate Shaw interviewing upcoming actress Scarlett Wilhelm about her new horror film. But all is not what it seems as Nate’s ulterior vengeful motive is gradually revealed. This short play explores deeper issues of mental health and responsibility, as well as featuring some great dance moves.

Next this year’s festival Poet in Residence, Amy Rugg, wowed the audience with a short set of poems about the festival, including an interactive opening one which kept the audience on its toes, and finishing with a powerfully poignant portrayal of two imagined audience members and the potential difference theatre going could make in their lives.

Musician Rebecca Mileham (lead photo) continued the interactivity with a sing-a-long number as part of her set of songs celebrating the unsung heroines of science. Interspersed with facts, this was a thoughtful, intelligent and informative exploration of female scientists who didn’t get the credit they deserved, whilst also pondering the reasons why and the barriers they faced. Could it be just because they had the wrong name?

After the interval there was more poetry in store for us with the incredible and entertaining Morgan Birch. Through her intricate, witty and eloquent rhymes she explored what it meant to be a poet, thought about some alternative career options, and invoked a couple of alter egos. She also ensured we will never see frogs, foxes and, most of all, walruses, in the same light again!

Rounding off the night was a second short play that has been developed for this year’s Springboard festival, written by local writer Derek Headley who introduced it with a related poem. Gloria is a well-crafted monologue delivered with poignancy and gently humour, that portrays an aging woman struggling with her health and loneliness, whilst reminiscing about former and better times. It emerges that, as well as a painful toe; Gloria is grappling with Charles Bonnet syndrome, a condition where failing eyesight causes vivid hallucinations. Gloria needs to balance how to cope with this with keeping herself safe and still living life.

Alison Manning