The Tiny Rebel All Wales Comic Verse Finals

Event information

Hosted by GOFF MORGAN

The Judging Panel consists of:

1. RHYS HUTCHINGS
Rhys writes, produces and creates mixes for all of the tracks performed by the Welsh hip-hop group Goldie Lookin’ Chain and also creates music for his own projects. He formed GLC in 2000, and their hits have included Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do, which reached number three in the UK charts. The group are known for their tongue-in-cheek take on life in south Wales in general and Newport in particular.

Rhys is a keen inventor and has several innovative products awaiting Patent. He was also one of eight celebrities chosen to participate in an intense week learning Welsh at an eco-friendly chic campsite in Pembrokeshire - in the series cariad@iaith:love4language shown on S4C in July 2011. Rhys, who grew up in the Allt-yr-Yn, was elected as a Labour Councillor for the St Julian’s ward in May 2012.


2. PAUL FLYNN MP
Paul has been MP for 25 years, for Newport West and is a member of the Public Administration Select Committee, the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, and the Board of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Paul is an independently minded backbencher by choice and an enthusiastic blogger and tweeter. Before entering Parliament, Paul worked as a chemist, broadcaster and political researcher.

Prolific speaker and writer, author of: Commons Knowledge: How to be a Backbencher; Dragons Led by Poodles: The Inside Story of a New Labour Stitch Up; The Unusual Suspect; and How to be an MP.


3. RICHARD FRAME
Richard arrived in Newport in 1971, he attended the local art college; played in a punk band and befriended Joe Strummer. Then following a period as a psychiatric nurse, he opened the first hostel for the single homeless in Newport. Richard worked for many years in support of the homeless retiring from his post as director of Solas in 2009.

But there is more to Richard than that, immersing himself in Newport’s history he jointly founded the local history society, discovered the final resting place of John Frost and went onto write, with Mike Buckingham, Haunted Holy Ground; Through the Centuries Eye Pictures of Newport 1850 to 1939; and, in 1999, shortly after the death of his friend Alexander Cordell, Alexander Cordell - a Biography.

Richard is an active member of The Chartist Anniversary Committee; he regularly gives talks on such subjects as “Britain’s Secret Army”, "St Woollos Cemetery", "John Frost" and "The prehistoric monuments of Gwent". He has been described as restlessly energetic but he also enjoys getting away from it all, from time to time, in his caravan


4. PETER MANLEY
Peter, a teacher of Languages, Literacy and Liberal Studies, has always sought to inspire confidence, creativity and enterprise in communication. He feels that a key to being a good communicator is humour, and that has proved to be so as a teacher. He also has the reputation for being a mean Rock and Blues pianist.


5. CHRIS EDWARDS
Chris was one of last year's finalists in the 1st All Wales Comic Verse Competition with her poem about Theresa May. Having taught History and Law for many years, both in secondary and further education, Chris has also enjoyed developing her writing skills.

Although favouring comic verse over the last few years, she even had one of her comic poems published by the Times Literary Supplement; Chris has also written and produced a number of murder mysteries, in the form of role play activity, and has re-written parts of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance for performance.

Chris recognizes that performance is as important as content – when it comes to Comic Verse

DAWSON-BANKS provides the interlude entertainment.
Brian Dawson, a boy of the ‘60’s brought up just a ferry ride from the Pier Head and the influences of The Liverpool Scene. He first started writing poetry whilst at the Laird School of Art, and his career experiences, through social work, education, radio broadcasting and local newspapers have fed his interest in the ‘human condition’. Having lived in North Wales for 15 years, Brian moved south in 2003 and soon after met up with musician Peter Banks. Between them they have developed their own style of performance.

Peter Banks grew up in Suffolk and read music at Oxford. He is a freelance musician and teacher of piano and voice, has written numerous classical and jazz songs, and also some shows for children. Peter’s accompanying music perfectly complements Brian’s words and provides a wide range of style and pace.

Peter’s music & Brian’s words work together to create moods and emotions, poignant or funny, that always strike a chord somewhere in the audience. Some of their work can be enjoyed on their first CD, Turn of The Tide, released in 2008.

**Free entry for under 16s**