Raise The Bar: Rob Auton + Guests

Get ready for another Raise the Bar collaboration at the Curzon! This will be our third event with one of the UK’s leading and most exciting spoken word event curators and it’s one of the highlight’s of the Season for us. If you haven’t been to one before, you’ll want to grab those tickets this time around, and if you have been then you know you’ll want to make sure you snaffle that seat quickly.

Your RTB host supreme for the evening is Saili Katebe who will be warming up the space in true Raise The Bar style. Headlining is audience favourite Rob Auton who had us all in stitches last year, if you don’t expect to laugh at a poetry night then think again. We made Rob promise to come back after his last appearance here at the Curzon and have finally managed to pin him down (not literally). Don’t miss it!

“Very hilarious.” – David Shrigley

“His absurd brand of stand up and poetry is exactly what the world needs right now.” – Huffington Post

“Few artists have ever managed to consistently provide me with such joy and pleasure as Rob Auton.” – Scroobius Pip

“Poetical, philosophical, humane, completely charming and funny to boot.” – The Guardian

Plus a support bill of brilliant South West poets including Jaidah, Edward Tripp and Raina Greifer.

Edward Tripp is a Northern Irish comedian, poet and visual artist. Once described as Dave Allen meets David Lynch, Edward is a genre-bending multiple poetry-slam winner and ‘anti-slam’ winner. He will be bringing his one-man show ‘No Man is an Ireland’ (also the name of Edward’s debut poetry collection) to the Edinburgh Festival this year. Edward was also appointed ‘Bard of Exeter’ in 2022 and he will be representing Exeter in this year’s International ‘Slam-O-Vision’ competition.

“Whenever Edward is on a comedy lineup, I know I’m in for a treat. Seek him out like buried treasure!” – Spencer Jones (Comedian, actor)

“Absurd and hysterical stand-up and poetry that had the audience in stitches.” – Razz Magazine

Jaidah’s written and spoken works are undeniably compelling, asking questions of us collectively and holding the primary focus of advocating alongside promoting human welfare and connection. Vulnerable yet powerful, Jaidah’s quiet commanding presence and delivery are outward-reaching and embody a courage built through her own hard-won experience.

Raina Greifer (she/they) is a Bristol-based theatre maker and producer interested in exploring themes around sex, consent, and grief. Her work uses puppetry, poetry, and comedy to examine the intersection between pop culture and politics. They were shortlisted for the SH24: Sexual Health Awards 2022 as Young Person of the Year and were a BBC Words First Finalist in 2021. Her solo show MANIC won Best Solo Show at Fuse International in 2022 and was shortlisted for the 2023 Saboteur Awards. MANIC has toured across the UK to venues like Theatre Royal Plymouth, Theatre Royal Bath and Tobacco Factory Theatre. Raina loves talking about being horny. She loves being dramatic about it.