Offering light and lightness of touch

SHE-poet Elspeth Murray and he-poet Richard Medrington led a captivating evening of thoughtful and joyous poetry and song at the Festival of Spirituality and Peace in Edinburgh this evening.

The show, drawing the famous lyric by Leonard Cohen in an Irish direction, was entitled The Craic Where The Light Gets In, and brought nearly 50 people into the Hall space next to the Persian Tent at St John's Church.

Richard and Elspeth excel at performance poetry blending humour, musicality of line, multivoicing, and a passionate, engaged view of life. Their work is implicitly informed by Christian faith but open to those of all persuasions and beliefs. Other poetic readings tonight included Hillaire Belloc, Mary Oliver and W. B. Yeats.

The evening included musical guests handpicked from the very best of Edinburgh’s Festival talent, notably the Jacquets and Hannah Kitchen.

Elspeth and Richard have been described as "two of Scotland’s most entertaining performers and poets” (Scottish Poetry Library). They run the Puppet State Theatre Company, often touring in North America. Check out especially 'The Man Who Planted Trees'.

Reviewer Tom Hurcombe said of this evening's show: "It was thoroughly enjoyable but also had plenty of observational depth." Carla J. Roth added: "The Craic Where The Light Gets In  provided a good balance of the thoughtful and the highly entertaining. There was both light and lightness."