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Spoken Word

Spoken Word Shows

Have a look through our selection of Spoken Word Shows! We are sure To have something you'll want to see in Edinburgh this August - from children's shows to cabaret; standup comedy to tragic drama. There's something for everyone at the Free Festival!


List Shows: By Name | By Start Time

Shows sorted by Show Name

Burns Banter - Your Bard

Burns Banter - Your Bard

Spoken Word

Burns Banter - Your Bard

Spoken Word

The Three Sisters / The Live Room
AUG 18-24 at 13:45 (60 min) - Pay What You Can Tickets - from £2.50

Book a PWYC Ticket in advance for this show to guarantee entry, or turn up at the venue for free with the option of donating at the end of the show

Burns Banter - Your Bard! is a deep dive into the parts of Robert Burns life the scholars don't want you to know about. There are great stories about Drinking Clubs and competitions Robert was involved in and some of the rudest, funniest poems he ever wrote. Throw in a couple of drinking songs and a poem about a hangover and you are starting to understand what you can expect. Come along and have a drink and a laugh with Alastair Turnbull and 'Burns Banter - Your Bard!' ...


Eating Satsumas in the Sun and Forgetting About Heartbreak

Eating Satsumas in the Sun and Forgetting About Heartbreak

Spoken Word

Eating Satsumas in the Sun and Forgetting About Heartbreak

Spoken Word

Brass Monkey / The Games Room
AUG 4-12 at 11:30 (60 min) - Pay What You Can Tickets - from £5

Book a PWYC Ticket in advance for this show to guarantee entry, or turn up at the venue for free with the option of donating at the end of the show

Emily started writing poetry for the incredibly healthy reason of trying to impress a boy. Now he’s long gone and she’s reclaiming her words. This writer, storyteller, mum, and general liability dives into her debut hour of honest, argumentative, optimistic, brutal, loving and (dare we say it) funny poetry to untangle the threads of love, identity, parenthood, friendship, loss, belonging and the pure unadulterated joy of eating satsumas in the sun and forgetting about heartbreak....


Sectioned – Schrödinger's Mental Health

Sectioned – Schrödinger's Mental Health

Spoken Word

Sectioned – Schrödinger's Mental Health

Spoken Word

West Nic Records / Little Cellar
JUL 31, AUG 1-12 at 13:00 (60 min) - Free & Unticketed

Just turn up at the venue, entry is first-come, first-served for everyone. Donations at the end of the show

Poppy Radcliffe returns with the followup to her 5* show SECTIONED, seamlessly interweaving crushingly honest poetry with prose to paint a picture of life under the mental health services. Sectioned at her peak, Poppy spiralled as she tried to come to terms with what happened and found herself in an ever enclosing web of interventions. Where physical health care focuses on recovery and independence, a diagnosis of serious mental health is considered a condition for life, one that must be managed, monitored and medicated, but when the illness is born from trauma, surely true recovery is pos...


The Poem Called Kavita

The Poem Called Kavita

Spoken Word

The Poem Called Kavita

Spoken Word

Bar 50 / The Snug
AUG 10-12 at 15:45 (60 min) - Pay What You Can Tickets - from £5

"The Poem Called Kavita" is the debut solo show from award-winning spoken word artist Kavita Hansla - a poet whose name literally means 'poetry' in Hindi. This is more than just a performance. It’s an honest, moving mix of storytelling, poetry, and raw emotion - where laughter meets stillness, and the personal becomes universal. With over 100 performances under her belt and a reputation for leaving audiences stunned - whether with roaring laughter or pin-drop silences - Kavita’s voice is as unforgettable as the stories she tells. She has performed at Wandsworth Arts Fringe, Generation Hackn...


Walk On Stage Naked

Walk On Stage Naked

Spoken Word

Walk On Stage Naked

Spoken Word

Home Bar / Basement
JUL 31, AUG 1-3, 5-10, 12-17, 19-24 at 15:00 (60 min) - Free & Unticketed

Just turn up at the venue, entry is first-come, first-served for everyone. Donations at the end of the show

Walk on Stage Naked is a sharp and often funny celebration of vulnerability and openness in all of its forms. “Walk on stage naked” was one of the first pieces of advice I got as an actor - hide nothing, show everything and let that bring out the character. Here I walk on stage naked and ask the audience to laugh with, through and sometimes at some of our most fragile moments. Messy and extremely unrequited love, stories nobody tells about things nobody asked about, a dazzling reflection on what life is like at 3am staring at a computer screen on a joyful date with existential dread. Answe...