Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

The Verb

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

The Verb: Playwright Billy Roche, Chuquai Billy - Native American Comedian, Poet James Davies, Proms Poetry Competition

15/07/2011

Playwright Billy Roche, Chuquai Billy - Native American Comedian, Poet James Davies, Proms Poetry Competition

BBC Radio 4 - The Verb, Playwright Billy Roche, Chuquai Billy - Native American Comedian, Poet James Davies, Proms Poetry Competition

Simone Kirby reads new work by Billy Roche. Plus Chuquai Billy on Native American comedy.

Presented by Ian McMillan. Simon Kirby reads work by Billy Roche, Chuquai Billy performs 'Native American comedy', and James Davies reading some of his 'unmade poems'.

Radio 3's Cabaret of the Word presented by Ian McMillan. Actor Simone Kirby reads a new story by playwright Billy Roche, about a woman who has run away from her husband in Ireland and he finds her working in a pub in West London. Billy joins Ian from Dublin to discuss the story, and talks about the importance of its setting - the pub, like the story, is called the Dog and Bone. He'll also be explaining how he's bent on preserving the vagaries of the Irish vernacular in his work, because he thinks contemporary Irish voices are changing with outside influences. 

Chuquai Billy is the only Native American stand up comedian in the UK and he performs on the Verb. The humour is self deprecating but Billy says that's developed since he's lived in England rather than intrinsic to his Chocktaw and Lakota Sioux tribal background. He had to 'google' the meaning of his own name as he was never taught it, and was bitterly disappointed to find out it has no connection to the wilds of North America.

James Davies describes himself as a poet and 'literary activist' and works on the spoken word scene in his home town of Manchester. His new book, Plants, contains 'unmade poems' - poems that he has written in the past and deleted. Like the poem 'Apples'. 

Apples
Written, typed, altered, deleted.

Poet Carol Watts joins Ian and James to give a history of the unmade poem. 

And on the first night of the Proms, a reminder about Radio 3's poetry competition. Ian writes a poem inspired by the rarely performed Rossini opera, William Tell; and music critic Susan Hitch talks about the myth of William Tell. To enter the competition, listeners are invited to write a poem based on a piece of music from this year's Prom Concerts.

Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Verb

Playwright Billy Roche, Chuquai Billy - Native American Comedian, Poet James Davies, Proms Poetry Competition

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3