The Last Word festival is home to a captivating mix of live performances that all have a story to tell.
Featuring new work by established artists, rising talents and works-in-progress from home-grown performers, The Last Word shines the spotlight on themes of home, heritage, mental health, politics and musical journeys.
2017 highlights include: our ninth Poetry Slam where the best performance poets aged 16-25 are discovered; With A Little Bit Of Luck, taking place in our iconic Main Space, transports us back to the garage raves of our youth; in The Things I Would Tell You women writers of British Muslim heritage talk identity; Joshua Idehen and his band Benin City use banging tunes to tell coming of age tales in London’s nightclubs; and John Hegley performs another brilliantly bonkers show as he rocks the Roundhouse.
Our intimate Hub space becomes home to emerging artists and works in progress from established performers such as Salena Godden, Jack Rooke, Raymond Antrobus and Testament.
With over 30 shows and the chance to stretch your poetry muscles in The Last Word workshops, there’s plenty to get your teeth into. Scroll down to view the whole programme.
What You Missed

Poetry Lab
Saturday 10 June

The Last Word Festival
Apples & Snakes presents Trailers
Thursday 8 June

Back Of The Head With A Brick
Friday 9 June 2017

Roundhouse & Apples and Snakes present
Coat
by Yomi Sode
Thursday 8 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Daniel Piper's Day Off
by Daniel Piper
Thursday 1 June

The Last Word festival
Don't Flop
Friday 2 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Elsa
by Isobel Rogers
Sunday 4 June

The Last Word festival
Everything is Going to be Fine
by Sophie Fenella
Tuesday 6 June

The Last Word festival
Goldfish Bowl
by Caleb Femi
Saturday 10 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
JOHN HEGLEY (gently) ROCKS THE ROUNDHOUSE (studio)
by John Hegley
Saturday 3 June

The Last Word festival
Mrs Death Misses Death
by Salena Godden
Thursday 1 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
My Beautiful Black Dog
by Brigitte Aphrodite
Friday 2 June

The Last Word Festival
Grey Matters
directed by Kat Francois
Friday 9 June

The Last Word festival
Happy Hour
by Jack Rooke
Tuesday 6 June 2017

The Last Word festival
How to Survive a Post-Truth Apocalypse
by Francesca Beard
Wednesday 31 May 2017

The Last Word festival
Massive Sense of Urgency
by Madi Maxwell-Libby
Saturday 10 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
My Sapphire Laced Scars
Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu
Sunday 4 June

The Last Word festival and nabokov presents
Last Night
by Benin City
Tuesday 30 May 2017

The Last Word festival
Masterclass: Beatbox, Rap & Poetry
with Testament
Wednesday 7 June 2017

The Last Word festival
Masterclass: Creative Facilitation Training for Poets
with Deanna Rodger + more to be announced
Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 June

The Last Word festival
Masterclass: Enterprise & Branding for Spoken Word
with Dan Tsu, founder of Lyrix Organix
Friday 2 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Poet in Da Corner
by Debris Stevenson
Saturday 3 June

The Last Word Festival
Poetry With Bite
Editing Your Work with Bridget Minamore
Thursday 8 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Roundhouse Poetry Slam
Heats: 25, 26 and 27 May | Final: 8 June

The Last Word festival
Creative Writing Workshop for British Muslim Women
with Sabrina Mahfouz
Sunday 28 May 2017

The Last Word festival
SEXY
by Vanessa Kisuule
Saturday 10 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Spit the Atom and Poetry Collective Double Bill
Tuesday 6 June

The Last Word Festival
Surge: Side A
by Jay Bernard
Saturday 3 June 2017

The Last Word festival
Stairs & Whispers Pre-Launch
with Khairani Barokka, Daniel Sluman, Sandra Alland and Raymond Antrobus
Wednesday 31 May 2017

The Last Word Festival
Talking Doorsteps Lunch Performance
Saturday 10 June 2017

The Last Word Festival
Talking Doorsteps Showcase
Friday 9 June 2017

Telling Tales: How To Survive A Post Truth Apocalypse Workshop
with Francesca Beard
Sunday 28 May 2017

The Last Word festival
The Privilege Show
by Testament in association with LittleMighty
Wednesday 7 June 2017

The Last Word festival
The Things I Would Tell You
by Sabrina Mahfouz
Sunday 28 May 2017

The Last Word festival
The Good Immigrant Presents
by Nikesh Shukla
Wednesday 7 June 2017

The Last Word festival
Tongue Fu: Open Mic
Sunday 4 June 2017

The Last Word festival
Tongue Fu for Kids
Sunday 4 June 2017

Roundhouse Presents
Voices Nationwide Spoken Word Workshops
1 - 2 June & 3 June

The Last Word festival
What We Leave Behind
by Erin Bolens
Tuesday 30 May 2017

The Last Word Festival
White
by Koko Brown
Sunday 4 June

The Last Word Festival, Paines Plough and Latitude Festival presents
With a Little Bit of Luck
by Sabrina Mahfouz, with DJ Luck and MC Neat
Friday 9 June 2017