BonkersFest - Little Big Top - Artists Biogs

Away from the Flock poets
Poets: David Gilbert, Durlabh Singh, Naomi Lee, Anne Morgan, Peter Davy, James Dufficy, Terry Simpson
Richard Allen (compere) www.applesandsnakes.org
Liz Bentley
Scary Peckham humourist with a ukulele on her knee and a five-star Edinburgh show behind her. Poetry has never been so disturbing.
Mr Gee
Known to Radio 4 listeners as anchorman of poetry show Bespoken Word, and no mean performer himself. Expect sussed and witty slices of London life.
Chanje Kunda
Prolific Mancunian-Zambian who writes poetry you can dance to. Also known as a playwright, journalist and star-in-the-making.
Richard Allen
Fast-talking poet who barely pauses for breath and keep one foot in the comedy circuit. Also a genial, smiley compere.
Louise Ajegbo
My name is Louise Ajegbo and I am proud to be here as a schizo-affective , folk singing artist. I started writing songs about 5 years ago when I was in and out of mental hospitals and in great physical pain. Now the hard work is finally starting to pay off !
"Poo Lord" - Bedroom Music
Ban does crappy guitar music and is the genius behind the Cyber-Chutney Arse Duck Show on Resonance FM.
Steve Tasane
Master of energetic, socio-political verse. Has recently been touring his one-man show Klepto – a retread of his shoplifting days. www.applesandsnakes.org
Ambrosia Rasputin
Lol Coxhill
"There are very few versatile artists that hold the importance Lol Coxhill has in European improvised music. His highly personal style on soprano and tenor saxophone (fluent, lyrical yet capable of shrieking outbursts), his ability to perform with everyone and in every style, from jazz standards to the weirdest electro-acoustic improv, backed by his enduring sense of humor, all draw the figure of a maverick musician." - François Couture, All Music Guide http://www.lolcoxhill.com/
John Hegley
Specialises in poems about dogs and vegetables. Suitable for all ages, but you need to have a working knowledge of absurdity. www.applesandsnakes.org
Rachel Pantechnicon
The best-dressed woman on the spoken-word circuit. Believes in the motivational power of poetry, and the importance of looking after your coccyx. www.applesandsnakes.org
Crowning of Bonkersfest Laureate by John Hegley & Rachel Pantechneon
Bonkersfest Laureate, sponsored by Apples and Snakes. more info here
Resonance Circuit Workshop
Founded by Chris Weaver, the workshop has spawned this performance on hand built electronic circuits by some Resonancefm bots: Dan Wilson: award winning radio producer, sound artist, has played rubber bands for MTV and was arrested in 04 for randomly dropping tapes containing distressing audio around Hertfordshire. Mark Pilkington: writer and sonic manipulator, performs with sci-art project Disinformation, is one half of duo Raagnagrok and plays in The Stella Maris Drone Orchestra, Aum Sahib, and DJs for Kosmische club. Melanie Clifford: visual artist and musician. Her current work is on sound and location: soliciting sensitivity to detail, to minor fluctuations and structural disintegrity.Fari Bradley: performer who delights in experiments, does Dj mash ups (ICA, Bestival)performs unlikely field recorded soundscapes (Barbican, Truman Brewery) andmutates Indian classical by sticking it over drum and bass (Corsica Arts, V Festival).
Rona Topaz
Rona Topaz is proud to be associated with Bonkersfest, having been diagnosed with unipolar clinical depression in 1994. She has been pilll-free since 2005, thanks to the support of a dear acquaintence who is pill free despite bi-polarity. Theatre includes Sweeny Todd {Bridewell} On the Barges {Grand Junction Theatre Festival}, Burnt Cakes {Theatro Technis} and most recently, Apparitions of a Cuckoo {Pentameters}, a play written specically to highlight misconceptions surrounding mental health concerns. Film includes Alien Autopsy and Bright Young Things. As a singer, Rona has spported Billy Bragg, John Cooper Clarke , Mat Fraser and Four Men and a Dog and has performed on many reecording sessions. Rona is also a facilitator for various organisations and when not performing, works as a carer for Wesminster MIND.
Beulah
Frank Bangay and the Topsy Turvey Band
Dozzy Angel

Dozzy Angel is Dolly Sen, a writer, director, artist, film-maker, poet, performer, playwright, mental health consultant, music-maker and public speaker, who is 22 years mad. She also writes regularly for Creative Routes. She is making a success of being mad. http://www.dollysen.com
Melody J Hayes
Poets in the City / Sarah Wardle

Poet in the City is an exciting and innovative venture philanthropy organization committed to attracting new audiences to poetry, making new connections for poetry and raising money to support poetry education, in particular the placing of poets in schools. www.poetinthecity.co.uk
Paper Monkeys
Paper Monkeys return for a second year of Bonkers fun, previewing material from their upcoming Edinburgh show 'Legends'. Sexy and surreal comedy sketches containing adult material.
www.papermonkeyscomedy.co.uk
Zuzushii Monkey
Steve Beresford

Steve Beresford is a composer, musician and arranger, a veteran of countless bands from the Slits to the Melody Four. He has been a central figure in the British improvising scene for over thirty years working with the likes of Derek Bailey, Evan Parker and Han Bennink. For the past decade he has concentrated most of his compositional efforts on tracks for independent British film and television. Strange sambas, jittery jazz, melancholy moods and more from one of the most consistently imaginative and creative musicians in Europe.
http://www.stalk.net/piano/disc_sb.htm
Comperes - Jazzman John & Sibyl Madrigal