Dizraeli and the Small Gods, Toby Thompson, The Breaks Collective

Approx. RunningTime: 2hour 30mins (inc. interval)

Hip Hopping Speaks presented by Apples & Snakes

Apples and Snakes – England’s leading performance poetry organisation, is returning to The Queens Theatre, Barnstaple, with a massive mix of words, beats and lyrical mastery. Removing the line between poetry and music we are joining the two together in harmonious hip hopping literal pleasure.

Start your evening with the superb sounds of 7 piece band The Breaks Collective followed by the intense and powerful spoken words of Toby Thompson. Headlining the evening is Dizraeli and the Small Gods, bringing their fresh new take on hip hop to North Devon. Stay after the show for a post show discussion with the artists and find out what gets these poets and musicians out of bed in the morning!

Dizraeli and The Small Gods

Drawing as much inspiration from sea shanties and folk ballads as from the grit of the city, Dizraeli recorded his debut solo album 'Engurland (City Shanties)' in autumn 2009, and assembled a supernaturally talented group of musicians to tour it. Waves were made, and before long they were booked to play the West Holts stage at Glastonbury 2010, a gig which won them thousands of surprised converts to their melodic, unashamedly heartfelt reinvention of hip-hop.

"The birth of a new style and type of music so fresh, it defies definition…" New Music Transmission

It shouldn't work, but it does. Viola, turntables, flute, close harmony singing, beatbox and double bass (from World Female Beatbox Champion Bellatrix), steel-string guitars and Dizraeli's elastic rap vocals, bridging divides between folk traditions and hip-hop invention, rural and urban, heart and Head.

"Far beyond a normal hip-hop show… something quite remarkable" Venue Magazine.

Glastonbury was one in a whirl of festivals- over the summer of 2010 the Small Gods played stages from Larmer Tree to Green Man to Bestival and every space between, and their sound and their following grew. In October they were invited to play at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with beatbox legend Shlomo as part of his 'Music Through Unconventional Means' series, and now they're working on a collaboration with folk legend Chris Wood, which will be performed at the Old Vic Tunnels in February 2011.

April 2011 saw Dizraeli and the Small Gods embark on their Mud Island tour of the UK.

Toby Thompson

Toby Thompson is a busy young poet, a raw talent on the cusp of something quite remarkable. Fierce attention to detail and an addiction to creativity join forces in this boy's mind to produce consistently stunning poetry. At 17, most agree he has achieved much more than he ought have. Toby is currently working closely with the Royal Shakespeare Company and recent gigs worth mentioning include, The Roundhouse (Camden), House of Lords (Westminster) and The Swan Theatre (Stratford-upon-Avon).

Minimum age recommendation: 14