Standing Ovation at Teatro Goldoni for Kae Tempest, Winner of Venice Biennale Theater Silver Lion

Kae Tempest at Teatro Goldini in Venice - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) Kae Tempest is a wordsmith wizard who spins thoughts into gold. Tempest's performance of The Book of Traps & Lessons at the Teatro Carlo Goldoni last night, July 10, was riveting and received a standing ovation -- which illustrates the power of the piece, since the Italian world premiere was a 45-minute spoken-word poem performed entirely in English. 

It was a COVID-distanced full house, with every other seat occupied all the way up to the highest balcony. The written program was in English and Italian, but it is nearly impossible to translate such a complex narrative from one language to another and capture the original meaning. Tempest said something like, "I don't know if you can understand the words, but maybe you will understand the feeling." Judging by the reaction of the audience, the message was delivered.

I've never heard Tempest perform before, either live or on record, so I don't know the journey the artist took to arrive at the Goldoni. I've read  interviews and listened to excerpts of previous performances, all of which included music. The performance last night was just Tempest with a mic. No music. The words were so compelling and the voice so pure, I didn't miss the music.  

Know the wolves that hunt you 

in time they will be the dogs that bring your slippers

Love them right

and you will feel them kiss you

when they come to bite

--- from Hold Your Own by Kae Tempest

Kae Tempest was born Kate Esther Calvert in Westminster, England on December 22, 1985 and came out as non-binary in August 2020, which means that I am supposed to use the pronoun "they" instead of "she," which I don't want to do because the grammar is too awkward in the English language (surely there must be another solution). So I am going to try to write this entire post by avoiding the whole thing.

In 2013, Tempest won the Ted Hughes Award for Brand New Ancients, and was named a Next Generation Poet by the Poetry Book Society, an honor that only happens once in a decade. The albums Everybody Down and Let Them Eat Chaos were both nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. The third album, The Book of Traps and Lessons, that we heard last night was released in 2019 and was nominated for the Ivor Novello Award.

I have seen the lions turn to cubs

And I have seen the hunters turn to prey

The lessons will come again tomorrow

If they're not learned today

---  from Lessons by Kae Tempest

Tempest said that last night would be the last time the words of The Book of Traps & Lessons would be spoken publicly. Italy holds a special place in the evolution of the work, and performing the piece in Venice seemed to give it closure. The piece had been written five years ago in Umbria, and went "very deeply in and very vastly out." 

She said - we are born of collision

We are divisions of a bigger vision

And yet we run around like hamsters

Spinning the wheel

Spinning the wheel

Spinning the wheel

 

I was on my knees then

Begging for pardon

I was old and clothed in white garments

 

In a vast red desert

Where the rocks were dark blue and varnished

 

And a voice said

This is the garden

 

Now you better start sowing

Or there won't be a harvest

--- from Holy Elixir by Kae Tempest

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors were having their summit here in Venice at the same time that we were watching Tempest perform at the Teatro Goldoni, which Tempest acknowledged, saying: "There is another gathering of people in this city tonight. Let's reach out to the unreachable."

Outside Teatro Goldoni, Venice - Photo: Cat Bauer

In addition to recording albums and performing live, Tempest also writes novels, non-fiction and plays.  Paradise, a version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes opens at the National Theatre in London on August 4th. The play's text published by Picador launches on August 5th. It is Tempest's work as a playwright that La Biennale di Venezia honors with the Silver Lion award. 

 

The Venice Biennale 49th International Theater Festival runs from July 2 to 11, 2021, and is directed by Stefano Ricci and Gianni Forte (ricci/forte) who entitled this year's festival "Blue."

 

Pre-order at #VeniceBooks

 

Ciao from Venezia,

Cat Bauer

Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog