“What’s For You Will Not Pass You” // an interview with a Spoken Word Artist 

Having studied as a dancer at the University of East London, the last time I met up with Sofe (S-Bars) they were in the midst of three very different and exciting worlds: university lecturing, drag performance and stand-up comedy. Watching Sofe on stage, you can’t help see how these different disciplines impart an audience’s desire to listen up but simultaneously move, laugh and shout back. 

I flatter myself by thinking I have a couple key things in common with my interviewee. Am I a multi-talented poetic/ comedic/ performer legend? No, absolutely not. But do we share the same first name (Yes) and were we born a day apart? Yes, yes we were. There is also nothing Sofe and I love more than arriving 16 minutes early to Clitbait interviews and meeting up for a lil creative scheming session. In the run up to our next project, Clitbait Cabaret Part II; we catch up just down the road from Red Door Studios in E.6. When Sofe says it’s great to be back in Newham, specifically our own bit of the borough’s busy Barking road, I know I also share their relentless optimism. Everything always comes back to East London….

Sofe! Tell me about a creative update in your life? 

Really exciting. I have just joined a theatre company at Stratford Theatre East. I saw the open call for 18-25 year olds and after an initial imposter syndrome (I haven’t acted in any way since I was 17/18 years old ) I dragged myself to the audition. Just have fun with it, I told myself, enjoy the games, let’s go and play. I thought,  going into the auditions, what’s for you, will not pass you! 

Skip forward to being accepted into the company, the rehearsals bring out my inner child and I sometimes am very feral in energy (in the games he he) I have found a great community! It’s amazing how much I’ve learnt in these sessions and I am beyond grateful to be around such a team: a wonderful cast, director and writer. 

That’s amazing. To be a beginner in something again!  What do you mean when you say “What’s for you will not pass you”? 

No moment is wasted. If it is meant to be it will be. That is exactly the attitude that made me get out and show up: whether it’s going to that scary audition; facing the world whilst struggling with my mental health or my difficult living situation, sometimes you just have to show up for that opportunity, you deserve to! I relish a challenge to be out of my comfort zone and I think it’s something that always pays off.

Wise words, I’m going to try and remember that, Tell me, Sofe: what does an ideal audience look like to you?

Present and in it for the journey. I’ll always love some interaction and encourage them to be vocal. Generally though, the whole performance thing only ever works when I am performing for myself. Waiting for the crowds’ validation is like a recipe for disaster for your self-esteem. There is no other way that I would enjoy being on stage if I don’t feel like it is an authentic version of how I am feeling or else tapping into a way I have been feeling before? Also, for my poets who are comedic, you have to remember that each audience reacts in different ways. They could be thinking something is brilliantly funny but appear stony straight faced, the same way you could read a really emotional poem to a silent room and not have a clue that they are touched by it on a spiritual level. I am always surprised when people come up to me afterwards and tell me their thoughts- I appreciate those kinds of personal interactions so much.

That makes total sense. Is it hard then, for poems/ dances/ pieces that you have performed many times to tap into that same emotional energy that made you create it in the first place?

Well I think even with material you keep coming back to, there has to be a reason you return to it. You can keep authentic energy by tapping into yourself during that moment, even if the specifics no longer resonate with who you are today. For instance, time and time again I keep coming back to my poem ‘COVID Safe House Party’ – which is about a house party years ago. The poem touches on being under the influence and as you can imagine performing that as a *now* sober person is quite whacky, it creates another dynamic and I like to tailend those poetry shows with the image of me sober at a festival. Both are valid and entertaining experiences.

Wise words, I’m going to try and remember that, Tell me, Sofe: what does an ideal audience look like to you?

Present and in it for the journey. I’ll always love some interaction and encourage them to be vocal. Generally though, the whole performance thing only ever works when I am performing for myself. Waiting for the crowds’ validation is like a recipe for disaster for your self esteem. There is no other way that I would enjoy being on stage if I don’t feel like it is an authentic version of how I am feeling or else tapping into a way I have been feeling before? Also for my poets which are comedic, you have to remember that each audience reacts in different ways. They could be thinking something is brilliantly funny but appear stony straight faced, the same way you could read a really emotional poem to a silent room and not have a clue that they are touched by it on a spiritual level. I am always surprised when people come up to me afterwards and tell me their thoughts- I appreciate those kinds of personal interactions so much.

That makes total sense. Is it hard then, for poems/ dances/ pieces that you have performed many times to tap into that same emotional energy that made you create it in the first place?

Well I think even with material you keep coming back to, there has to be a reason you return to it. You can keep authentic energy by tapping into yourself during that moment, even if the specifics no longer resonate with who you are today. For instance, time and time again I keep coming back to my poem ‘COVID Safe House Party’ – which is about a house party years ago. The poem touches on being under the influence and as you can imagine performing that as a *now* sober person is quite whacky, it creates another dynamic and I like to tailend those poetry shows with me the image of me sober at a festival. Both are valid and entertaining experiences.

I cannot wait to see you perform next and super keen to see what you have in store for us as host at Clitbait Cabaret. What other upcoming projects should we look out for?

Well there is the Spit it out show in Edinburgh and also the run of live shows at Stratford Theatre in July!

Relevant Links

Find out more about the Spit it out festival in Edinburgh in June

Book to watch ‘we all know how this ends’  At Stratford East theatre in July

Get tickets to see S-Bars host the Clitbait Cabaret at Red Door Studios in May