Artists tackle ten existential questions
Wright is one of Britain’s most successful stand-up poets. His new show – Luke Wright: Poet and Man – runs at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, from 1-25 August. For more details, log on to http://www.lukewright.co.uk.
1 Does art make a difference?
It does, even if the difference is only a chuckle. Not everything has to change the world – sometimes it’s just good to laugh.
2 Should politics and art mix?
Yes, although it would be nice if it wasn’t only a picture of George Bush with a big monkey head. Woo! Satire!
3 Is your work for the many or for the few?
I’d hope it was for the many. I don’t just want to reach the usual poetry audience. I don’t particularly write for an audience: I write poems that I think I’d enjoy, and I think I am a fairly regular sort of person.
4 If you were world leader, what would be your first law?
Wage-cap footballers. I’m sure there are more important things than that, but I just want to hurt them.
5 Who would be your top advisers?
Ideally, I’d have a nice adviser and a nasty adviser, and they’d be shrunk to about six inches tall (I’m guessing that, as “world leader”, I’d be able to do this) so I could sit one on each shoulder. Maybe John Lydon and Felicity Kendal? Or the pop starlets Kate Nash and Lily Allen. Then I could say things like, “I’ve got Arctic Monkeys on my iPod,” and people would believe me. Kate would be the nice one.
6 What, if anything, would you censor?
Richard Littlejohn. Littlejohn is a huge, festering, pus-filled crater on the face of human society. Death and torture are too good for him.
7 If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be?
Still Littlejohn. Let’s actually send him to hell in a handcart.
8 What are the rules that you live by?
The laws I’m legally obliged to live by, plus a few extra about trying to read as much as possible.
9 Do you love your country?
No. I love the country.
10 Are we all doomed?
Doomed is a bit strong. We’ll probably run out of oil and Great Yarmouth will probably end up under the sea, and pop music will undoubtedly get worse before it gets better, but I hope we’ll muddle through.
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