Here’s a selection of feedback from poetry performances I’ve put on nationwide – some for adults, some for families, some for children. Click on the links below to find out more. And email me to discuss my putting on an edu-taining poetry show for your event.
(N.B. Feedback from my school visits is here.)
Buzzing! and Flying High! for New Networks for Nature Time for Nature conference, November 2019
‘ Your performance was rivetting — breathtakingly good: thank you!’ Professor Tim Birkhead FRS, University of Sheffield
‘Thank you for your spectacular, joyous energy on stage!’ Amy-Jane Beer, Biologist, writer, science educator, conservationist
Flying High! for York Central WI, April 2018
‘It was a vital and joyous representation of our British birds, with such humour, so clearly driven by your own passion for nature. It all seemed to flow beautifully.’
‘I know everyone had a great time and as for me, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my garden bird’s “real personalities”, I’ll certainly never look or listen to them the same way again !!! He He’
York Literature Festival
March 2018
‘Brilliant fun for children (and adults!)’
‘Fabulous pleasure.’
‘Really fun and upbeat’
‘Birds and the Bees’ family show at Easingwold Community Library,
October 2017
‘We are keeping our fingers crossed that you will come back and see us again, such an excellent, inspiring, educational and buzzing workshop last Saturday, thank you again.’
Buzzing! entertainment for the
Bumblebee Conservation Trust 2017 AGM
‘ I was so impressed Anneliese Emmans Dean I bought her book & C.D. & am going to get the school were I work to book her. What an inspiration to all ages.’ Bumblebee Conservation Trust member
Flying High! book launch
York Festival of Ideas, June 2017
‘Wonderful. So much fun.’ Ruth T
‘Lovely morning at University of York. Fantastic presentation, we loved it.’ Ann T
‘The show was so fascinating and your performance was absolutely brilliant. I was totally inspired: on my walk home I was looking out and listening out to see if I could identify any birds.’ Rowan J
Flying High!
York Ornithological Club, 1 November 2016
‘Hugely enjoyable … I was crying with laughter.’ Jane, YOC
The Birds and the Bees
Yorkshire Day Festival, 1 August 2016
‘Loved it. Anneliese was amazing #myfavourite of @yorkfringe on #YorkshireDay‘ – @FamiliesYork
‘The Birds and The Bees act was very good. My granddaughter loved it and was up on stage holding up drawings. Very good day indeed.’
Buzzing! show for Easingwold and District U3A
July 2015
‘Absolutely stunning!’
U3A member
Buzzing! for the River Foss Society’s 40th Birthday
July 2013
‘We were treated to a first class entertainment by Anneliese … You had to be there to experience Anneliese turning a perfect evening into a special event, appropriate for a 40th anniversary. Roll on the 50th, all of us would like her back then, if not before.’ River Foss Society, York
Flying High!
Burnholme Gardening Group
December 2012
‘We have many interesting speakers, but none are as entertaining as Anneliese!’ Burnholme Gardening Group
Rhymes of the Times 2011
December 2011
‘Immensely enjoyable’ John Taylor
‘Made me forget all my aches and pains.’
‘Wonderful.’ Ann Petherick
‘Utterly enjoyable. So glad I came!’ Hanna Fife
Rhyme and Dine at Bedern Hall
York Food Festival, September 2011
‘Thank you very much Miss Poetry Bird
These were the best rhymes I ever heard
I came here at my wife’s suggestion
And your rhymes really helped my digestion!’
Cap Fowles
Buzzing! by the River
U3A, York, September 2010
‘A tour de force. You’re a national treasure, Anneliese!’
Alwyn Taylor, U3A, York
Buzzing!
Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Stirling, August 2010
‘Brilliant – a unique, entertaining, informative and amusing take on the world of bumblebees and other garden insects.’ Professor Dave Goulson, Director, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
‘A great way to get big and little people enthused about buzzers …’ Jennifer Batty
Buzzing!
Edinburgh Fringe 2010
‘An absolute must … A terrific show.’ Primary Times
‘Great sounds, great visuals. What’s not to like?’ edfringe.com
‘As soon as the show finished I turned to mummy and said, “I wish it could have gone on all day!” Alex, age 11
‘Amazing, mad, creative, and John’s music was mind-blasting!!’ Nina, age 10
‘Brilliant and interesting. I loved it all and it was amazing.’ Claudia, age 10
‘The best show we’ve seen at the Fringe’ Julian, age 12 and Klara age 9
‘Learnt so much in such a short space of time about my garden friends and enemies.’ P. Knighton (retired)
‘Fascinating – gripping from start to finish.’ W. Stevenson (retired)
Buzzing!
River Foss Society
York, April 2010
‘Your show was quite beautiful … A rare combination of imagination and scientific accuracy and your audience was entranced.’
John Millett, Chairman, River Foss Society
Raucous Rhymes and Wonder Tales
York Literature Festival
York, 14 March 2009
‘Just wanted to say HOW much Celestine and I enjoyed last night. Thank goodness we decided to come!’
Janice Brown
‘We all [4 adults; 2 children] thought it was delightful! The way you’d planned it and performed together was great, really ‘professional’ but also warm and informal. A really nice atmosphere. The poem that stuck in David’s [age 12] mind and Katharine’s most was the neglected girl with the big sister “Hi-i, can’t talk now…” which we had in the car all the way home!’
Jenny Gwynne
Mad March Hares: Rhyme Time Ramble (for pre-school children)
York Literature Festival
West Bank Park, York, 5 March 2009
‘It was a great session – such a good idea to inject a bit of magic into nature like that, because it got them all going – Molly got really into it, and didn’t want to leave!’
Molly’s Mum
‘It was a truly wonderful morning! I loved watching them all staring up into the Very Tall Tree and really, really WONDERING what they would see from up there. Conor said to tell you his favourite thing was doing the ’We’re off into the woods’ rhyme walking round the flowerbed in a circle!’
Conor’s Mum
‘Busy Bees’ at INTECH Science Centre: Buzzing! performance
National Science & Engineering Week (Save Our Bees campaign)
Winchester, 7 March 2009
‘The feedback we had was excellent!’
Dan Richards, British Science Association (organiser of the event)
‘We really enjoyed your show. I hope that you will be able to do it again here some time.’
Angela Ryde-Weller, INTECH Science Centre and Planetarium
Oxford Playhouse: Buzzing! performance
20 February 2009
‘Anneliese Emmans Dean is a gifted poet, performer and communicator who deserves to be more widely known. Those children who were lucky enough to attend this performance will probably spend the following weekend writing poems, hunting bugs and amazing their friends with their new-found knowledge.’
Oxford Daily Info. Read complete review
‘Thank you for inspiring my children [aged 6 and 4] to take an excited and hands-on interest in the insect world under their noses. They both came back from the show bouncing with excitement and have been talking about it ever since.’
Helen Jezzard
U3A (University of the Third Age), Gardening Group
York, 18 November 2008
‘Fantastic – Brilliant – Entertaining and very knowledgeable’
Anne Ryder on Buzzing!
York Festival of the Rivers, Buzzing! performance
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York, 24 July 2008
‘A wonderfully entertaining hour for everyone from 6 to 106.’
Roma Oxford
‘Tonight’s performance was superb … I enjoyed every part of it.’
Barry Male
‘Funny and fascinating.’
Alan Suggett
‘I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your Buzzing show … it was both entertaining and educational.’
Andrew Hill
‘Brilliant production!
Sue Whittaker
‘Your poems are so creative and your photography is beautiful.’
Jill Malusky-Bacon
‘Marvellous. So different, talented, enthusiastic! We loved it!’
Iain & Rita Brand, Scotland
Ledbury Poetry Festival, Buzzing! performance
Ledbury, 13 July 2008
‘Every primary school in the UK should book this enjoyable show.’
Ledbury Reporter
‘Buzzing! put smiles on lots of faces and lots of happy children made friends with lots of garden creepy crawlies.’
Chloe Garner, Festival Director
National Insect Week Moth Night Buzzing!
York Cemetery
Wednesday 25 June 2008
‘Captivating!’
Paul Rhodes
‘Your performance was fantastic. The show was captivating and energetic. I shall never look at those poor bugs the same again. I’ve been enjoying my CD and your great characters – Thank You. A performance to recommend.’
Michelle Cooper
‘Wonderful show’
Chris Wood
‘Thanks – a really super show.’
Jackie Ashcroft
Rhyme Time Ramble
Toddler Group, West Bank Park, York
1 May 2008
‘We enjoyed the rhyme time ramble a lot. Anneliese is ‘fantastic’ and ‘great’ (Oliver’s mummy has never before seen him quite so utterly besotted with a person) … We are looking forward to the next time we can join Anneliese on an adventure.’
Read more from Oliver and Tabitha
‘Since the Rhyme Time Ramble I have since been thinking a lot about birds and asking my mum what kinds they are; it is very disappointing that she does not always know. She is very bad at looking at the right time. Ollie and Ed and Sam were the ones who helped Anneliese find most things on the Rhyme Time Ramble. … My baby brother Paddy still likes the Flubba Dubba Dubba rhyme best. My favourite is Charlie is an Earthworm, I know all the words.’
Read more from Conor
York Literature Festival 2008
LitFest LitFeast (for grown-ups only!) at Meltons Too restaurant
Sunday 9 March 2008
‘Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable, sociable, hedonistic and educational evening on Sunday! It really was a wonderful night out.’
Rowena Field
‘You were amazing last night. What a natural performer you are. I really enjoyed myself. The whole event was incredibly professional. Your poems were great fun. I love the way you play around with sounds of words.’
Gail Fox
‘I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your fabulous performance.’
Anne Hutchison
Ilkley Literature Festival
(Buzzing! with live music specially composed by John Rayson)
7 October 2007
‘Thank you for a truly fantastic performance (by everyone involved) at Ilkley yesterday. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done!
John Sykes
‘What wonderful entertainment, and I will not have been alone in going home and having a good look round my own garden. My friend Jill, who used to teach here, came with her grand-daughter and both were similarly enthralled.’
Margaret Longden, Boyle and Petyt Primary School, Beamsley
Rowntree Park, York
Photography workshop for all the family
13 June 2007
‘I found your tips really useful and you’ve certainly focussed the kids’ minds, as well as their cameras! My daughter took loads of snaps and is really into it now. She is asking for a digital camera with macro facility for her birthday, so you’ve got her hooked.’
Kate Lock, Friends of Rowntree Park
St Nicholas Fields Environment Centre
Buzzing! performance for a class from
Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School,
22 March 2007
‘Thank you so much for the brilliant performance. It was magnificent – Science and Art in an Hour! The children were totally engaged and totally inspired! It also inspired me as a teacher! Congratulations and many thanks – I will certainly tell others about your great show.’
Jonathan Green, Deputy Head, Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School
‘A brilliant way of celebrating the world of creepy crawlies and allowing children to engage with nature without the usual ‘urghs’ and ‘yucks’. I can highly recommend this as the class sat enraptured throughout.’
Keely Mellor, York Rotters Officer, St Nicholas Fields Environment Centre
York Literature Festival
Buzzing! performance, Rowntree Park, 11 March 2007
‘What a tour de force! Joyce Grenfell eat your heart out. You were brilliant.’
Verna Campbell, Retired Primary School Head Teacher
‘A great show … it brought a new dimension to traditional minibeast activities.’
Stephen Whittaker, Community Leisure Officer, Parks & Open Spaces, City of York Council
‘We really enjoyed the afternoon and even learned a lot too! You are truly entertaining and clearly a talented poet.’
Karen Bryant, Primary School Teacher (Key Stage 2)
‘It’s always good to get different people in to the Park, and I certainly enjoyed your performance. The children loved getting involved.’
Vicky Harland, Education Officer, Wild About York, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
‘The gig was great fun … Your obvious talent and passion for the subject is a winner for children – you can’t fake such things.’
Martine Dunn, Actor
York Residents 1st Weekend
Buzzing! performance, St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel,
27 January 2007
‘Many congratulations not only on a superb bravura performance last Saturday evening, but also on the originality and vastly entertaining quality of your poetry. I hope you realise what a stunning event you created and what pleasure it gave to those of us who were lucky enough to attend.’
David Sanderson
‘Thank you for such a refreshing fun original presentation last night. Creative and witty poetry, fine images, accomplished and expressively varied acting, well constructed with appropriate musical interludes. Could not do anything but come out of the chapel – happy!!! You deservedly have a winner.’
Rod and Anne Clark
‘A thorough and stimulating performance, brilliantly conceived, delivered and illustrated – what an actress you are Anneliese, you brought those creatures to life in a hugely entertaining way……looking forward to more.’
Anne Hutchison
‘A fantastic performance, which exceeded all expectations! Please keep me posted on future events.’
Wenke Geddert
‘It’s Buzzing – a winning combination of words, music and pictures; well-crafted poems full of humour and conveyed with panache and dramatic effect. A totally entertaining experience.’
Roger and Anne King
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