Michael Howard and Michael Gray are two local poets who are used to doing the rounds at local open mic nights. Teaming up for this Fringe festival show, they sit nonchalantly at the far end of the Cavern Club as a packed opening night crowd crams in. Clearly there is some buzz around these two young performers and my expectations rise as a result. 

Introducing themselves with a two-voice poem, the young Wellingtonians take it in turns to deliver their carefully crafted works, commanding their audience with some hilarious opening poems about quirky loves in their life, before moving on to a range of topics. These include things they are scared of, things they are good at and rap battles against themselves.

It is a neatly structured and well-paced hour in which the two poets never attempt to outshine each other. The camaraderie and friendship between the two Michael’s is evident in the support they provide each other, laughing at one another’s poems (despite the fact they’ve probably heard them all a thousand times before), and passing the baton back and forth with no hint of any egotism.

Whilst writing witty poems is half the battle, in a live performance the delivery becomes all important. Luckily their experience of the open mic circuits stands them in good stead. Both Michaels evoke vivid imagery with their myriad rhyme schemes and metaphors. Be it a love letter to socks or a poem about why you shouldn’t date a poet, Howard and Gray have a mastery of their art which makes the time fly by.

They are practically flawless for the whole night, only having to pause and resume their poems on two occasions. On occasion the rhymes and puns scrape the barrel and attract groans from the audience. Thankfully these moments are rare missteps.

On the whole, the show is a pun lover’s paradise. Self-deprecating, charming and understated, these are two poets to keep an eye on in the future. The two Michael’s complement each other so well that I can only hope this is the first of many shows they do together.  

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