Flloyd Kennedy

Biography

Australian-born Liverpool-based actress, performance poet, singer-songwriter, director and voice/speech/accent coach, took part in the British folk revival in the late 60s, performed street theatre, cabaret and fringe theatre in Scotland throughout the 1980s and 90s, returned to Australia where she undertook research into the performing voice (specifically Shakespeare) for her doctorate. She has performed, directed, and taught voice and acting skills at colleges and universities in the UK, US and Australia. Now resident in Liverpool, UK, Flloyd performs her songs and poems at open mics in and around Liverpool, tours her one-person plays around the world and provides coaching for student and professional actors, private individuals and community and corporate groups through her private studio Being in Voice. She is artistic director of Thunder’s Mouth Theatre (theatre of poetry, passion and philosophy), a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechworks, and is an Associate Artist with ISAAC (International School for Acting And Clown).

Samples

On writing poetry I love a structure So much better than a rupture. It’s divine when there is time To tinker with a rhyme; And to know that it’s ok To be imperfect, miss the boat By a whisker, ‘coz to play Is more important than the mote In the eye of the beholder. Stepping out and being bolder Than you were before - That’s what the game is for. Structure keeps you safe while being brave - And gives you the right to misbehave. Hey everybody, what’s it like? Running up that hill of life Tumbling over tufts of lichen Finding it’s ok to stumble Fall and rise to fall again. Doesn’t matter that you bumble Straying off the path you chose, All the proud and all the humble Rich or poor, weak or strong, There is only one direction And it’s neither right nor wrong Life’s an uphill journey for as long As you can keep on going Striving with every fibre of your being To reach the top, and then you can stop. Except… You never know you’ve reached the top, Not until you’ve past it You never know you’ve gained a skill, Not until you’ve mastered it You do not value what you’ve got, Unless you’re willing to cast it Over your shoulder, Where someone else can grasp it. Hey! it’s all a game of tag A tug of war with all the new stuff Some for you, but what’s for me? Can I be the thing I want to be? Wrong Question! Can I make a go of being the thing I want to be? Better… If you’re anything like me, You always knew the answer But didn’t dare to put it to the test. If I couldn’t be the best, I wouldn’t even chance it. So I’d dance around it, Thinking I was different, But in fact I were just like all the rest – Maybe a better liar - Playing safe, and settling for less. Oh how depressing... I confess, I have thought those thoughts from time to time. And probably will again. But I don’t think they define me, or my life, which has definitely had its moments. And now, on with the show.

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.