The Party That’s Never Won: The Party Conference

Episode 3: Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The clock at the front of hall beat out a slow steady tattoo. This was the last day of the United Liberation Party (ULP) conference and the place was still rammed to bursting point. For the moment, throngs of the converted were taking a moment of well-earned rest from all that cheering. The naysayers’ tongues were momentarily silenced. And even the fingers of the press were briefly still. The event had been quite a coup.  In fact, everyone – those who loved the party and those who loathed it – had remained equally on tenterhooks as each fresh nugget of common sense bounced round the room. … [Read more...]

Song: Don’t be Snooty with the Kenyans

If there is one thing guaranteed to rile our Stella it is the patronising British attitude to the ‘Africans’. “Africa is a continent… not a bloody country!” she begins to wail to ultra-middle-class golf club types up who momentarily glance at their shoes before going back to bragging and brandishing upon the fine exploits of young, trainee doctor, Tarquin. “It is not just a holiday park for your grown up kids to go bungee jumping while pretending to build hospitals…!” she rushes on, two feet firmly planted on the floor and hands on hips. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to discover that one has caused quite a lot of offense in the past. Absolutely the world is Tarquin’s playground? But never deterred she always continues: “The colonial age was supposed to have died decades ago…” Eventually she got so incensed by the whole obnoxious attitude she decided to write a song in praise of Kenyan tech innovation.  She even took her inspiration from Mr Colonial himself, Noel Coward. … [Read more...]

Song: Protest Singer by Stella & the Wailers

We first met Stella at a very, very dull event a few years ago. She was carrying a guitar and looking as bored as we were, so we pounced over for a chat. Within a few minutes she was belting out a tongue-in-cheek explanation of what she did, and she’s been our go to singer of amusing songs ever since. Most of the time she’s trying to put a serious point across... But sometimes, she just enjoys being silly.   Protest Singer by Stella & the Wailers Music credit: Elkie Brooks Protest Singer you’ll stand up when I play, it’s demanded On the front line Protest singer I write songs that poke fun at the bigots My job is shining light on them Causing lots of grand mayhem On the front line Protest singer Standing up for the weak and the weary On the front line Protest singer I sing songs about the bent and the bloated “We’ll bloody sue you!” they bellow But I tell them where to go On the front line … [Read more...]

Song: Keep the Searchlight Shining

For the 50th Anniversary of Searchlight Magazine, we collaborated with our go-to singer, Stella, to commemorate the occasion. Whilst its first public performance wasn’t exactly a success (we forgot to bring Stella with us. Seriously. This is not a joke), the song’s an absolute belter.   Keep the Searchlight Shining Music credit: Ivor Novello It was May 1964 And the country was distracted By revving bikes and beardy types; and How mainstream press reacted But a current bubbled under Of 'wogs' V. pure whitey blood By the time Enoch made his speech We'd spent four years exposing crud   Keep the Searchlight Shining 50 years headlining A hunt revealing the far right In your home town Angry hatred's creeping But our beams are sweeping We seek world news and bring you proof Pens wear bullies down   … [Read more...]

Mark Farrelly Interview: Writer, Actor, Performer

We saw Mark Farrelly’s solo depiction of Patrick Hamilton in Silence of Snow, at the Old Red Lion theatre pub in north London, back in October and were hugely impressed. Few people would be able to write this piece, let alone perform it… and he managed both. And perhaps more laudable still, he even ran another one-man show, based on the life of Quentin Crisp, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, simultaneously. Searchlight Magazine Arts catches up with Mark Farrelly to discover his views on literature and the arts… and find why he loves those long dead underdogs so much. We missed Naked Hope, unfortunately, but you appeared to be running this and Silence of Snow – both intense one-man shows – fairly concurrently. How did you find this, especially as you’d never done a solo show before? … [Read more...]

Spoz Interview: Brummie Poet Laureate

Giovanni Esposito, more commonly known as Spoz, is much more down to earth than any preconceived image of a ‘poet’ you might have. Dressed in a vest and jeans and sporting a dark Mohican, he is an extremely friendly chap with a ready Brummie wit and constant stream of chatty opinion. This is partly because Spoz is a normal bloke, not some lofty artist. Back in 1980, aged 16, he started work at the Longbridge car plant in Northfields, south Birmingham; only when it closed down, in 2005, did he have a proper bash at what he really loved doing: making music and writing poetry. … [Read more...]

David Edgar Interview: The Arts & the Left

It’s around 5.30pm, the rest of the conference crowd has disappeared off to dinner and we’re sitting in a brightly lit common room with playwright David Edgar. We’ve come up to Northampton University for the 50th anniversary conference of Searchlight Magazine, the anti-fascist, anti-racist publication that Edgar first wrote for back in the 70s. The Birmingham born writer has just delivered his extremely cogent speech to a feisty bunch of academics, activists and entertainers and has been gracious enough to let us pounce on him for a quick chat. Having spent the last 40 years seamlessly straddling the balance between the arts and left wing political activism, we’re particularly interested in his take on the close relationship between the two. “When I started out in the theatre, which was a very lively exciting time: end of the 60s, early 70s, Vietnam war raging, battles between the unions and the Edward Heath Conservative government, the lights going out, three day week, all of … [Read more...]

Gerry Gable Interview: Meet The Searchlight Spymaster

On 17th May 1959 a 32-year old Antiguan carpenter, Kelso Cochrane, was making his way from Paddington General Hospital to his home in Notting Hill following a minor work accident. It was past midnight and when he hit the junction of Southam Street and Goldborne Road, he found himself surrounded by a group of white youths. This was an unprovoked attack which left him knifed to death, and like Stephen Lawrence, this event soon became synonymous with ongoing race relations in Britain. In the 55 years since his murder, the battlegrounds of racism, fascism and extremism have been in a constant state of flux. And during this time, one man and his organisation have consistently been on the front line of all of them. Today we’ve come to one of his many secret meeting places in central London for a rare interview. … [Read more...]

Geoffrey Seed Interview: Fact Becomes Fiction

“‘The common currency of both our professions is information. You want information. We want information. I can get you this, but I want the following things…’ what he wanted was information about my colleagues at Granada [TV].” It is a blistering hot day and we’re sitting in the café at the lofty Old Station House in Welshpool, sipping refreshing beverages whilst investigative journalist, turned novelist, Geoffrey Seed describes a life changing chat he had with a Special Branch officer back in the mid-1970s. Seed had been out drinking and getting close with his new Special Branch contact for a few weeks before the policeman finally asked Seed to spy on his workmates. “I was deeply, deeply, deeply offended by this,” says Seed with some feeling. “I felt dirty at this approach. I was deeply offended that anyone would think I’d do that sort of stuff. I walked out of that meeting… and I never saw the guy again.” … [Read more...]

Greg Goode’s Political Diaries: The Rise of the Bee

The Outlandish World of Greg Goode Part VIX Rising plucky from our seats before the gathered throng We addressed the noble 56 who governed true and strong Mike articulated gamely, his speech was just sublime The Leader of the Council barked, “Now is not the time.” “I questioned you in writing, please let me have the floor…” Before Mike Franks could finish, we were marched right out the door “Do not be disheartened,” the beeman grinned at me “For this bunch have got nothing on my darling old MP.” So we hit the office of the local Tory blue And although she nodded sweetly, the Member had no clue Mike appealed with feeling: “You can’t allow this crime.” “My bees are in grave danger from this fracking pantomime…” “I’m sorry,” said the lady, “But we’ve run right out of time.” “Told you so,” said Mr Franks, “Nobody’s for the bee.” “Come come,” I ventured, “That’s not true, they’ve got you and me.” “And more than that I’ll wager,” I said, warming to my theme “This is … [Read more...]