Under the pen name Satori, Adelaide poet Charlie Brooks presents a show under the same name. A performance which blends hip hop, contemporary poetry and classic literature, Satori is uniquely styled, Shakespearean in acting, and reminiscent of modern slam poetry.

The Bibliotecha Bar is a great venue for Satori. It’s intimate, decorated with walls lined with books, and simply nice to look at. It was quite atmospheric to be sitting in a comfortable wooden chair in a dim but warmly lit room, shelves of books around me, as Satori performed his own version of poetry. The start of the show was perhaps a little too slow, the initial few minutes appearing drawn out. However, after a sluggish start, Satori began to build upon his storytelling. His energy, once fully formed, engaged the audience wholeheartedly.

The first section of the show somewhat reminded me of Viking poetry. The actual subject matter of nature and whimsy were nothing close to the Vikings’ tales of battle and war, however something about the way it was written and performed was very reminiscent of the Nordic style. This was sprinkled with classic literature references and quotes, giving the whole piece an eclectic feel.

The second section of the show was filled with more traditional slam poetry. While I enjoyed both parts of the show, I definitely favoured the theatrical flair of the first, being more structured and story based. The second half, in which Satori delved into poems from his past – while still entertaining – didn’t have the same element of theatre.

During his performance, Satori melded his voice to fit the poetry as he said it, switching accents and inflections to reflect the meaning of the words. He flowed between different ‘characters’, speaking and acting differently to illustrate differences between stanzas, adding an extra element of narrative to the show.

Overall, Satori is a well-crafted, unique style of poetry, and once brought to life by Charlie Brooks’ alter ego, becomes a show worth seeing. Satori will make you smile, reflect, empathise, and think on your own choices.