John Cooper Clarke, Bard of Salford praised by Paul McCartney, to perform at King’s Lynn Guildhall Arts Centre connected with Shakespeare

Fittingly for a venue that boasts a Shakespearean connection, The Bard of Salford will be performing at Lynn’s Guildhall Arts Centre on May 17.

Poetry phenomenon John Cooper Clarke is back on his ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ spring 2023 UK tour. William Shakespeare himself was supposed to have performed at the Guildhall, Britain’s oldest working theatre.

The 'Poet Laureate of Punk', rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator… John Cooper Clarke’s poetry show will be a breath-taking showcase of spoken word and comedy.

Sir Paul McCartney called the Mancunian "…One of Britain’s outstanding poets.”

Cooper Clarke will also be heading across the pond for a tour of North America in the autumn with dates soon to be announced.

As one of Britain’s most beloved and influential writers and performers, John will take fans on a completely one-of-a-kind journey through poetry from classic numbers including Chickentown and Beasley Street to brand new material.

All of this is interspersed with his usual musings, off the wall chat, riffs, gags and wicked humour.

After a sell-out 2022 including a major UK solo tour, as well as appearing as special guest to Squeeze right across the country, John Cooper Clarke is back for an even bigger year in 2023.

The Bard of Salford will be taking to the stage and bringing poetry to the people once more.

John’s poetry is loved the world over and no contemporary poet has managed to bring spoken word to the people like John Cooper Clarke.

As John often says, his poems are meant to be read out loud and this show is a joyful chance to hear his legendary work performed by the man himself, alongside brand new material fresh out of the mind of ‘JCC’.

And, of course, there’ll be plenty of laughs along the way.

John’s latest show is a chance to see a genuine living legend, at the top of his game.

His ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ acclaimed autobiography was released in the UK in 2021 by Picador.

The book explores his extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities: from Nico to Chuck Berry; Bernard Manning to Linton Kwesi Johnson; Elvis Costello to Gregory Corso; Mark E. Smith to Gil Scott Heron and Joe Strummer and on to more recent fans and collaborators like Alex Turner, Plan B and Guy Garvey.

It is interspersed with stories of his rock and roll and performing career.

Tickets are on sale now and available from www.gigsandtours.com; www.ticketmaster.co.uk; www.johncooperclarke.com.