Swindon Wordsmiths - Poetry and Comedy Night - Feb 2026

Swindon Wordsmiths is an evening of spoken word poetry and comedy organised by Swindon people, for Swindon people. Join us for a special pro-edition, in partnership with the Festival of Tomorrow, showcasing three of the best word nerds and stand-up swots we know!

You'll find us at The Well, a relaxed and friendly church space at the Abbey Meads village centre. Come join us for a night of brainy spoken word poetry and stand-up comedy.

Follow @torncurtainco and @swindonwordsmiths on Insta to stay up to date with event info.

Please note: there will be no open-mic at this one, but local poets can share their stuff at the Swindon Poetry Café February open-mic night instead.

Swindon Wordsmiths is hosted by local comedian, Abbie Doyle (@abbie_doyle86).

We'll have three professional headline sets from:

Iszi Lawrence (@iszi_lawrence) is a writer, comedian, podcaster and History presenter. Credits include Apple TV+’s Lost Women Spies, National Geographic's Pirates: Behind the Legends, Sky History U-boat: Wargamers, Netflix The Lost Pirate Kingdom, Presenter of The Forum (BBC World Service), co-host of BBC Radio 4’s flag ship show, Making History with Tom Holland, Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveny (BBC R4), The British Museum Membercast and popular science podcast Terrible Lizards with Dr Dave Hone. She has just launched Talk Like An Egyptian podcast with Dr Chris Naunton.

Dan Simpson (@dansimpsonwords) is a poet and spoken word artist. His work explores science and culture, history and place, personal experience, and the intersections of people and poetry. He has performed globally: from Glastonbury Festival to Chicago’s Uptown Poetry Slam, Sofar Sounds Auckland, on the BBC - and has taken multiple shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. He has been poet-in-residence at Glastonbury Festival, Imperial College London, National Trust Stowe, the National Memorial Arboretum, St Albans Cathedral, and Waterloo Train Station. He is also a creative facilitor and educator.

Andy Kind (@andy.kind) is a comedian, preacher and writer described by The Scotsman as ‘Terrific’ and by the Yorkshire Times as ‘Tossing out comic gems in an almost profligate manner’. Andy’s stand-up style is the joyful ranting of a redeemed alpha male. He has been featured on BBC1, ITV and Channel 4, while he’s had jokes featured on Dave’s One Night Stand and Live at the Apollo.

Our resident poet, Rebecca Rocker (@rebeccarockerwrites), will be back to curate and perform the much-loved Audience Poem.

• Doors open at 7pm, for a 7.30 pm start.
• Parking: free car park at The Well, or in side streets.
• Tickets: £6 (Early Bird discount) / £8 (from 21.01.26) / £10 on the door (cash and card accepted)
• Drinks: bring your own. We will provide the glasses. There is a Tesco Express at the Abbey Meads Village Centre.

Swindon Wordsmiths is a safe space for comedians, storytellers and poets to share their stories with humour and heart.

Many of the organising team are Christians, with a passion for encouraging creativity and conversation in the local community. The venue is a church, but Swindon Wordsmiths welcomes any/all expressions of faith.

We want to:

• Create a supportive environment for creativity and connection.
• Be a non-judgmental place to share stories and spark conversation.
• Give people a great night out, offering an alternative to the narrative that Swindon is ‘one of the worst places to live in the UK'!
• Showcase comedy/poetry that is engaging, entertaining and accessible.
• Celebrate ordinary people and their extraordinary stories.
• Platform voices that uplift, inspire, encourage and challenge with care.

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Host or Publisher Torn Curtain