A lively evening of spoken word and stand-up created by Swindon people, for Swindon people. Bring your own drinks; we'll sort out the rest!
The Well Church - The Well Church, Abbey Meads, Swindon SN25 4YX
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- Swindon Wordsmiths
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Comedy and spoken wordPerformanceRegular event
Swindon Wordsmiths
Summary
Starts on 19/09/2026
Quarterly (every 3 months)
19:30 - 21:30
£8 in advance / £10 on the door
Suitable for: Adults (18+)Young people (13+)Couples
Swindon Wordsmiths is back with another evening of home-grown comedy and poetry!
Swindon Wordsmiths is an evening of spoken word poetry and comedy organised by Swindon people, for Swindon people.
You'll find us at The Well, a relaxed and friendly church space at the Abbey Meads village centre. Join us as we bring you more warm, witty and wonderous wordplay.
Follow @torncurtainco and @swindonwordsmiths on Insta to stay up to date with event info.
Line-up
Swindon Wordsmiths is hosted by local comedian, Abbie Hope.
Our resident poet, Rebecca Rocker, will be back to curate and perform the much-loved Audience Poem.
We're doing things a bit differently in September, closing the open mic to bring you a pro-show!
Our opener is Ben Dali. Ben Dali is a 21st Century Renaissance man who spent his formative years as a cruise ship gameshow host and stage hypnotist, before becoming a primary school teacher. Now he's a comedy-cabaret poet, sharing rhyming insights into his unusual skillset and eclectic experiences, and is performing his hyperbole-defying 'Humdinger Words' show at Edinburgh Fringe this summer.
Our middle-acts are Ken Rich and Craig Mcleod.
Originally from Bristol, now living in Hampshire, Ken Rich has always loved having fun with words and language. His topics include being a ‘Cereal Killer’, his infatuation with wordplay, the letter ‘O’, and the joys of visiting ‘Basingstoke’.
Craig Mcleod is an engaging and quick-witted new comedian with a fresh charisma and charm that is easy to listen to. A stand out from the 2026 Caerphilly comedy festival and finalist for the 2026 Bath New Act, Craig is making waves across both the Welsh and English comedy scenes.
Our headliner is musical stand-up comedian, David Hoare.
Described as "An annoyingly funny young man," by Gary Delaney, David won the 'Audience Favourite Award' at the Musical Comedy Awards in 2021. He's taking his show 'How to Live to 100' to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, then bringing his rude songs, stupid jokes and insightful expertise to Swindon Wordsmiths!
I mean... what's not to love?!
Key Information
- 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 (standard price) / £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.
The heart behind it...
Swindon Wordsmiths is a safe space for comedians, storytellers and poets to share their stories with humour and heart.
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.
"You don't get bored after 20 minutes."
audience member
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy refreshments?
No. We won't be selling food or drink but you can bring your own. We will provide the glasses. There is a Tesco Express at the Abbey Meads Village Centre.
Is this a church event?
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.
What kind of content can I expect?
We don't really know until people start talking! We do ask performers to keep material clean, where possible, as the venue is a church and children (13+) might be in the audience. We have a zero-tolerance policy for hate, discrimination and abuse. We ask all performers to provide trigger warnings.
Do poetry and comedy really go together?
We'll let you be the judge of that, but we obviously think so! We might have more tone shifts than the One Show but, whatever the style of storytelling, it's all about using words to create connections.
Can I do an open-mic performance?
Not at this one. We are trialling running Swindon Wordsmiths as a pro night. BUT you can grab one of 12 open-mic spots at our sister event, the Swindon Poetry Cafe, a monthly open-mic for poets and songwriters.
Swindon Wordsmiths
A lively evening of spoken word and stand-up created by Swindon people, for Swindon people. Bring your own drinks; we'll sort out the rest!
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