On 31 October we celebrate the birthday of John Keats with a unique performance by John Hegley, former poet in residence at Keats House.

John Keats, the Cat and the Kennel is a playful, poignant and surprising show that honours Keats’s enduring poetry and personality.

Before dedicating himself to verse, Keats trained at Guy’s Hospital as an apothecary and surgeon and his medical background threads through this celebration. Hegley mixes Keats’s eccentric side with tales from his own family life, accompanied by elephants, myths, discos, daleks, community singing and the search for self-worth. The result is an evening of laughter and reflection, blending medicine, poetry and performance.

About John Hegley

John Hegley is an English performance poet, comedian, radio broadcaster, musician and songwriter. He has a reputation for wry and surreal humour, mostly performance-oriented or designed for younger audiences, and often sung or accompanied by music he himself plays