Next Friday’s Spotlight Club at the Storey Auditorium is shaping up to be a heady mix of poetry, comic verse and great music, with top Lancaster musician Mollie Baxter leading her new band as part of a great line up.

After the Open Mic session – anything can happen in that half hour as new and established performers try out their work on the audience – Spotlight fans can settle down to poetry from Kim Moore, Gary Smillie and Ron Baker, comic verse from Iain Colley and comedy from Reginald Winters.

Kim Moore was a runner up in the Mslexia 2009 Poetry Competition and has had work accepted in Poetry Review, The Frogmore Papers, Iota and Staple. She’s a member of ‘A Poem and A Pint’ who organise poetry readings in Barrow and writes, usually in the car, in between teaching at different schools, which has the added effect of making her value the time she gets to write.  

Liverpool poet Gary Smillie, who also dabbles in short stories, last  appeared at Spotlight in April 2008 and returns this month with a selection of  recent poetrloosley linked  by themes of love  and travel.

Stepping out from  behind the sound  desk to make a rare appearance in  front of the mic,  Spotlight co-founder Ron Baker will be  reading from his  current work in  progress – a  collection of poems  based on his early childhood.

Iain Colley makes a welcome return to the Spotlight. Iain has been contributing  stories, poems and articles to magazines  and newspapers for many years and has a  string of competition successes to his  name – including winning the prestigious London Review of Books ‘Poet of The Year’  competition in 2002. An accomplished  performer of his work, Iain will be  performing a selection of new comic verse.

Comedian Reginald Winters describes himself as “an upstanding member of the community.

“I used to be a teacher but was asked to leave,” he says. “I play guitar and provide guitar lessons, as well as playing concerts around the north west of England. I also take an active role within my local neighborhood watch scheme and like to go UFO hunting.” Sounds intriguing!

The night rounds off with The Moll Baxter Band, voted ‘Best Live Act’ by the Lunecy Review back in the New Year. The Moll Baxter Band tells tales about skeletons and highwaymen, nanny-goats and harridans, whisky wine and song. Expect folk-blues, Americana and a few bubbles of pop!

• Compered by John Freeman, Spotlight is on Friday 16th July at The Storey Auditorium, Meeting House Lane,  Lancaster. Doors will be open from 8.00 pm.  Admission £4 / £2 (conc.) Open Mic 8.15 – 8.45 pm. More info: www.spotlightlancaster.co.uk or email: spotlightclub@btinternet.com if you are interested in grabbing an Open Mic slot