Review: Pam Ayres Vermin - a thought-provoking show on topical issues

The poet, who rose to fame with comedy poetry on Opportunity Knocks, is on tour with her new show Vermin.

It's based on her book Who Are You Calling Vermin, and she appeared at Basingstoke's The Anvil on Monday, November 18.

The show, which first premiered in August 2024, features poems from the book set to music by George Fenton.

It is described as a "light-hearted exploration of tension in the countryside," however, Pam has a few things she'd like to say - and have heard. 

Pam's no stranger to difficult topics; she's been a writer, broadcaster, and entertainer for over 40 years, and she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to literature and entertainment in 2004.

Pam Ayres on stage (Image: Kimberley Barber)

The show races through issues such as the loss of wildlife, climate change, second homeowners, and the conflict between humans and animals.

Yes there are funny moments, we hear from a grey squirrel who sings with a grey feather boa and one very cool rapping fox, and also some shot-gun toting toffs, but the show is largely a thought-provoking take on topical issues. 

It touches on the way farmers are treated, the way fisherman are pushed out of their villages by second-home owners, fox hunting, pollution and much more. 

Probably most topical around here is Pam's take on the water companies - and I am sure some of the villages around Hampshire will already know the lyrics to her song Shitcreek River only too well. 

The show is performed by a cast of west-end singers, including Ian Bartholomew, Natalie Dunne, Stephenson Ardern-Sodje, and George Fenton, with a live band, who sing their way through the difficult topics with professionalism and style, directed by Loveday Ingram.

If you've come looking for Pam's silliness, then bar for a few jokes about her ex-boyfriend, you might be disappointed. This show is not just about entertainment; it's more of a call to arms.

It's a rallying cry that we all need to wake up and do more about important issues affecting the countryside. It makes for a different, but enjoyable and motivating, night out.