Arts Derbyshire

21.05.2026

Comedy Poet Brings Unusual Mix

This July sees a quirky addition to the Buxton Festival Fringe programme as writer and performer, Stewart Taylor, mixes poetry, clowning and song in presenting Virtually There at Underground at Spring Gardens.

The show represents the first Buxton outing for the show following a successful performance at the Lambeth Fringe. It follows a hapless presenter as he is drawn into a virtual reality game with no means of escape. The harder he tries, the worse it gets! The show will be of interest to a Fringe audience who like their comedy with content, exploring themes of self-image and the realities of ageing.

‘It’s a show conceived in Lockdown, when so much communication happened through a screen. Ultimately, it emphasises the importance of genuine human contact’ says Stewart, whose previous show Spillage received a five star review at the Brighton Fringe in 2020. (‘Taylor is a fabulous physical performer’ Simon Topping, Reviews Hub.)

In bringing the show to production, Stewart draws on fifteen years entertaining audiences as a Spoken Word artist and a background as an actor in Children’s Theatre and Theatre-in-Education. He has performed as a headline or feature artist at Spoken Word poetry events across the South and at festivals including Victorious and WOMAD.

Virtually There was previously presented at The ARC, Winchester, prompting reviewer Anita Foxall to write ‘He captivates audiences effortlessly and the text exudes both lyricism and talent’ (in-common.co.uk).

Tickets for Virtually There are £10 and available through Underground at underthefringe.com

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