Interview with Heather Sullivan

Hello and Welcome back to the talk show studio, Poetry Lovers.

(Ecstatic applause from audience)

Yes, you should be excited as today our special guest is witty and prolific poet Heather Sullivan.

(Our esteemed guest glides on elegantly to a standing ovation)

Pleasure to be here.

I was born in Southeast London and still live there. I’ve been writing poetry for years probably since I was about 7.

I always had a wicked sense of humour and used to get into trouble at school a lot for not concentrating and messing around far too much! 

I worked in the Cloakroom at the Marquee club in Wardour Street in the late 70’s, meeting lots of soon-to-be famous people who in those days were starting out, such as the Jam, the Police, David Bowie, Sex Pistols and AC/DC. 

We used to get lots of backstage passes from the record company execs which was great fun for places like Hammersmith Odeon and then going to school the next day.

I worked at Goldsmiths College in the 80’s and used to hang out with all the students and go to all the social events. My sister Nicky and I did a double act called Office Girls Go Crazy and we got quite a few gigs at Goldsmiths doing silly poetry and we supported John Cooper Clarke and the Flying Pickets. 

I also did some solo gigs and went to the local pub the New Cross Tavern where there was a variety night put on by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, who were not very well known at that time. The first time I did a spot, Vic Reeves introduced me as ‘a lovely lady who is going to sing to you all!’  Little did he know! 

I also used to perform at the infamous Tunnel Club in Greenwich SE10 doing the Open Mic spots every Sunday as you got in for free. I shared the stage with people like Jenny Éclair, Jo Brand, Rory Bremner and Harry Enfield who were all starting out in comedy at the time.

It was a very rough crowd who thought nothing of throwing bottles and chairs at you and was run by the late Malcolm Hardee, the comedy genius of Greenwich, who along with 2 friends did the naked Balloon Dance.

As well as loving comedy, I also used to love Pam Ayres when I was younger and started writing a lot of comedy poems which had a bit of a smuttiness about them and always went down well with audiences. 

I did my own show at the Edinburgh Festival around 2002 for 3 days which was great fun. I went to see the American comedian Emo Phillips at the Pleasance with Nicky while we were there and I was wearing a t-shirt with a rude picture advertising my show.

As we were in the front row, he picked on me and we had great banter, ending up with him saying he was tired and invited me onto the stage to do 5 minutes while he sat in my seat and had a break!  

That was an amazing experience doing some comedy poetry in front of about 500+ people and Emo was laughing his head off. 

In the late 90’s I was working at the Royal Army Medical College in Pimlico and a stray cat I was feeding turned out to be the missing Downing Street cat called Humphrey while John Major was Prime Minister. 

I got invited onto L!ve TV cable television who had seen me on BBC1 and ITV news and I was interviewed about finding Humphrey.

While at the front desk I saw an advert for Stand-Up L!ve, their live comedy show looking for comedians so of course I took the number, called them and did my first live tv gig in front of an audience and they kept inviting me back as the comedy poetry got them all laughing!

Since then, I have done lots of poetry gigs all over London, Edinburgh, Brighton, Dublin and some of them at comedy clubs.

My mum who sadly passed away last year used to go to a creative writing class and always used to nag me to write serious poetry and not smutty, silly poems.

On the odd occasion I ran a new poem by her, she would say get me a pen and would start editing them!

Pam Ayres, Spike Milligan and John Hegley.

Yes, I am working on a book which is in its final stages and called ‘Stop Looking at my ……!’   named after one of my poems.

After doing the afternoon and late-night open mics at the Morecambe Poetry Festival last year with 3 other friends (Heather Moulson, Sharron Green and Anna Somerset), we have been offered our own show there this year which we are really looking forward to.

 

Probably the best gig was entering a Hammer and Tongue poetry slam at Edinburgh Festival a few years back and competing against lots of serious poets and I got the highest scores and won and went forward to the finals at the Royal Albert Hall.

I think it was an open mic comedy and music night a few years ago in Greenwich where the audience were not listening to any of the acts and just talking all the way through.

When I went to the loo afterwards there was the most enormous steaming puddle of vomit by the one loo, so I had to drive home crossing my legs!

2025

So far this year I have done a few longer spots of 10 – 15+ minutes which has been great as when you just do a short spot of 5 minutes its not really long enough.

Looking forward to getting my book published as lots of people ask me if I have a book as they would love to buy it.

I have now, Heather. I’ve got to find Max and prise him away from Dobby! See you at Morecambe!

(Our esteemed guest runs up the lighted stairs calling for Max)

They won’t have got far.

Wasn’t Heather Sullivan a fascinating guest?! And what a background! (Audience cheer)

As the lovely poet says, we have our own solo features at Morecambe Poetry Festival in September. This is us with Lemn Sissay last year at Lancaster station.

Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..