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In 1992 I sat within spitting distance of Fiona Shaw as Electra in Deborah Warner'sÌýstunning production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The setting was the Templemore Sports ComplexÌýinÌýDerry, the five a sideÌýfootball and badminton courts opened up for whatÌýwas one of the most important plays to be seen in Northern Ireland. It was part of the year long festival IMPACT 92 and Sean Doran, the festival director, had bravely booked Electra, with Shaw playing it in her Irish accent,Ìýto sell out crowds.ÌýPeople were in tears after it finished, unable to leave their seats, theÌýpower punch of Shaw's performance and the raw emotion still pulsating through the air after the cast had left theÌýstage.

Last week I was within spitting distance of Fiona ShawÌýagain as she was in Derry at the invitation of the pioneering to promoteÌýlove poetry for another collaboration with Warner, (check out a video fronted by Fiona here). White Park Bay in County Antrim, and Mussenden Temple in Downhill Demesne, near Coleraine, have been selected to be a part of the event.

It's incredible to watch her recite poetry, from memory. Her take on an extract from Ted Hughes' Ovid was mind blowing. Earlier in the day, I sat in on an imprompt mini masterclass, in which she dissected almost every word of a poem being read to her and promptly brought new meaning and clarity (and a tear to my eye) with each word. To hear her recite poetry is to fall in love withÌýit. Fans of True Blood don't know what they are missing by not hearing her real passion.

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