Poignant Simon Armitage poem takes centre stage on Southsea seafront

The work, titled The Theatre of the Sea, now forms part of the Southsea Coastal Scheme, a Portsmouth City Council project that aims to blend engineering with public art.

The poem takes its name from the multi-tiered promenade itself, which wraps around the historic castle and offers sweeping views of the Solent. It was unveiled as part of Portsmouth’s Year of Literature and Literacy 2025.

Mr Armitage, who studied at Portsmouth Polytechnic – now the University of Portsmouth – described the project as a personal return. He said: “It’s four decades since I graduated from Portsmouth as a geography student; a lot has changed in that time and I see it now with the eyes of a poet.

“Being invited to write a poem that will become part of its new geography has been a great honour and a wonderful kind of reunion.”

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said the city was “honoured” to have a work written especially for Portsmouth. He called the poem “something really special” and said it helped “celebrate local themes and stories.”

“This is one of an exciting programme of public art projects,” he added, promising that local artists would also have “lots of opportunities.”

The poem is just one element of a wider series of public art initiatives under way along the seafront.

Recently two local artists Mari de la O Garrido and Olana Light were selected to have their work displayed in The Windbreaks art gallery near Speaker’s Corner.

The outdoor gallery offers local artists the opportunity to have work displayed temporarily for four months as part of the council’s seafront arts programme.

The Theatre of the Sea, Simon Armitage

The performance is never the same one day

to the next. A cruise ship enters stage left

or a gull swoops down and steals the scene;

what song the weather will sing is anyone’s guess.

The moon’s reflection understudies the full moon,

then at noon the sun delivers its big speech,

costumed in flowing robes, and still gets outshone

by the extras and bit parts of yachts and clouds.

Beyond the orchestra pit of the sea wall

the hovercraft sashays in for its curtain call.

But maybe you’re the real star of the show,

playing your true self, watched from a balcony sky,

lit by the footlights of coast and shore.

You stand to leave and the waves rise to applaud.