Poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay explores the idea of uniqueness across different areas of his life, looking at situations where he stood out, alone, and examining how that felt.

The Only Poet on the Bill – This week, he’s the only poet on the bill, reflecting on his formative experiences on the Manchester cabaret/variety/comedy circuit of the 1980s, where he played alongside comedians like Steve Coogan, John Thompson and Caroline Aherne, and musicians like Johnny Dangerously and Claire Mooney.

The Only Non-Graduate at the Graduation – This week, he’s the only non-graduate at the graduation, reflecting on his experience of being Chancellor of the University of Manchester – the person who gives out the degrees – despite never having been through higher education himself, via a mix of poetry and stand-up. He talks about the importance of education, the power of suggestion, and he speaks to the Lord Mayor of Manchester Donna Ludford about how she felt walking into the council chambers for the first time, having become a councillor despite not having been to university. Lemn is also joined by Henry Normal, who interrupts at various points to ask Lemn questions about the show.

The Only Black Man in the Village – This week, he’s the only Black man in the village, drawing upon his experience of growing up in an all-white town. Through a mixture of poetry and stand-up, he talks about how it felt to be stared at and treated differently, as well as how things changed when he moved to Manchester and wasn’t the only Black man in town. He speaks to Oscar-nominated writer/director Cornelius Walker, who documented his childhood move from south-east London to Essex in his short film Black Sheep. Lemn is also joined by Henry Normal, who interrupts at will to ask Lemn questions about the show.

The Only Foster Child in the House – This week, he’s the only foster child in the house, drawing upon his experience of growing up in care as well as his lifetime of advocacy for care leavers. Lemn talks about how how isolated and alone care leavers can feel, and why it matters to make them feel included. He speaks to Terry Galloway, about how his horrific experiences in care led to him travelling the country, getting councils to put more thought into how care leavers are treated. Lemn is also joined by Henry Normal, who interrupts at will to ask Lemn questions about the show.

In Lemn Sissay Is The One And Only, the poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay explores the idea of uniqueness across four different areas of his life, looking at situations where he stood out, alone, and examining how that uniqueness felt.

Starting the show in his dressing room, he walks the listening audience onstage to give them a sense of what it’s like to be him, before delivering a mixture of poetry and stand-up on the theme of uniqueness. He speaks to fellow poet Tony Walsh about what it was like to be the only poet at the vigil for the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. Lemn is also joined by Henry Normal, who interrupts at various points to ask Lemn questions about the show.