Tales I tell

Tales to laugh at …
Tales to wonder at …
Tales to make your blood run cold …

The stories I tell are very varied: trickster tales, fairy tales, wonder tales and jokes.
They reflect the full range of human experience: the comic, the bawdy, the profound, the divine.
They are all traditional, and are drawn not only from Britain but many other lands.                                                                                               .

A typical theatre performance will have eight to ten stories. They are chosen firstly for their ability to grasp an audience, and secondly to create a wide range of atmosphere within the programme. Above all, a performance is part of the ancient culture of the storyteller, the weaver of fantasy, the spell-binder.

 

Since most of my audience are not native speakers, the first time many of them come to a performance they naturally wonder whether their English will be good enough. But within a few minutes they find the age-old power of the storyteller has taken them into a world of imagination in which they understand far more than they thought possible.

With over 300 folk tales, and my repertoire constantly expanding, the programme of stories is always changing. So if you have been to a performance before you will hear new stories – although if you are lucky you may perhaps hear one or two old favourites again.

Far from being for little children (although I do tell for children, too), these powerful and deep tales offer unforgettable listening for adults.

Go here for tales to watch

Go here for a list of all tales included on this site

Go here to receive an e-mail notification when new tales are added

Permission to tell outlines my views on copyright

For those who are teachers: Telling stories in the classroom: basing language teaching on storytelling