Tales to laugh at, tales to wonder at
The stories Richard Martin tells are the folk tales which have been told for hundreds, indeed thousands, of years. With over 300 stories in his repertoire, they reflect the full range of human experience: the comic, the bawdy, the profound, the divine.
Far from being for little children (although he has many stories for children, too), these deep and powerful tales offer unforgettable listening for adults.
If you like theatre, you’ll definitely love storytelling. It combines the intensity of a play by a solo performer with the intimacy of a one-to-one conversation.
Richard tells stories throughout Europe and as far away as India, Singapore, Hong Kong and America – in theatres, universities, schools, for corporate events or private parties.
Richard tells in his native English. But when asked, he loves telling in German – with a delightful mixture of English creeping into the story.
Explore the website for tales, for information about performances and workshops — and for much, much more.
Video gallery
Princess of Only One Word (added on 04.11.25)
Which one word would mischievous fairies limit a princess to say?
The video gallery
Over 160 folk tales from around the world
some comic, some bawdy, some profound!
Next videos: 9th December
What Women Most Desire plus Albert and the Lion
Details of the tale
Read more about the story
Newsletter
Subscribe to receive a mail when stories are added to the video gallery (usually once a month), and for details of future performances or workshops in your area.
Richard in the wider world – 2026 plans
Click for details, and mail if you are interested in a performance or workshop which can take advantage of these travel plans
- Schools tour in Bavaria around 12th Feb. (dates available)
- Jungfrau Erzählfestival, Interlaken, Switzerland 29. – 31. May
- June Denmark/Sweden
- Return to Lithuania (Vilnius and Panevėžys), early October (in planning)
- Late October Erlangen/Nuremberg (in planning)
Details of forthcoming work: Performance schedule and Workshop schedule
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

