Fiery Female

Cat Weatherill is an extraordinary storyteller. Strong and sexy, playful and passionate, her performances excite on the night and linger long in the memory. With her fiery female energy and theatrical style, Cat gives a gloriously feminine voice to an ancient art.

Cat is currently offering five full length shows, four for adult audiences and one for families. The running time is generally 2 x 50 minutes plus an interval. All the shows contain live music. Cat can provide lighting. Most shows are performed acoustically. A PA is provided when necessary for Pebbles & Pennies.

Storytelling is VERY flexible! Most of these shows can be reduced to a one-hour version for festivals. Cat also has a range of tales suitable for all types of event, both public and private. And although she is an A-list teller, her fees are often affordable for weddings etc so please ask!

‘The second time it happened, she wondered if she was becoming invisible…’

HOW TO BE GLORIOUS is an inspirational feelgood show about making things happen in your life, finding a second chance at happines in middle age and seeing a way out of the shadows into the sunshine.

Cat tells the story of Faye, a restless 44 year old housewife who finds a trapdoor in her house with a secret staircase beneath. She escapes suburbia into a world of fantasy lovers, dark forests, moonlit lakes and glowing lanterns. Her desire? To be glorious. And for a feisty heroine in supermarket knickers, that’s quite an adventure…

HOW TO BE GLORIOUS is something different – a compelling, deeply personal show that touches hearts and moves minds. Funny, sexy, joyous, fiery, uplifting, but rooted in the reality of midlife, this is truly entertainment for grown ups.

‘I am 44 and am in need of a trapdoor! Thank you for making me feel glorious!’

 ‘Absolutely fabulous – love it.’

‘Thank you for taking me on my own adventure!’

‘A fab story and a glorious evening’

‘A wonderful show! Happy to have come. Such a presence! It was a marvelous tale told in a delicious way: it reminds people how it is beautiful to become yourself by your own and with love.’

‘What a splendid title! And an insightful reflection. Thank you for your contribution to empowering women to feel special and valued. The father-daughter importance was poignant. How hard for those who never knew that… How do they manage to pick up the pieces? And you do look glorious!’

‘What a wonderful evening’s entertainment! Wow! What can I say? All sorts of truths, feelings stirred up. Beautifully spoken and absolutely fascinating.’

‘Merci pour ce conte de Fay! Formidable.’

‘Heartfelt. Incredibly well observed and experienced. Thank you for saying exactly how it feels. Cat – you have great passion. Your delivery is empowering and leaves your fortunate audience feeling ‘normal’ but ‘gloriously’ so.’

Announcing a second UK mini-tour for this show in Spring 2012

KISS & TELL

with CAT WEATHERILL and KASPER SØRENSEN

A fun and flirty show featuring two of Europe’s leading performance storytellers.

Storytelling doesn’t have to be about kings and queens and Once Upon A Time! Cat and Kasper take to the stage for an evening of stand up storytelling, with contemporary tales and a playful approach. Expect mischief, humour, enchantment and glorious singing as Kasper’s assured masculine energy meets Cat’s seductive feminine charm.

This is a rare opportunity to see Denmark’s premier storyteller KASPER SØRENSEN, visiting the UK from his base in Copenhagen. Kasper has a contemporary, improvisatory style and has led the Danish team to victory in the Nordic Story Slam Championships.

This show is intended for adult audiences (16+)

Reviews from the tour Spring 2011:

‘Stunning, fantastic, superb, scintillating – an amazing night out. Cat & Kasper were just wonderful in every way. We need more and more of this kind of entertainment!’

‘Amazing! I was enthralled, captivated and carried away. I feel alive again – my spark is back!’

‘Worth missing the England-Wales rugby match for!’

TOUR DATES AND VENUES

Thursday 23 February – Mareham Le Fen Village Hall, Lincs

Friday 24 February – Burton Overy Village Hall, Leics

Saturday 25 February – Colston Bassett Village Hall, Notts

Beyond the cosy fireside and the flickering tv screen there’s another world. It’s dark, shadowy and guarded by ghosts. And that’s where you’re going tonight.

Ghost is a collection of dark and brooding tales swept up from the hearthsides of world folk tradition. They may be old, but time hasn’t diminshed their mysterious power. On the contrary. These tales still have teeth, and they’ll follow you home…

Full blooded fairy tales from Old Europe.

The best fairy tales are told only when the children are asleep. In the stillness of night, their strange, timeless potency drifts like perfume, filling our minds with images that are familiar yet deeply mystifying. Hearts are quickened by dark desires, startled by casual cruelty… soothed with the balm of happiness.

Falling Like Feathers is a journey into the dreamlike landscape of fairy tales. Laced with luscious language and shimmering images, it’s a step from the safety of the path into the delicious danger of the forest.

Synopsis: A mysterious, flame-haired storyteller arrives at a snowbound castle to tell stories to a haughty queen, her 17 year old daughter and assorted guests. The storyteller is told to watch what she says. ‘I know how you storytellers work,’ says the queen. ‘You charm us with your soft smiles and wonderful words. You enchant and beguile but all the while you are sowing seeds in our minds. Firing our imaginations. Feeding our dreams. Such power you have in those seductive little tongues of yours…’

As the snow deepens outside, the storyteller tells of witch-maidens and marsh queens, clay dolls, flowers with the power to wipe memories, poisoned apples, talking doves and a sword sharp enough to wound the wind. And the queen is right – the storyteller is working a mysterious magic with her wonder tales and she will not leave the castle as she found it…

The show contains three stories set within a frame story and is performed with dulcimer and song. Running time approx 2 x 50 plus interval

For adult audiences (12+) Contains bloody images.

Audience comments:

‘A spellbinding evening. Very unusual and entertaining.’

‘Marvellous – taken away to a different world!’

‘Quite enthralling – I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

‘A welcome escape into the world of make-believe!’

‘What a magical way to spend a Friday evening after a workaday week.’

‘Excellent storytelling. Feeds the imagination and full of character and humour.’

‘Absolutely loved it. THAT’S what’s making me want to tell stories. Never stop!’

‘So very vivid, we thought we’d seen the stories. Thank you for a wonderful evening.’

‘Thank you so much – everyone enjoyed the evening immensely.’

‘You showed us that fairy tales are not just for children – and some are not for children at all!’

Bawdy Stories is Cat’s foray into the timeless battle of the sexes. Hugely entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a glorious collection of really old tales, many with a classical pedigree (Chaucer, Boccaccio, the Arabian Nights) And they may be hundreds of years old, yet you’d swear she was talking about someone who lives round the corner…

Adults only (16+) Contains sexual references, ribald images and earthy language.

‘A storming success. The belly laughs transformed our blushes and it was absolutely priceless watching an eclectic mix of villagers relishing every word.’ – Village promoter, 2006.

‘A great show – really entertaining and fun! Cat is a tremendous raconteuse and knows how to work the audience. A true delight!’ Audience member, Derbyshire 2006.

Kissing The Wind is a glorious, whirlwind adventure that ties three tales by the enigmatic Marie de France into an enchanting love knot. In Guigemar, a wounded knight searches for the only woman who can cure him. In Yonec, a secret love affair ends in tragedy and in Lanval, a handsome knight who charms two beautiful women finds himself in an impossible situation.

Kissing The Wind is an exhilarating, sensual journey through a medieval landscape. It is richly enchanting, cinematic, heart warming, lyrical – and elegantly bawdy! If you love language, you’ll love this.

This show was devised in Paris and inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries in the city’s Cluny Museum.

Performed with dulcimer, recorder and song.

For adults only (16+)

Reviews

‘Saucy as well as spellbinding’ – The Times

‘The audience was enthralled and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening’ – Bath Literature Festival

‘Cat’s tales of knights, maidens, love, lust, magic, courage and adventure proved to be an enthralling experience for me, and so far as I was able to judge, for everyone else who was there. We were all hanging on her every word! Told with music and song, they became an intimate theatrical experience which was so good that I even forgot the shortcomings of the hall chairs!’ – Village review, Bucks

*This show holds enormous appeal for adults as well as children. Village hall audiences for Gawain are usually 75% – 95% adult.

Note for schools – The show is also available as a special one-hour version for Years 3 – 6.

When days grow short and nights grow long… When fires crackle in the hearths and frost freezes on the windows… It’s time to tell the old tales.

The Green Knight

Young Sir Gawain, a Knight of the Round Table, accepts a challenge from the fearsome Green Knight. Soon he is riding north on a terrible quest. Cold, alone and far from home, with the snow falling around him, he suddenly sees a mysterious castle…

Cat’s playful version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a real midwinter treat – a magical mixture of storytelling, theatre and pantomime that is lively, funny and genuinely thrilling. Don’t tell the audience, but the show contains a REAL GREEN KNIGHT! Six foot tall and green as grass! His entry is totally unexpected and completely unforgettable.

This is a family show, suitable for children over 8 – and unaccompanied adults! Contains loud action.

Reviews

‘We have had 38 shows here, and someone has just said to me this is the best yet!’ – Interval comment from village organiser, Northants.

‘The delighted faces of children transfixed by Cat’s energetic performance was a treat. And the Green Knight storming into the tent with startling hair, lurid green face and red eyes went down a storm!’ – Village promoter, Derbyshire