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It’s a winning combination of scary stories and whacky science experiments with a bit of steampunk thrown in too. And it’s very interactive… The youngsters help me do the experiments

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After the sellout success of Season 1, my true life storytelling club Tell Me On A Sunday returns to the Ikon Gallery Birmingham this month.

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And he gave her the key.

Cat Weatherill’s Bluebeard is a journey into obsession. Inspired by Perrault’s classic gothic horror story, it’s magnificently dark, erotic and disturbing. But it’s also a celebration of the love of sisters and the resilience of women. 

This is a defiantly female version of the tale, in which the sister and mother of the bride, Eva, are given far greater prominence. Eva also is awarded infinitely more emotional complexity than usual, as she explosively transforms from a victim into a survivor who will not ‘rake through the ashes for half burned hopes.’

‘Totally captivating… stunning. Cat leads audiences into those deep places where nothing is spared, and dark and light are laid bare. Inspirational.’ Dr Pauline Mottram. Manchester Metropolitan University.

Bluebeard was shortlisted for Storytelling Performance of the Year in the British Awards for Storytelling Excellence 2012

Bluebeard is part of Cat’s Red Energy strand. Red Energy Theatre explores emotion through story, to engage the heart and stir the soul.

Audience Feedback

‘In terms of composition and performance, the finest spectacle at Beyond the Border 2012’ – Tim Ralphs

‘Transformative. I’d expected shock horror, but not the journey into my own subconscious you so masterfully led.’

‘Dark, awesome, truthful and beautiful. I have seen and heard so many wonderful storytellers, but your story opened another, stranger, more terrifying window. Thank you so much.’

‘Very impressive, very courageous.’ 

‘Amazing performance. Very disturbing.’

‘If Carslberg did storytellers, you would be it. Wow.’

‘An incredibly haunting tale, told with such energy. I studied Bluebeard at university, and this has completely transformed my feelings and thoughts of the tale.’

‘Highly unusual, atmospheric and wonderfully spooky. Beautiful singing.’

‘Amazing. Gave me chills – in a good way.’

‘An extraordinary performance… The full horror of it. Time flew.’

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my cat shoes

It’s aimed at children, and it’s all about my books. I’ve always felt uncomfortable about children coming here, to this site. Sometimes, when I visit a school, I slip past a classroom and see the teacher has it up on the big screen. Aargh! It’s not intended for kids. It’s a business site, not a fan site.

The new one WILL be a fan site!

I’ve had this problem for years. It’s because I do so many different things. Are there any other children’s authors who do bawdy stories for adults? Probably not! At least – not under the same name But I do, and I need to advertise them both.

So at last, I am separating things out. From now on, all my school sessions will point children clearly in the direction of www.catweatherillauthor.com And this is the address that will go on all my book marketing and family storytelling stuff.

SORTED!

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I’ve just had a wonderful weekend at the spectacular Blenheim Palace, telling ghost stories to families. Now we’re talking of maybe doing something for adults… I’d love to do Bluebeard!

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I have been studying Narrative Therapy with the Institute of Narrative Therapy and am proud to say I have completed Level One

Narrative Therapy is a form of counselling that uses the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of our lives. It separates problems from people, and helps them use their own skills and knowledge to find a solution.

This is what I’ve learned so far:

The story metaphor in therapy. How to understand people’s actions from the stories of their lives. An appreciation of how stories shape lives and re-storying can re-shape lives. How to rewrite the past without erasing past experiences.

Externalisation. How to externalise problems in multiple ways. How to make vague problems concrete and manageable. Unique outcomes and alternative story development – become an effective practitioner with the most chronic and complex problems that ordinarily induce despair. How to discern hope in dire situations. How to spot nuggets of gold in conversations that lift the atmosphere. What to look for when a conversation seems negative or hopeless. Move conversations quickly from problem-saturated to problem-solving.

Exceptions. How to turn seemingly small initiatives into substantive developments from which problem solving skills emerge that can move past those ‘revolving-door’ situations

De-centred practice. How to develop collaborative and respectful ways of relating to clients that makes them the expert on their lives and honours the skills, experience, knowledge and significant relationships of the people who come to meet with us.

Re-authoring lives. How to use any piece of information to identify a person’s strong values.  How to connect these with other events and figures in people’s lives to clarify a sense of identity so that entirely new perspectives are possible.

Question structures. How to structure conversations: maps to guide conversations; questions that can rescue conversational cul de-sacs; questions that avoid those “yes, but…” replies; question structures that have profound effects on a person’s thinking; questions that make small improvements much bigger; ways to respond when someone says “I don’t know”; questions that consistently move conversations forward; how to understand conversations so that you’re never stuck for a question; how to chart conversations that reveal where and why they got stuck.

Norms and power. How to question taken for granted norms and integrate an ethical approach with brief practice. Understand Michel Foucault’s critique of cultural norms and how they affect all our lives. How to discern and appreciate the power of these norms without getting captured by them. How to use language to avoid applying norms to people’s lives.

Wider contexts. How to take account and make visible the wider social, economic, cultural and political contexts of people’s lives

Outsider Witnessing. How to provide moving and powerful acknowledgements of people that unstick them from repetitive processes. How to use imagery to evoke strong and positive feelings.

Writing Letters and Documents. How to write simple letters that have powerful therapeutic effects and get changes widely recognised.

Re-membering Conversations. How to use memories to support people in the present. How to bring figures from the past or mythical characters to life as co-therapists.

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Cat at the Wales Millennium Centre

It worked extremely well, and I picked up a lovely review from fellow storyteller Red Phoenix:

‘Cat’s use of the stage, dynamics and emotionally raw tensions really exploded the characters from ‘Donkey Cabbages’ into the room, always just at the right moment so that a greater understanding of the motives and complex relationships was understood and felt throughout the room, a highly enjoyable and thoughtful performance.’

You can read the review of the whole show here: http://www.redphoenixstory.com/blog/

After Kingston, I headed to Cardiff to tell the story on Saturday at the magnificent Wales Millennium Centre. My show was streamed LIVE to the world! That was a first for me

What a great story The Donkey Cabbages is… I look forward to exploring it more, through each new telling.

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I have opened my second club in Birmingham! The Mee Club is a twice-monthly spoken word cabaret, based at the wonderful Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath.

The show features a mixed bill of storytellers, performance poets, stand up comedians, actors, authors, journalists and musicians – 15 minutes of each, with a bit longer for the music act at the end. The list of performers for each cabaret can be found on the Mee Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/TheMeeClub

Upcoming dates for the club are: 4 & 18 September, 2 & 16 October, 6 & 20 November and 4 December.

Tickets are £7 on the door. The show begins at 7.30 but the cafe is open from 6.30 for yummy food.

It is advertised as a singles night, and singles are ESPECIALLY welcome. But couples are very welcome too

Venue: Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7SA  tel: 0121 443 4725

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You’ll find it at: www.ghoststoryteller.co.uk

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