Take a sixteenth century castle in Flanders… surround it with the biggest pear & apple orchard in western Europe… bring in a dazzling array of storytellers from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the UK… fill the seats with thousands of spellbound listeners, from teens to adult… and let the story magic begin.
What a glorious week. I last performed at Alden Biesen nine years ago, and I had never forgotten the experience. During the week, the tellers perform in an assortment of spaces, from a stone-vaulted cellar to a former riding school. Every space has a different atmosphere, so it is fascinating to perform in each. The company is inspirational. This year, the other UK tells were Emily Hennessey, Ben Haggarty and Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, so I enjoyed evening shows of Finnish tales, Coyote stories and a thundering Baba Yaga tale from Ben. I loved it all.
Hopefully it will not be another nine years before I tell there again!
