Category: News

What a whirlwind adventure the second half of 2011 turned into! Four foreign trips and wonderful work at home here in the UK too.

The first foreign trip was to Saudi Arabia – the first International Children’s Cultural Fair in Riyadh. The second trip was to India – to the magnificent Hay Festival Kerala. Kerala is the tip of the tiger’s tooth of India – right down at the bottom 🙂 But Europe was not forgotten, with performances at the Amsterdam Storytelling Festival and a special Christmas show in Copenhagen with Kasper Sorensen.

When I can find a  moment, I will post photos of all these trips!

 I have been invited to perform in Saudi Arabia! I will be working for the British Council in Riyadh, telling stories at the inaugral International Children’s Fair. HUGE crowds are expected.

It’s going to be quite an experience…

The Fabelhaft! festival in southern Austria has always been one of my favourite festivals, and this year was the best yet. Wonderful company, amazing scenery, great shows – and this year I had the added challenge of telling IN GERMAN! Not completely in German – the stories were bi-lingual, English and German, but it was still an extraordinary challenge for me because I don’t actually speak German.

But I did it – and did it well, by all accounts. People were very complimentary while I was there, so I came home feeling very proud of myself. And I’ve just received an email from an Austrian storytelling friend:

‘Congratulations! Friends and colleagues of mine heard you tell in English and German and were full of admiration: “It was a great performance! And she spoke a beautiful German without any accent!” ‘

There was only one thing that puzzled me… I kept telling a story about a demon – an enormous rat, bigger than a cow, with ‘einem langen rosanen Schwanz’ – a long pink tail. I couldn’t understand why the teens were sniggering. Then I discovered that ‘Schwanz’ is slang for penis…

Well, what a great time we had at Hay 2011!

It’s always a tremendous festival to be a part of. It’s so buzzy and inspirational, especially backstage. Highlights for me included watching my friend Debs Newbold tell King Lear to 200 rapt teenagers from the main stage, and meeting Camilla Parker Bowles in the portaloos!! (She was lovely. Surprisingly tiny but very gracious)

And then there was the storytelling in The Moot – four days, three storytellers, twelve shows. And I am thrilled to say it was a HUGE success. The family sessions were packed out every day, despite the sweltering heat, and imaginations were fired with tales of pirates, tigers, dragon-flying princesses, wooden women and pumpkin-headed giants.

For the adults, there were some extraordinary tales. Joshua Muraya, visiting from Nairobi, told harrowing true life tales dating from the Mau Mau rebellion in 1950s Kenya. I don’t think I will ever forget the story of the Kenyan driver who dared to visit a Whites Only toilet, setting off a desperate chain of events that ended with him spending 14 years in jail, frequently being tortured.

Kasper Sorensen, visiting from Denmark, effortlessly evoked 19th century Copenhagen in his wonderful ‘Great Fire of Copenhagen’ show. This was cinematic storytelling at its very best.

And I went Italian, with two sessions featuring full-blooded folk tales from the collection by Italo Calvino. Adultery, toy boy lovers, murder and mermaids – a heady combination!

Thank you to everyone who made it so unforgettable. Let’s do it again next year!

  THE STORYTELLING BAZAAR IN THE MOOT

Kasper Sorensen (Denmark) Joshua Muraya (Kenya) and ME!

31 May – 3 June @ The Telegraph Hay Festival, Hay on Wye UK

www.hayfestival.com

Gearing up for what promises to be a FANTASTIC Hay Festival for me.

In celebration of the Storymoja Hay Festival in Nairobi, I have brought  together four days of international storytelling for children and adults in a Hay Bazaar of tall tales and wonders. Entry is free. All donations will contribute to funding the Festivals’ of Literature Charitable Trust’s education work in Africa.

 All shows are in The Moot – our very own story venue!! It’s the middle one of three pavilions situated in the garden square in front of Pemberton’s Bookshop. Please come and find us!!

There will be twelve events over the four days: six for adults and three for families. For event listings see my Diary page here.

I’ve been having a wonderful time over in Copenhagen and I’m back there again next week. Lucky Cat!

First it’s off to Stockholm on 5th to do a show for Fabula, then I’m back at the Best Tellers Scene in Copenhagen on the 7th for a show with Andre Andersen

http://www.besttellers.dk/scenen/event/besttellers-pr-senterer-andr-andersen-ibrahima-sory-diallo-og-cat-weatherill

See you there!