'In the Beginning was the Story: of how the world came to be as it is; of the sun, moon and stars; of magical animals and birds, half human and half beast; of the tree of life that sustains the world; of the first man and woman; of love, death and the hunt; of heroic adventures; of tricksters and giants, spirits, demons and gods. Such was the stuff of story, told around campfires and beside hearths night after night, all winter long. Fending off fear and the cold, firing imagination, creating laughter and understanding, stories brought magic and grandeur to a humdrum, every-day world. They explained to people the nature of the universe. And they told them how to live.' *

* From Storytelling at Historic Sites by Eric Maddern (see Publications)

Storytelling Renewed

But in the last couple of decades a revival of storytelling has taken place in Britain and around the world. 'Those who grew up with television' it has been said, 'rediscovered storytelling'. For storytelling is different from reading a book, watching TV or playing with CD ROMs. It is a sociable yet intimate way of being with others. Storytellers have the freedom to interpret their tale afresh each time they tell it, to respond to their particular audience with spontaneity and creativity. One story is never told quite the same twice.

Tales from the Oral Tradition are the best to tell. These stories have been filtered through many minds, been honed for telling over many generations. As such, with their strong images and universal human dilemmas, they carry the wit and wisdom of the people. They are journeys in the imagination where anything is possible. They demand a belief in magic. They tell us who we are, where we're going, how to get there. The told story is a gift you can give away and keep. It makes the day complete. It is like 'soul food'. Many of these ancient tales are as relevant today as ever.

Over the past thirty years or so, I've had the joy of telling stories in some of the most stunning locations in the world, including Tintagel (telling ‘the Coming of Arthur’), Stonehenge and Avebury, Battle Abbey (telling the Saga of the Norman Conquest), Kew Gardens, Chatsworth House, the Edinburgh and ‘Beyond the Border’ Festivals, the Eden Project, Harlech, many of the castles of North Wales. I've spun tales in the remote Australian bush, on Caribbean islands, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Soweto and in the South African ‘Cradle of Humanity’ and led storywalks through forests and parks, told tales in museums and libraries, grabbed audiences in pubs and clubs, soothed and/or excited animals in zoos and children in schools.  

Stories for Children

Over the last 25 years I've worked in more than 2000 schools throughout Britain. My performances usually blend traditional tales with my own contemporary songs, though I also has an extensive repertoire of folksongs and ballads too. In schools I adapt the stories to bring alive many themes, especially environmental and historical.

To date I have had 10 children’s picture books published. Most are based on the stores I tell from the world's rich oral tradition. They are Earth Story, Life Story, Rainbow Bird, The Fire Children, Curious Clownfish, The Spirit of the Forest, The King with Horse’s Ears, Death in a Nut, Cow on the Roof and Nail Soup. In 2009 my next book, The King and the Seed will be published.   

What the Bee Knows: Songs and Stories to Sustain and Restore the World' Im currently performing a new adult show, What the Bee Knows. This is a provocative look at the roots of our current global crisis, threaded around the story of the bee. Our Earth is rare and precious in the Universe, yet we squander its resources like there’s no tomorrow. How do we undo the all-consuming “curse of insatiable hunger” that threatens to lay waste the world? How do we find anchors for our souls and signposts to a future that might actually make us happy? In these rapidly changing times, what timeless truths can help us steer a course to sustain and restore the world? In this show I weave together wisdom tales with my own eco-songs. What the Bee Knows is funny, moving and inspiring. It is five-star soul food and the insights shared are perfect for our time. The show is flexible and can be adapted to fit times, settings and audiences from 15 upwards.  

STORYTELLING Workshops and Development

 For teachers

I run workshops for teachers and student teachers on how to use storytelling in education. These are very effective, and for students often the highlight of a year long course. 

For storytellers

For 12 years I co-led (with renowned storyteller, Hugh Lupton) a series of retreats for storytellers on ‘Storytelling and the Mythological Landscape’ at the Ty Newydd Writers’ Centre. In 2008 we begin a new seven-year series there on ‘The Matter of Britain’. 

For business