Wednesday 19 November 2008
The Arts Foundation recently showcased their shortlist of four storytellers from across the UK at London’s Barbican arts centre for one of the largest awards for storytelling in the UK. Their £10,000 award will be made early in 2009 but as the judges deliberate behind closed doors, this veteran storytelling promoter and writer will bravely (or foolishly – you decide), speculate on what might win through and which way live literature and spoken word artists are heading after a decade of major financial support for UK storytellers, poets and authors that positively choose to speak out from the stage first and then follow up, later, with a blog, podcast or a publication on Youtube.
Catherine Aran was first up on stage in the black box theatre space of the Barbican’s pit. Bold as you like, Catherine immediately enthused the healthy 200+ sized audience to sing back to her bite sized calls and replies, in Welsh. With her curly black locks, beguiling smile and a silver tongue she reminded me of a feisty, muscular, Catherine Zeta-Jones. On stage she filled the space with great vigour and also some light and lyrical verbal touches as her story unfurled about all kinds of formidable, war-like and fearsome giants from Ireland and Wales. Early into her story the trade mark tools and turns of the engaging storyteller were deftly displayed. Unlike actors with their scripted lines and invisible fourth wall Cath actively acknowledged the live audience and immediately enlisted their vocal support and solidarity by encouraging them to sing with her. It’s not often tried by poets or novelists, but when it clicks into place it leaves a warm glow around the auditorium – or mild embarrassment, if like my friend, she didn’t want to join in, apart from willingly lending the storyteller her ears. The story that Cath chose to tell was as much physically striking as well as verbally dexterous. As she took on the towering gait of an angry giant, there was no doubt what the story was about. Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Cath’s small showcase piece was the way that she skillfully told her story in seamless, alternating Welsh and English. She did this well and her vivacious skill at such bi-lingual telling brilliantly shone through and paid the first of three significant respects and nods to other language traditions from within and beyond the British speaking Isles.
Peter Sushil Chand was next on stage. Our MC for the night, the poet Philip Wells, informed us that Pete is of Punjabi descent and that he sometimes likes his audience to Bhangra dance along the way with his stories. I look nervously to one side at my friend. We don’t especially want to dance with anything other than bright ideas, tonight. With just twenty minutes on stage to shine and entertain the audience Peter chose to retell a selected piece from his longer show, ‘Mangoes on the beach.’ Like Cath, Peter sprinkles in words and phrases from Urdu, Punjabi and Gujerati, actively acknowledging the plurality of languages and storytelling traditions to be found in his home city of Wolverhampton - as well as many other urban, post-industrial cities of the UK. Peter recalled his father in India and also the wit, wonder and wisdom of a family that carved up their small estate and how the family cat – on fire – can unexpectedly help to decide, with accompanying howls of laughter from the audience, which share of blame and reward each brother ultimately deserves. This short piece delighted the Barbican audience and again displayed the some of the core strengths of the story teller that seeks to connect and entertain: They need to have a quick wit, awareness of the audience and a gently inspiring gem of unexpected wisdom and insight from unusual places. The ability also, at least for this authors liking, to connect with an improvised, ‘of the moment’, adlib or humorous aside, as the main story unfolds also make a big impact. The excellent poet and verbal magician, Jackie Kay, shares some of these, learned-over-time storytelling skills, but many other writers appear to overlook or under appreciate these vital tools of the compelling spoken word artist. Before we know it, however, Peter walks offstage to the loud roar of applause and the heady expectation of an entertaining second half beckons.
During the interval I notice the storyteller Ben Haggerty is in attendance and I can’t help but think how there also needs to be awards for brilliant storytelling ambassadors as well as the welcome and vital bright spotlight of tonight’s event.
The Arts Foundations third storytelling contender is Katy Cawkwell, a storyteller from Norwich that has been telling stories since 1996 after being inspired by the Company of Storytellers that includes Ben Haggerty and Hugh Lupton. She is the second youngest storyteller on the short list. However, with 12 years experience the poet Nick Toczek’s comment comes to mind - how it took him 15 years to become an ‘overnight sensation’ with his successful pocket money priced ‘lunchpack’ poetry series with McMillan books. On stage at the Barbican Katy’s storytelling style is fluent, eloquent, flowing and altogether faultless. As silky as her purple and blue head scarf she captivates the audience with beautiful, well voiced characters and understated, but incredibly effective, mannerisms that help to define her characters. Her story of a duplicitous king that takes a fancy to another mans wife is joyous, visceral and visual. She fills the bare stage with arms aloft - puffed up with royal pride or suddenly hunched and bent down with age and care of a beggar woman. It is a captivating story that would positively remind and delight any fans and admirers of the hugely accomplished storyteller, Hugh Lupton.
With all of these great accomplishments acknowledged, I also note that Katy does not choose to draw upon the African inspired ‘call and reply’ tradition. She doesn’t reach through and cross – for a moment - that invisible fourth wall between the audience and the actor/storyteller. Comic asides or knowing quips are not part of Katy’s formidable storytelling craft and technique. It is, of course, like saying Oasis and Amy Winehouse are musicians, Andrew Motion and Benjamin Zephaniah are poets, but each have different styles and a very different fan base. These differences of approach in the big, inclusive tent for storytelling will be among many of the stylistic issues that the judges will want to consider and not the writer of this article. The fact that it might arise is terrific. Especially if you consider the major prizes for poetry, like the TS Eliot award or the Costa book prize simply never reflects on spoken word artists such as Steve Tasane, Patience Agbabi and Joolz together with Seamus Heaney, Simon Armitage or Alice Oswald.
Finally, the evening comes to a barn storming and electrifying conclusion when barefooted, but for brilliant red toe nails, Shonaleigh Cumbers a storyteller from Sheffield, of Yiddish descent, opens with a traditional song and chant then smiles impishly as she re-tells her story of the beggar king Soloman. His story of loss and eventual redemption is told with captivating vigour, joy and sparkling wit, caustic asides and quips to the audience weave us into her beguiling story. Out of the black box space of the Barbican’s pit comes a colorful and well paced narrative including cunning cooks, foolish kings, wise beggars and an eventual satisfying conclusion for the audience that laughed and gasped as much as if a technicolour circus and trapeze act had appeared and tumbled across the stage, not a simple well crafted series of wise and well chosen words - breathed and spoken into life by four very compelling contenders for the Arts Foundations £10,000 development award.
Each of these new wave storytellers demonstrated great skill, wisdom and stagecraft. As an art form that tends to be over looked and under appreciated I found much that could and should positively influence other poets and novelists that chose to take to the stage at festivals and libraries across the UK. To breath out, speak up and look the audience squarely in the eye is an incredibly simple but effective approach to take on stage. The Canongate poet Patience Agbabi and brilliant late poet, Michael Donaghy, started to do this with spectacular results, but it remains a rare experience outside of storytelling gigs at excellent venues like the Scottish Storytelling Centre and some events staged and produced by Jonathan Davidson, Apples and Snakes and National Poetry Day co-ordinator and poet, Jo Bell.
Of course, selecting a short list of just four is incredibly difficult and if I had one qualm and concern it would just be to encourage future awards to reflect some of the great work and feisty talent of storytelling across Scotland. Tellers such as Lari Don, James Spence, Michael Kerins and Marion Kenny are just a few which could sparkle equally as well as the four that eventually made the Arts Foundations excellent and most welcome prize shortlist.
The four judges will have to make a very difficult decision and readers at the gate will be able to visit the Arts Foundation website in January, 2009 to see who finally won through.
But, if I had to make such a subjective choice from a bowl of ripe fruits, I’d choose Shonaleigh for her guile, sincerity, humour, verbal dexterity and quick storytelling wit. I’d chose Katy Cawkwell for her exemplary stage craft and seamless, full length, narrative skill, For good storytelling humour, quick wit, range and engaging style I’d chose Peter Chand and for youth, sheer energy and commendable verbal synthesis I’d go for Cath Aran. So, as you will have guessed, I’d make a lousy judge for this particular prize.
Adrian Johnson recently completed his first novel ‘Love and taxes – how Jack and Sandra beat the poll tax.’
Catherine Aran was first up on stage in the black box theatre space of the Barbican’s pit. Bold as you like, Catherine immediately enthused the healthy 200+ sized audience to sing back to her bite sized calls and replies, in Welsh. With her curly black locks, beguiling smile and a silver tongue she reminded me of a feisty, muscular, Catherine Zeta-Jones. On stage she filled the space with great vigour and also some light and lyrical verbal touches as her story unfurled about all kinds of formidable, war-like and fearsome giants from Ireland and Wales. Early into her story the trade mark tools and turns of the engaging storyteller were deftly displayed. Unlike actors with their scripted lines and invisible fourth wall Cath actively acknowledged the live audience and immediately enlisted their vocal support and solidarity by encouraging them to sing with her. It’s not often tried by poets or novelists, but when it clicks into place it leaves a warm glow around the auditorium – or mild embarrassment, if like my friend, she didn’t want to join in, apart from willingly lending the storyteller her ears. The story that Cath chose to tell was as much physically striking as well as verbally dexterous. As she took on the towering gait of an angry giant, there was no doubt what the story was about. Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Cath’s small showcase piece was the way that she skillfully told her story in seamless, alternating Welsh and English. She did this well and her vivacious skill at such bi-lingual telling brilliantly shone through and paid the first of three significant respects and nods to other language traditions from within and beyond the British speaking Isles.
Peter Sushil Chand was next on stage. Our MC for the night, the poet Philip Wells, informed us that Pete is of Punjabi descent and that he sometimes likes his audience to Bhangra dance along the way with his stories. I look nervously to one side at my friend. We don’t especially want to dance with anything other than bright ideas, tonight. With just twenty minutes on stage to shine and entertain the audience Peter chose to retell a selected piece from his longer show, ‘Mangoes on the beach.’ Like Cath, Peter sprinkles in words and phrases from Urdu, Punjabi and Gujerati, actively acknowledging the plurality of languages and storytelling traditions to be found in his home city of Wolverhampton - as well as many other urban, post-industrial cities of the UK. Peter recalled his father in India and also the wit, wonder and wisdom of a family that carved up their small estate and how the family cat – on fire – can unexpectedly help to decide, with accompanying howls of laughter from the audience, which share of blame and reward each brother ultimately deserves. This short piece delighted the Barbican audience and again displayed the some of the core strengths of the story teller that seeks to connect and entertain: They need to have a quick wit, awareness of the audience and a gently inspiring gem of unexpected wisdom and insight from unusual places. The ability also, at least for this authors liking, to connect with an improvised, ‘of the moment’, adlib or humorous aside, as the main story unfolds also make a big impact. The excellent poet and verbal magician, Jackie Kay, shares some of these, learned-over-time storytelling skills, but many other writers appear to overlook or under appreciate these vital tools of the compelling spoken word artist. Before we know it, however, Peter walks offstage to the loud roar of applause and the heady expectation of an entertaining second half beckons.
During the interval I notice the storyteller Ben Haggerty is in attendance and I can’t help but think how there also needs to be awards for brilliant storytelling ambassadors as well as the welcome and vital bright spotlight of tonight’s event.
The Arts Foundations third storytelling contender is Katy Cawkwell, a storyteller from Norwich that has been telling stories since 1996 after being inspired by the Company of Storytellers that includes Ben Haggerty and Hugh Lupton. She is the second youngest storyteller on the short list. However, with 12 years experience the poet Nick Toczek’s comment comes to mind - how it took him 15 years to become an ‘overnight sensation’ with his successful pocket money priced ‘lunchpack’ poetry series with McMillan books. On stage at the Barbican Katy’s storytelling style is fluent, eloquent, flowing and altogether faultless. As silky as her purple and blue head scarf she captivates the audience with beautiful, well voiced characters and understated, but incredibly effective, mannerisms that help to define her characters. Her story of a duplicitous king that takes a fancy to another mans wife is joyous, visceral and visual. She fills the bare stage with arms aloft - puffed up with royal pride or suddenly hunched and bent down with age and care of a beggar woman. It is a captivating story that would positively remind and delight any fans and admirers of the hugely accomplished storyteller, Hugh Lupton.
With all of these great accomplishments acknowledged, I also note that Katy does not choose to draw upon the African inspired ‘call and reply’ tradition. She doesn’t reach through and cross – for a moment - that invisible fourth wall between the audience and the actor/storyteller. Comic asides or knowing quips are not part of Katy’s formidable storytelling craft and technique. It is, of course, like saying Oasis and Amy Winehouse are musicians, Andrew Motion and Benjamin Zephaniah are poets, but each have different styles and a very different fan base. These differences of approach in the big, inclusive tent for storytelling will be among many of the stylistic issues that the judges will want to consider and not the writer of this article. The fact that it might arise is terrific. Especially if you consider the major prizes for poetry, like the TS Eliot award or the Costa book prize simply never reflects on spoken word artists such as Steve Tasane, Patience Agbabi and Joolz together with Seamus Heaney, Simon Armitage or Alice Oswald.
Finally, the evening comes to a barn storming and electrifying conclusion when barefooted, but for brilliant red toe nails, Shonaleigh Cumbers a storyteller from Sheffield, of Yiddish descent, opens with a traditional song and chant then smiles impishly as she re-tells her story of the beggar king Soloman. His story of loss and eventual redemption is told with captivating vigour, joy and sparkling wit, caustic asides and quips to the audience weave us into her beguiling story. Out of the black box space of the Barbican’s pit comes a colorful and well paced narrative including cunning cooks, foolish kings, wise beggars and an eventual satisfying conclusion for the audience that laughed and gasped as much as if a technicolour circus and trapeze act had appeared and tumbled across the stage, not a simple well crafted series of wise and well chosen words - breathed and spoken into life by four very compelling contenders for the Arts Foundations £10,000 development award.
Each of these new wave storytellers demonstrated great skill, wisdom and stagecraft. As an art form that tends to be over looked and under appreciated I found much that could and should positively influence other poets and novelists that chose to take to the stage at festivals and libraries across the UK. To breath out, speak up and look the audience squarely in the eye is an incredibly simple but effective approach to take on stage. The Canongate poet Patience Agbabi and brilliant late poet, Michael Donaghy, started to do this with spectacular results, but it remains a rare experience outside of storytelling gigs at excellent venues like the Scottish Storytelling Centre and some events staged and produced by Jonathan Davidson, Apples and Snakes and National Poetry Day co-ordinator and poet, Jo Bell.
Of course, selecting a short list of just four is incredibly difficult and if I had one qualm and concern it would just be to encourage future awards to reflect some of the great work and feisty talent of storytelling across Scotland. Tellers such as Lari Don, James Spence, Michael Kerins and Marion Kenny are just a few which could sparkle equally as well as the four that eventually made the Arts Foundations excellent and most welcome prize shortlist.
The four judges will have to make a very difficult decision and readers at the gate will be able to visit the Arts Foundation website in January, 2009 to see who finally won through.
But, if I had to make such a subjective choice from a bowl of ripe fruits, I’d choose Shonaleigh for her guile, sincerity, humour, verbal dexterity and quick storytelling wit. I’d chose Katy Cawkwell for her exemplary stage craft and seamless, full length, narrative skill, For good storytelling humour, quick wit, range and engaging style I’d chose Peter Chand and for youth, sheer energy and commendable verbal synthesis I’d go for Cath Aran. So, as you will have guessed, I’d make a lousy judge for this particular prize.
Adrian Johnson recently completed his first novel ‘Love and taxes – how Jack and Sandra beat the poll tax.’
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