Devon Oral Storytellers

WARNING! EXETER STORY CLUB IS ON PAUSE FOR NOW due to not having a venue for the summer. A small number of us will continue to meet outside, whether permitting, and we should be back at the Library in September. Thanks all.

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Exeter Story Club is on the last Wednesday of the month (save in exceptional circumstances and sometimes we don't meet in July or August if everyone is away). A supportive gathering to try out new pieces or simply to relax and listen to spoken storytelling at its best.
We meet at Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter, EX4 3PQ

!! Beware - at the moment this event listing for Exeter Story Club is not 100% correct because there isn’t a setting for the last Wednesday of every month available within that platform, so it’s listed as the fourth Wednesday of every month, which is incorrect in the months of April, July, and September, so be aware . Hopefully, we’ll be able to get this corrected as soon as possible. !!

There is a 15 minute maximum length for stories/music and if anyone goes over that, they will incur the Harmonica of Doom! :) As we love to get everyone’s oral stories in. Two-parters can be arranged, just let us know! All stories must be from memory. No reading aloud allowed. Support the oral tradition :) . All welcome.

• What to bring
IMPORTANT - Bring you own drinks and snacks as Exeter Library doesn't have a bar.
Besides that, bring yourself, a pair of listening ears and an open imagination.
There will be a hat for donations

The Plough Storytelling Circle is back! We have a new time - the first Thursday evening of every month - and a new venue - the beautiful St Anne's Chapel in Barnstaple.
We are a lively and supportive forum for the telling of stories, whether those are folk tales, mythology, modern or personal stories, all told in the traditional way - from memory.
We welcome anyone and everyone to tell a tale or just to listen and we also enjoy occasional poetry and music, as long as it is story-based.
So whether you are new to storytelling or have been doing it for years, please come and join us for an evening of wonders. (Incredible value too at £2 including refreshments!)
Book online at www.theploughartscentre.org.uk or by phoning the Box Office on 01805 624624 or on the door.

Join a small, friendly group workshop led by Katy Cawkwell to work on a story that you'd like to tell. Sessions happen monthly Sept-Dec, but there is no need to commit to more than one at a time. Katy runs a series of fun, stretching exercises and everyone works at their own pace. There is time to hear snippets of story from everyone and 2 people tell a full story with feedback at the end in rotation.

This Sept one will be a special introduction to the legend of King Arthur. Contact Katy in advance if you'd like to take part, as she is giving out the material beforehand.

Clyst St George Village Hall (EX3 0RE) has free parking and is on the number 57 bus route from Exeter-Exmouth. Nearest stop St George & Dragon Hotel (8 mins walk from venue).

Please contact Katy for more details or any questions - katycawkwell@gmail.com. Cost is £25 or £20pp - pay what you can.

You can sign up for a place at www.katycawkwell.co.uk/shop or contact Katy about alternative means of payment.

’When the Morning Stars Sang'
(and the Angels Shouted for Joy)
Storytelling by Hugh Lupton with Sarah Moody on Cello

St Mary’s Church, Totnes
Saturday 12 September
Doors: 7pm
Performance starts: 7:30pm

Tickets https://ttm.churchsuite.com/events/omlmdlgy

‘When the Morning Stars Sang'

Demons, archangels & djinns; hoopoes, swallows, fish, donkeys and maggots; kings, queens, merchants, fools and the voice from the heart of the whirlwind all contend in this rich interweaving of Apocryphal and Old Testament mystery tales drawing from Jewish, Islamic and Christian sources.

Audiences will encounter Adam and Eve, Solomon and Sheba, Tobias and the Angel, Job and his Comforters… stories that underpin our culture… told in the picture language of the heart, with vigour and humour, with rich language and deep magic.

This is a chance to shake off old habitual pieties and hear these ancient tales with fresh ears.
In this performance, master-storyteller Hugh Lupton is joined by acclaimed cellist Sarah Moody whose wonderful playing is inspired by the music of all three Abrahamic traditions, reminding us that at the core of these cultures (that have been at loggerheads for most of the last thousand years) lies a shared mythology.

This is a gripping, accessible and moving performance aimed at adult audiences (not suitable for under 14s).

Trailer: https://youtu.be/aZjtzFRhxXc?is=gmPf2RiuFXGmRZTI

Totally spellbinding … stunning … transcendent … sublime … the evening will stay with me for a long time …the combination of both your talents created a magical performance’

Audience feedback from a preview performance, May 2025, Norfolk.

Tickets
https://ttm.churchsuite.com/events/omlmdlgy
£17 Supporter (Support us by paying a little more)
£15 General Admission (Standard ticket price)
£12 Concession (Low income)
Suitable for adults (14+)

Please note: St Mary's has a few steps into the church.