Monty

A performer with Monty + The AnyWhens, ‘Tis Tales and (formerly) Stories’n’Harp, as well as solo shows. A regular storyteller at Isle of Wight folk clubs and open mic nights, Tony “Monty” Hirst enjoys trawling through old story collections in search of lost tales, as well as rediscovering and retelling stories from a variety of traditions heard at story festivals over the last twenty five years.

Contact: montystoryteller AT gmail.com

NEXT SHOW:

Monty + The AnyWhens, mixed stories and songs, The Star Coffee and Ale House, Thursday September 25th, 2025, 7pm.

POP-UPS:

INTENDED UPCOMING & RECENT FOLK CLUBS & OPEN MICS:

Dairyman’s Daughter / Arreton Barns folk night (Tuesdays, from 8pm): TBC

Wheatsheaf open mic, Newport, (Tuesdays, from 7.30, 2 x ~10-12 min tales): TBC.

Waverley Inn folk night, Carisbrooke (Wednesdays, from 7pm, 1 x 5-8 min tale): TBC

Railway Inn open mic, Ryde (Wednesdays, 1 x 5-10 min tale, 9.30 ish): TBC

Solent Inn open mic, Ryde (Thursdays, 1 x 15~20 min slot, 9pm ish): Thurs 27h August, 2025.

Trinity Folk folk night (3rd Friday, Carnaby Diner, Ventnor) 2 x ~10 min tales between 7.30 and 9.30): TBC

LAST BEER FESTIVAL:

The Star Coffee and Ale House Cider and Sausage Festival, Ryde, with Wild Roses / The Anywhens (15 mins of music, then a 10-15 min tale, in rotation), Friday, Saturday 26th, 2025, 7pm

LAST POP UP:

Sunday October 27th, 2024, 2 x 30 min sets, 12pm-ish, and 1.45pm-ish.

RECENT SHOWS:

Recent pop-up outings include tales at Two Cooks (Ventnor) during Ventnor Fringe, 2025, in the Something Else Tea Tent, as well as round the fire, at Bearded Theory, 2025.

2024 outings included: Waverley Holiday Park Beer/Music/Spoken Word Festival (2024), Calbourne Water Mill Apple Day, Beautiful Days Festival (Magic Teapot 2023/2024; Tiny Tea Tent, 2024), Bearded Theory 2024 (Magic Teapot, round the fireside, and back at our tent encampment), Ventnor (free) Fringe (2024), Chale Show (Somewhen Storytelling Tent, 2024).

Open Mics/folk nights: Solent Inn, Ryde, many Thursdays, ~8-9pm; Railway Inn, Ryde, occasional Wednesdays; Trinity folk@Carnaby’s, Ventnor, 3rd Friday if we’re around; Waverley folk night, Newport, occasional Wednesdays; Arreton Barns folk night, occasional Tuesdays; Spoken Word at Monkton Arts, third Thursday, if we’re around. Any more I should try out? Ideally, a 10-15 minute slot to give the story time to breathe.

For previous shows and solo shows, see here.


Monty [photo credit: Graham Brown]
Monty [photo credit: Graham Brown]
Monty [photo credit: Graham Brown]
Monty by the Book Bus, Ventnor Fringe, 2022 [photo credit: Graham Brown]

As well as telling tales, Monty also publishes notes and curiosities that fall out of his search for new stories. You can find some of them here:

He also publishes notes and jottings relating to various search and presentation tools that typically end up getting built along the way:


For a list of folk nights on the Isle of Wight, see Folk on Wight — Club Nights / Sessions.

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