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.
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:
- Storytelling Notes
- Isle of Wight Storynotes
- In Search of Fionn MacCumhaill and the Fianna
- Middle English Romances
- Winter Tales
- Classical Greek and Roman Myths
- On the Trail of the Sin-Eater
- On the Loss of the Eurydice
- Chasing the Ace of Spades
- WIP: Protest Tales — Luddites and Rebels
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.
