A performer with ‘Tis Tales and Stories’n’Harp, as well as solo shows. and 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: monty AT tistales.org.uk
INTENDED UPCOMING & RECENT FOLK CLUBS & OPEN MICS:
Dairyman’s Daughter / Arreton Barns folk night (Tuesdays, from 8pm): TBC
Waverley Inn folk night, Carisbrooke (Wednesdays, from 7pm): 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 16th Oct, 2024.
Duke of York open mic, Cowes, (Thursdays, first time; 5 min slot?): Thurs 23rd Oct, 2024
Trinity Folk folk night (3rd Friday, Carnaby Diner, Ventnor) 2 x ~10 min tales between 7.30 and 9.30): Friday 17th Oct, 2024.
NEXT POP UP:
Calbourne Water Mill Apple Day, Sunday October 27th, 2024, 2 x 30 min sets, 12pm-ish, and 1.45pm-ish.
NEXT SHOW:
Saturday, 3-4pm, September 21st, 2024, Fu-Bar, as part of Isle of Wight Steampunk Festival.
Also see forthcoming dates with Stories’n’Harp, and ‘Tis Tales…
Recent pop-up outings include tales at Waverley Holiday Park Beer/Music/Spoken Word Festival (2024), 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 (2023/2024), Chale Show (Somewhen Storytelling Tent,2023/2024).
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.
