Category: events

In what’s becoming something of a regular venue for storytelling on the Island, Monty is returning to Babushka Books in Shanklin on Thursday, December 7th, EXTRA DATE Friday, December 8th, 2023, with a set entitled The Winter Cherries And Other Seasonal Tales. As ever, doors are 7pm for a 7.15pm start, and refreshments are included in the £5 ticket price.

Booking tickets in advance is essential, (not least so Reuben knows how much cake to bring!), from Babushka Books direct or via ‭07511 220038‬ / 01983 652880.

Setting the scene for Hallowe’en, Holly and Sue are taking a `Tis Tales set of sinister and strange stories to Babushka Books in Shanklin on Thursday, October 26th, 2023, whilst Monty is gallivanting off on the mainland somewhere…

Tickets priced £5 including refreshments are selling fast, but there’s still a few available from Babushka Books, or on 07511 220038 / 01983 652880.

It was blowing a bit of a hoolie as we were putting the final touches to the Somewhenever Story tent at the Chale Show showground this morning, so much so that with tents lifting the organisers were forced to cancel today’s (Saturday’s) show.

But as the storm passes through, we’re really looking forward to bringing a plethora of short storytelling slots to the show tomorrow, with tales for all ages on the hour, every hour, 11 till 4 inclusive, and with family friendly sets and activities on the half-past…

Stories for all ages, spoken not read….

With Ventnor Fringe over for another year, there’s no stopping the stories this summer… Upcoming this weekend, all three ‘Tis Tales tellers will be popping up in the Somewhenever Story Tent at Chale Show.

There’s a full programme of tales and other activities across both days (Saturday and Sunday), with 20 minutes of tales on the hour each day, from 11am to 4pm inclusive.

As part of the Somewhen Storytelling project, we are looking to raise awareness of storytelling as oral culture — tales told, not read — across the island, and across ages. Whilst the Chale Show story tent activities on the half hour are intended as family friendly events, many of the stories told on the hour are likely to be appropriate for all ages…

We’re gutted to have had to announce that Daniel Morden has had to withdraw from this week’s Ventnor Fringe Festival show — we hope he makes a speedy recovery to full health — but really excited that Sue Bailey managed to catch up with Xanthe Gresham whilst at Festival at the Edge over the weekend and persuade her to bring her “Bag of Wonders” show in place of Dark Tales.

All tickets for “Dark Tales” will transfer to the replacement “Bag of Wonders” show (refunds also available on request… but you’d be missing a treat!)

Anyone interested in tickets for the replacement show (same time: 5-6pm, Weds 26th July, 2023; same place: Ventnor Arts Club) can get them from the original event page: https://vfringe.co.uk/events/dark-tales-from-the-woods/

Storytelling that’s as sharp as a lemon and as sweet as a nut. Accept it or not, we’re all hooked on our baggage system…

…whether it’s a clutch bag or a holdall. But forget what’s in yours, and come and rummage around in Xanthe’s bottomless bag. Between the kitchen sink and the old tube tickets lies a pick and mix of marvels, fibs and fables.

Featuring audience prompted stories accompanied by great accordion playing, performer Xanthe Gresham-Knight is hot footing it down from international storytelling festival, Festival at the Edge, to Ventnor, to present storytelling in its liveliest and most interactive form. So come and see what you can pull from this lucky dip!

As presented at the Soho Theatre and Literature Festivals throughout the UK, Europe and New Zealand.

“An audible feast!” Gulf News, Waiheke Island New Zealand

“The Island story-loving audience – and anyone story-curious – is going to LOVE Xanthe’s repertoire of stories and her playful, connected style of telling and her verbal ingenuity!” Nell Phoenix, Somewhen Storytelling Festival, 2023, headliner.

We send Daniel our best wishes and hope he makes a speedy recovery. And we’ll hopefully get him onto the island somewhen soon:-)

Don’t miss out, there’s still time to book your tickets for our new show, Here Be Giants, at the Ventnor Arts Club on Friday, July 28th, 3-4pm. Tickets available here.

We’re involved with a whole host of stories at Ventnor Fringe this week, in part under the banner of the Somewhen Storytelling initiative.

First up, ‘Tis Tales Monty is bringing his “Unfortunate Consequences (Verging on Nonsense)” set to Boniface Studios on Sunday 23rd July, 2023, 5-6pm. Tickets: £8, Under 25 £5, Culture / Unlimited Pass 2for1 available here.

Whatever the streaming services try to tell you, the best stories, and the best storytelling, are NOT best told through a screen…

The best stories are the stories that just kept on, and keep on, being told, somewherever, and somewhenever, for generations. And the best way to experience them is the original way – from a storyteller. Traditional stories, traditionally told, but still as colourful and vibrant, and entertaining as ever they were. Every so often, some of them disappear from view, but then they make a return, and re-enter the storytelling tradition they never really left…

So make yourself comfortable, and journey with Island-based traditional performance storyteller Tony Hirst, aka Monty, to the land of once upon a time, where tales are told that aren’t (just) for children. Come and hear tell of how two farmers tried to get the better of their neighbour, whilst a young prince accepted a challenge to win a beautiful princess. A dragon-serpent watches on as a childless old couple suddenly find they have a child to bring up, a blacksmith does a deal with a devil, and a young man certainly knows how to use his head.

What could possibly go wrong…?

Monty will also be doing a free fringe set at the Fringe Square, St Catherine’s Church, 1pm-1.30pm on Tuesday, July 25th, 2023, telling “Folk Tales from Britain and Ireland”.

Just a fortnight or so to go before Ventnor Fringe — have you started getting your tickets yet? There are 2for1 offers on many shows, if you’re quick, and it’s a real confidence boost be performers knowing in advance that there will be audience there!

A huge treat for us is having Daniel Morden at the Ventnor Fringe. One of the most compelling tellers of dark tales out there, Daniel’s set will feature his own reworked versions of several late 19th century tales from the Woods’, a legendary Welsh gypsy family. A show not to be missed. Tickets available here.

There’s also a whole host of local tellers at the fringe: we’ll be there as `Tis Tales, as well as with the Island Storytellers, and Monty and Sue are also doing solo slots. Tickets now available from the Ventnor Fringe website: just search for somewhen or storytelling.

If you’ve seen us telling around the island, we’d love to see you at the fringe. If the shows are a success, we’re more likely to attract more storytellers to the island in future.

We also appreciate that the cost of tickets can quickly add up, but all our shows offer 2-for-1 discounts if you’re a friend of the fringe or Ventnor Exchange (and you but the tickets in time!). There are also discounts for under-25s. There are also quite a few costs involved in putting on a show (programme entry fee, box office take, minimum venue take/percentage), so we’re not necessarily laughing all the way to the bank! (We also don’t want to undersell ourselves,. but that’s really for you to judge…)

As part of the Island-based Somwhen Storytelling initiative, ‘Tis Tales will be appearing as one of several Somewhen affiliated events at Ventnor Fringe.

Search for somewhen storytelling on the Ventnor Fringe website.

Tickets for all our events are already on sale from the Ventnor Fringe Box Office. Please help spread the word…

• DANIEL MORDEN — DARK TALES FROM THE WOODS (performance storytelling from internationally renowned, award winning Welsh storyteller, Daniel Mordern)
• ‘TIS TALES — HERE BE GIANTS (performance storytelling from Island based storytelling trio ‘Tis Tales…)
• ISLAND STORYTELLERS — GREEN (Island Storytellers’ storytelling gang show)
• TONY “MONTY” HIRST — UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES (performance storytelling that doesn’t quite fit the two song folk night/open mic slot format )
• SUE BAILEY — ONE SOCK – A STORYTELLING RIDDLE FILLED SOCK HUNT (ever popular, family friendly story walks with Sue)

If you like storytelling (stories as traditionally told (NOT read), or are just intrigued as to how stories might not just be for children, please try to support these events. Any profits generated will go back into the pot to help us bring more professional storytellers to the Island.