Sophie has as range of specific performance shows you can book, more details of which are given below. But if you have a particular event that you would like a piece developed for, or a set of stories presented at, do please get in touch. Sophie has a wide repertoire of traditional folk tales, myths and legends to choose from - and a good knowledge of how to put together an evening - or daytime - entertainment suitable for the planned audience.

If you are a library, tourist attraction, museum or art gallery - how about stories chosen to reflect a particular theme or period, or selected to highlight a particular event, or set of exhibits and objects? Maybe this is a commemorative day, a dinner or event launch?

Sophie has done special sets for St George's Day (23rd April), Bastille Day (14th July), for World Book Day, on Medieval Romance, and for Christmas, Halloween and Easter. Other events have included arts and literature festivals, storytelling festivals and clubs, music festivals, pub evenings, museum daytime and evening events, family celebrations, corporate away days, rotary clubs, eco-friendly fairs and storywalks to encourage the use of local parks.


For Children / Young Adults

Sophie has popular collections of stories on pirates, dragons, "monsters, magic and mayhem", lovelorn heroes and beautiful princesses, mischievous and clever animals, Halloween and Christmas. She tells for all ages, whether toddlers, primary school age or teenagers and young adults. As a writer for children herself, she also performs some of her own stories and interjects the fun with a few of her own poems. Sophie regularly works in school settings - primary, secondary and pre-school - see the Schools page for more details.

For the very young she uses a range of techniques to engage and involve, with a repertoire of lively stories, and a treasure chest of hand puppets, face masks and percussive instruments.

For slightly older children, she still uses the props but also has a colourful dragon that travels with her. With three young boys of her own, Sophie is particularly good at finding stories that engage both boys and girls. Fun, scary, silly, mysterious and even romantic - her exhuberant style and vivid imagery draws you in.

For young adults and students, the stories are more mature, but just as much fun. Teasing tales to thrill and engross - storytelling is not just for the little ones!

Here are 2 specific performance storytelling shows you might like to consider - developed for different age groups and suitable for all venues:

Monsters, Magic and Mayhem
For children age 7 +
Length 45 - 55 mins

Pirates living under unusual conditions, clashing dragons, a strange tale of a Welsh water spirit linked to a family secret, and the monstrously gruesome tale of the Hairy Toe - this is a collection of uproarious tales drawn from the folk traditions of the British Isles. Tales to surprise and delight and guaranteed to enthral both children and accompanying adults.

"How you kept them so quiet and enrapt was amazing - they were completely caught up in the stories"

The Green Bottle Pirate and other Tales
For children age 2 – 6.
Length c 30 mins.

An engaging set of short tales, both familiar and new, especially for little ones.  With the help of a few hand puppets and animal face masks, rhythm, rhyme and story combine to give younger listeners a really fun, interactive dip into storytelling.  Join in and find out what happened next with tales about aspirational pirates, grumpy dragons and the 3 irrepressible billy goats gruff!

"The little stories were great fun!"

"We loved the puppets - and the dragon - fabulous! My little girl is dragon-mad and was delighted by the whole thing!"

Owen of the Red Hand and other Celtic Legends

For families and adults.
Length c 30 to 60 minutes as required.

New! A collection of Welsh folk tales and legends. Ancient heroes, mystical lakes and playful creatures from another world. Beyond the great legendry story cycles of the Mabinogion come the little tales - fun, magical tales with more than a hint of the strange mystical landscape that is Wales. Ordinary folk in extraordinary circumstances... How not to marry a mermaid, Owen of the Red Hand (and a hint of Arthur to come), a playful goat with a mind of her own, a strange encounter with the fairy folk in the forest, stories that reveal an even more ancient landscape carved and shaped by the fateful decisions of men.

"A recent project with a local school inspired me to research a whole host of Welsh folk tales and legends, then as I started telling them I realised how little known the stories are, and they would make a really fun family-friendly show that would share a little of the original Celtic culture of the British Isles." Sophie


For Adults

Storytelling has traditionally always been an entertainment for adults every bit as much as for children and there is a well established network of venues for adult storytelling events - clubs, pubs, arts venues, festivals, candle-lit cafes, church and village halls, manor houses, outdoor camp fires and story walks - indeed the more unusual the venue, the more atmospheric and memorable the experience. Here are a few of Sophie's specific set pieces:

Seven Deadly Sins

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned!" Do you have anything to confess?"

A young girl hiding in the confessional overhears her neighbours' confessions - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride - whispered revelations of sinning and secret desires. As she listens with growing unease, stories unfold that should never be told...

At turns dark and comic, this show offers twisting tales from the stones and bones of the British Isles - where the Devil watches in delight and angels weep... As each story unfolds, more of the seven deadly sins are divulged - in all their glorious, sometimes comic and even darkly gruesome colours. Until finally our heroine overhears one final devastating revelation - and the penny drops...

You'll be hooked from the start, through each twist and turn, as you try to guess where each story is finally heading. So be prepared for thrills and spills on this rollicking ride through the Seven Deadly Sins!

"To possess that charisma, that energy, that memory! Spellbinding and better than any film or TV... a beautiful piece... Fantastic Evening - wonderful!" Amanda Bowman, BBC Radio Nottingham, re SDS at Nottingham StoryFest March 2010

"Absolutely wonderful! Blown away!" Animated magic.""Stunning!" "Well worth the journey all the way from Spain to hear you!" Audience feedback for SDS, at Flying Donkeys, Derby, October 2009

Fireside Ghost Tales

Developed initially alongside fellow Nottingham Storyteller, Pete Davis, as a piece for performing in a local haunted mediaval pub (an old abbey!). Here is an evening of spine tingling tales - murderous monks, treacherous train tracks, a crazy Scottish piper and a Cornish pirate abandoned to his hideous fate - nevermind the teasingly fearful history of the abbey's very own apparitions...

These are the tales behind various ghostly apparitions. Be prepared for skull-duggory and lustful lords and ladies who linger long after their death... Can be booked as a joint storytelling with Pete or Sophie on her own. If you have a local ghostly tale of your own - we will happily weave it in! Great for a local pub event or village hall.

Halloween

A special collection of tales to celebrate Halloween - the adult version! Gruesome ghosts, devillish tricks, beautiful witches and hideous monsters - these are tales waiting to pounce! Perfect for all the fun of Halloween - not to be taken seriously - until the wee small hours of the morning when all is dark and quiet - too quiet! (Sophie doesn't usually dress up for storytelling but she does have a gothic witch's costume for this one!)

Note - there is a family friendly version of this show - different stories but just as much fun!

Sophie has been leading Halloween story walks for Quarndon Live and Local (her village event's group) every year in her local park, Allestree Park Derby - an event that is rapidly gathering a following amongst both local families and adults. A strange raggle taggle collective of creatures and monsters listening to tales in the moonlit grounds of old Allestree Hall...

The Elements

An exploration of the four elements - Air, Water, Earth and Fire and the more ethereal, mysterious Fifth Element. At turns eloquent and lyrical, gritty and sharp, these stories open your eyes to a different world, where anything might happen and usually does.

Written and developed originally for an Oxfam event in Nottinghamshire, 2009, and jointly performed with fellow "Flying Donkey" Mel Blount. This can be performed jointly or with just Sophie and is perfect for any event or festival seeking tales from around the world suitable for older children and adults.

"A feast for the senses."



Local Storytelling Clubs

Sophie is one of the Flying Donkeys at Derby's the VoiceBox (who meet 2nd and 4th Wed of the month), and is also a member of the Nottingham Storytellers (who can be found at the Olde Trip to Jerusalem, under Nottingham Castle, fourth Thurs of the month). She can be seen regularly storytelling at both of these clubs - check out these links for more information on where and when they host storytelling events:

www.flyingdonkeys.co.uk

www.storytellersofnottingham.co.uk

"Lively and engaging. Sophie's natural ability to tell a good tale captivated our audience. She really involved them and hoots of laughter echoed around this Tudor building. I can't wait to have her back again!"

Anita Spencer, Curator, Bakewell Old House Museum