I have told stories to appreciative adult audiences in a variety of settings from festivals to cafes to church halls to private parties. Some of my stories are funny, some are thought-provoking, others are decidedly Grimm, but always they are well received. I am co-host of a storytelling club for adults, Lichfield Storytellers, and for several years I was co-director of the Martineau Gardens Storytelling Festival. I can offer various ready-made storytelling performances, all based on traditional and folk tales:
The Pirate and the Devil’s Tongue The night is drawing in on Cornwall’s Bodmin moor, and the fireside of the remote inn seems to offer sanctuary. Here, four strangers meet – the Captain, the Landlady, the Lad and the Man in the Shadows. None of them is quite who they appear to be, and while they share their stories of the golden age of piracy, other truths are kept hidden. Not all are sure of surviving the night, and as time moves on, their fate approaches ever closer. Storyteller Cath Edwards sings the folk songs and tells the stories within the story to take you back to a perilous time
Jack o’London When a life has been taken and no-one has paid, who can the poor rely on but the poor? Vivid characters, both real and from Victorian myth and fable, tread old London’s streets. Some scrape a living as best they can; one is characterised by greed and selfishness; one has hidden sorrows; one is irrepressibly optimistic; and one has stepped out of his own story, his little dog by his side. Into their lives comes Jack, a trickster who loves riddles, at home under cover of night. As all move between darkness and light, darker yet is the shadow cast by Newgate prison. Storyteller Cath Edwards tells the stories, asks the riddles and sings the songs that make up this intriguing show.
Love and Duty A warm and sympathetic glimpse into the interlinked lives of gentlewomen and working women in the 18th century, drawing on contemporary letters, diaries, account books, folk tales and songs. It follows the fortunes, secret longings and strivings for success of displaced farm girl Betty and Sarah, her employer. Finding their place amongst a vivid cast of characters, the two women pick their way through the social expectations of the time. This piece was devised for the 2016 Lichfield Georgian Heritage Weekend, and it has also been performed for International Women’s Day at Johnson’s House in Lichfield and at a number of festivals
Unconsidered Trifles This is a fascinating collection of stories saved from obscurity, all in their own way original yet rooted in tradition. Professional storyteller Cath Edwards tells the unheard tales: cracking good yarns just waiting for an audience to bring them to life! A tea master has to fight for his life; a family is at the mercy of a sinister servant; Daedalus and Icarus as you have never heard it before; and more.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night A deliciously chilling collection of stories. Come and hear yarns of mystery and horror from beyond the grave: the lover who cared too much; the Scottish piper who made a terrible bargain; the family at the mercy of a sinister servant, and much more. Some of these tales are creepy, some are poignant, some are even funny – just don’t walk home alone!
Fireside Fables, Winter Ghosts At the most wonderful storytelling time of the year, be transported to frozen lands where miraculous legends are born. Hear some scorchingly good stories to warm you when the days are cold, and meet a few winter spectres too. A special collection of tales with a wintry theme.
A Dream of Mary Webb Early 20th century author Mary Webb’s novels and lyrical poetry reflect her mystical, intuitive appreciation and love of the natural world. Her sympathetic understanding of human nature led her to draw vivid characters whose lives were deeply linked to her beloved Shropshire hills. And what if these people and their creator still in some sense exist in the wild landscape that helped to make them? Storyteller Cath invites you on a fabled journey through this dramatic countryside in conversation with Mary and some of her characters. This was a commission for the first Shropshire Folklore, Storytelling and Music Festival in July 2019.
Do contact me to discuss your needs; I have a large repertoire of stories and I can adapt to most occasions.