Storytelling: Traditional Tales, Myths and Legends
Storytelling sessions can be planned to suit slots in the venue's day with up to two hours of telling in a morning and/or afternoon.
To discuss the scheduling of a storytelling visit, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
For educational settings, each storytelling set is supported by a pack of online resources to provide context as well as suggesting activities to support teaching and learning.
In addition to the tellings, each set of stories can be accompanied by a workshop of 45-60 minutes. In each workshop, participants explore narrative through storytelling and drama activities tailored to the needs of the group or age phase. To request further information about workshops, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
A World of Stories (Early Years - KS5)
Alastair has a wide repertoire of stories from around the world which he presents honouring their origins in different cultures, and providing context for the original versions. This set can be tailored to particular themes and topics. This set can be tailored to the needs of young children or address more complex themes for older students.
Really Grimm Tales (KS1 - KS5)
Familiar images from fairy tales appear throughout popular culture, e.g. a glass shoe being placed on a delicate foot, or the glimpse of a red cape between the trees of a dark forest. In this set, Alastair presents some of the lesser-known stories from the collection of the Brothers Grimm alongside more familiar tales. This set can be tailored to the needs of young children or address more complex themes for older students.
Tales of Ancient Lands (KS1 - KS4)
From the story of Theseus and the Minotaur to an Egyptian tale which is possibly the earliest known version of Cinderella, myths and legends of the ancient world provide cultural reference points for much of European (and wider) literature, as well as ideas which have influenced how societies have been organised since. This set of stories explores ideas of the hero, the place of women in the ancient world and how the lives of mortals were dependent on the capricious nature of the gods. The set can be tailored to the needs of young children or to address more complex themes for older students.
Tales of the Islands (KS1 - KS4)
The British Isles are rich with stories and legends associated with place. From the Scottish version of the Frog Prince to an Irish legend of brothers transformed, from the English Pied Piper to a Welsh tale of canine loyalty, this set of stories takes the audience on a journey to explore every corner of the British Isles.
Kings, Cobras and Carrion (UKS1-KS5)
Alastair has been fascinated with all things Ancient Egyptian since his childhood when he was lucky enough to visit the Tutankhamen exhibition at the British Museum one grey London day. From poetry in praise of the solar disk, to the adventures of the Doomed Prince and the earliest version of Cinderella, this set of stories travels the Nile to explore one of the greatest civilisations of the ancient world. To see videos from a telling of Kings, Cobras and Carrion to an adult audience, click here.
