Lyric Lounge: Storytelling Workshop

 

Nottingham’s Festival of Words thinks outside the book. An example of this was found at the Nottingham Contemporary where words came alive, and not a book in sight. This ‘storytelling special’ and celebration of the spoken word was hosted by the East Midlands’ Lyric Lounge. 

 

The packed programme presented a dilemma, should I begin with the performance poetry or attend a storytelling workshop? The bar was featuring shows from Mark Gwynne Jones and Little Machine. I’d seen Mark before and enjoyed his unique crossover between poetry and observational comedy but decided to toss a coin. Tails - for the workshop. 

 

Sophie Snell was offering this taster session on the art of oral storytelling. A full-time professional storyteller, Sophie had recently become chair of Tales from Two Cities, combining groups from Nottingham and Derby. This new super-group was formed after the sad passing of Pete Davis, founder of Storytellers of Nottingham.

 

Five minutes in and I was sat in a studio with just one other punter, listening to the laughter and applause rising from the room below. Then the other guy gave it the old is that my phone? trick and slipped out never to return. 

 

Eventually Sophie had eight of us to teach. She began by telling a gory story based on an old myth, The Hand of Glory. With Sophie’s changes of pace, facial expressions and body language, it was evident that we were in the presence of a fine storyteller, combining many of the skills of an actor, comic and writer. 
 

There’s a rhythm to the stories, much like music. And, as with a chorus, there’s often a repetitive section of rhyme that encourages the audience to join in. It seems that to be a master storyteller you must first master the story. The tale travels along in the same order every time but each telling can be adapted to fit the needs and makeup of the audience. Scenes appear as images in the teller’s head and, after minimal description, the listener forms their own version. 

 

Sophie trawls the internet, digging out folktales, often just the bones of a story, from which she can add the meat in her own style. It’s this that makes the old tales fresh and unique to each new storyteller. We also learnt how important a cosy venue is: ideally, one with no distractions that also allows the teller to read the listeners’ faces. The tips kept coming in this excellent session. Like, how to keep the stories simple, making them easy to follow, and remember.  

 

Sophie has caught the storytelling bug and her passion for it shines. After Pete Davis did so much to raise the profile of storytelling in the city it’s good to know that the art of spinning a yarn is in good hands. Tales from Two Cities hold regular storytelling evenings, alternating monthly between Derby and Nottingham. Many of these feature open-mic segments so give it a go. 

 

By the time we made it down to the bar area, Little Machine - a South London acoustic trio that put classic poems to music - had just finished and the open-mic section was in swing. Poet Laureate for Lincolnshire Joel Stickley was emceeing the bash and he was a good choice for the role. His Dave Gorman-esque style and generosity of limelight allowed the plucky poets and storytellers to showcase their diverse skills.  

 

 

From members of Mouthy Poets to the rank amateurs the poetry was accessible, and the standard impressive, the audience equally so. A large crowd, sympathetic and encouraging, cheered each speaker to and from the stage while listening with the upmost respect during the performances. It made for a warm atmosphere, perfect for the spoken word. So much so that two members of the workshop found the bottle to join the open-mic. Proof, if needed, of the workshop’s success.

 

Headlining the evening was Shonaleigh Cumbers. I’d attended her one woman show at the Playhouse a couple of years back and, unfortunately for me, many of the stories were making a repeat outing here. Still, she was on good form and generated much laughter and admiration from the crowd.

 

The spoken word as entertainment is alive and well in Nottingham.

 

Festival of Words website