Stephe Harrop
@stepheharrop.bsky.social
What newspapers are willing to pay for (not much, ay this point) certainly shapes the commercial end of the landscape. But I'd argue that the desire (if not the opportunity or platform) to produce 'thoughtful writing on performance' connects writers of theatre criticism across those boundaries.
(Also, this response is brought to you by the thought, "I miss Exeunt.")
I suspect that's not the kind of criticism you're thinking of. But still.
Proper theatre criticism is a brilliant thing, allowing people without immediate access to engage with emerging work/ideas; preserving details of performances that (often, still) wouldn't otherwise be documented; and - on a very good day - capturing the energy or feel of a cultural moment.
Now on sale - my new storytelling show celebrating the remarkable women of the "Age of Aethelflaed", whose lives wove together the bright and dark threads of an emerging England.
New spoken-word commissioned as part of #Athelstan1100 celebrations:
www.athelstan1100.co.uk
An intense, engaging couple of days in Berlin, working with brilliant interdisciplinary researchers to explore the changing meanings of a single artwork, and using contemporary storytelling to uncover and comunicate some of his/its multi-layered histories and myths.
arthist.net/archive/41658
What about this for an extraordinary storytelling space?
It was a real pleasure to square up to Berlin's own Belvedere Torso, and share "Speaking Stories" with a brilliant roomful of listeners today.
arthist.net/archive/41658
Worried that you don’t have anyone to ‘dance the sun up’ with on May morning? Fear not! The fastest growing (virtual) Morris dancing team wants YOU to become a hedge morris dancer this May 1st ...
tradfolk.co/performance/...
Join the ‘hedge morris’ dancing revolution - Tradfolk
Lucy Wright returns with a call to arms, inviting the world's solo Morris dancers to join her in the Hedge Morris Revolution.
tradfolk.co
Spending this afternoon working on my Speaking Stone storytelling/research commission, thinking about bodies transforming, and the spring-flower scent of half-grasped futures ...
arthist.net/archive/41658
Meet Signora Kauffman of Soho and via Sistina, who's rapidly (and unexpectedly) emerging as one of the heroines of my "Speaking Stone" storytelling project.
There's loads of excellent introductory material about her here: www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/a...
Next week, I'll be smashing out stories of extraordinary women with the ever-excellent Story Jam at Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds. Woohoo!
Women Who Gave Not Hoot Nor Toot www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk/whatson-even...
storyjamjar.com
Traces of urban folk rituals / magics in rainy Edinburgh today?
Really enjoying getting #QueensofAlbion back on its feet ahead of a show next week at Sheffield's Story Forge.
Featuring Princesses! Tempests! Sequins! Principal Boys! Plus, I spill the beans on how a giant made me miss my ninth birthday party ...
fb.me/e/4dmZjWclP
Queens of Albion
Event in Sheffield, United Kingdom by The Story Forge on Tuesday, March 19 2024
fb.me
Really enjoying getting #QueensofAlbion back on its feet ahead of a show next week at #Sheffield's Story Forge.
Featuring Princesses! Tempests! Sequins! Principal Boys! Plus, I spill the beans on how a giant made me miss my ninth birthday party ...
fb.me/e/4dmZjWclP
#storytelling #legend #Albion
Queens of Albion
Event in Sheffield, United Kingdom by The Story Forge on Tuesday, March 19 2024
fb.mePersistence, cussedness, and the courage to give yourself time to find the right paths.
Sharing this splendid stuff from #Tradfolk, in remembrance of Sir Terry's contribution to the world of Morris dancing.
tradfolk.co/customs/cust...
#GNUTerryPratchett
Customs Uncovered: The Stick and Bucket Dance - Tradfolk
“We’re not doing the Stick and Bucket dance! I never want to hear any more ever about the Stick and Bucket dance! I still get twinges in my knee! So shut up about the Stick and Bucket dance!” Jason Og...
tradfolk.coTotally lucky. (I supervised a dissertation on augury once, so I'm an expert.)
Coming this week to Liverpool's Capstone Theatre, a double helping of ancient mythic storytelling that sets the women firmly centre stage. Check out this divine brilliance from Katy Cawkwell and Lucy Lill.
wildvisions.org
I actually do write about this a bit in the last chapter of my latest book, Contemporary Storytelling Performance www.routledge.com/Contemporary...
Contemporary Storytelling Performance: Female Artists on Practices, Platforms, Presences
This book focuses on a rising generation of female storytellers, analysing their innovation in interdisciplinary collaboration, and their creation of new multimedia platforms for story-led performance...
www.routledge.com
Really fascinating stuff here on links between Campbell's Hero's Journey and contemporary 'culture wars'.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
BBC Radio 4 - Things Fell Apart, S2. Ep 8: Mikki’s Hero’s Journey
An unlikely culture warrior connects each of our stories.
www.bbc.co.ukThank you for sharing. Wishing you the birthday you wish for yourself. 💛
Classic children's telly, with bonus Superb Owls. Gorgeous stuff.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Bagpuss - Series 1: 2. The Owls of Athens
Madeleine tells a story about the owls of Athens, who were such beautiful singers.
www.bbc.co.uk
Still smiling to myself after a glorious session of Burns Night storytelling at West Horsley Place this week.
There were fairies and selkies, lost souls walking lonely paths past sunset, a dive into dark waters, and even a lone piper in the moonlight ...
Loved it.
www.westhorsleyplace.org
Excellent list! Would it be OK to share this with some of my students (with attribution, of course)? We're working on a play right now that covers ALL of this.
Really looking forward to telling some Tales After Dark for Burns Night tomorrow. I've got a head full of fairies and selkies and lost souls walking lonely paths past sunset ...
www.westhorsleyplace.org/Event/tales-...
Tales After Dark: Burns Night - 25/01/2024 18:00:00
25 January. Intimate, dramatic tours of the manor house. This January we celebrate Burns Night with a Scottish-flavoured evening, with logs burning. SOLD OUT
www.westhorsleyplace.org“I don’t know who I am, I don’t know what I am… but I am” Anne Briggs interviewed www.uncut.co.uk/features/i-d...
“I don’t know who I am, I don’t know what I am... but I am” Anne Briggs interviewed
In a rare and remarkable interview, the elusive folk singer talks frankly about her extraordinary life and her brief but indelible career
www.uncut.co.ukExcellent thread of elephantine pub folklore (for those who like that sort of thing.)
While researching book 3 I've gone down an absolute rabbit hole of 'pubs that claim that a circus elephant is buried in their beer garden.'
First up - The Talbot in Tregaron where a long running rumour had Jwmbi the elephant buried there after drinking posioned water
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wale...
Tregaron elephant mystery remains after pub dig
Archaeologists will continue the hunt for a legendary circus elephant after a pub garden dig, with new information on where the skeleton could lie.
www.bbc.co.uk
I have precisely no chill about the fact that I'm spending Burns Night at West Horsley Place, spinning stories of ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night. It's going to be spine-tingling and splendid ...
www.westhorsleyplace.org/Event/tales-...
Thanks so much for sharing, Robin. 💛 Here's to lives of happiness! (And to good books, all the way to the end.)
Look, I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing, but it feels important just now to remind myself of some excellent research/storytelling stuff I made happen this year.
School libraries are sanctuaries, creative playgrounds, and imaginative launch pads. Maybe check out this fundraiser, and help a little if you're able?
@stepheharrop.bsky.social hello! How r u?
I’m contacting folk who seem to care about community to see if they might get the word out to help us raise cash for a proper primary school library.
Would you give us a shout out to help us try to raise the ££?
www.justgiving.com/campaign/redlandslibrary
A couple of bits of quiet, unshowy progress on the bouldering wall. Deeply satisfying. #TinyJoys