2016
Welcome to the Story Friday Archive
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Story Friday
Gold
Stories from Story Friday: Gold
Stories from Gold, first performed at Story Friday Gold, 15th January 2016, Burdall’s Yard, Bath
We thought we’d brighten up the cold dark nights of January with a bit of glitter, so we set the theme GOLD. We had a host of fabulous stories from Mark Rutterford, Tricia Wastvedt, June Wentland, John Barter, Clare Reddaway and Philip Douch.
There were stories of ice, of love and death, of unusual medical cures and astrological portents, stories set in 17th century Saxony, in the forests of Eastern Europe and some that take place just round the corner.
Bristol A Cappella Choir
We were really pleased to welcome the Bristol A-Capella Choir to Burdall’s Yard for Gold. They performed brilliantly for us – many thanks to all of you!
The Stories:
1. Found in the Earth, written and read by Mark Rutterford
2. Ice River, written by Tricia Wastvedt, read by Caroline Garland. (Baba Yaga is a witch in Eastern European and Russian folk tales)
3. Foretold, written and read by June Wentland
4. Gold, written and read by John Barter
5. Striking Gold, written and read by Philip Douch
6. The Alchemist’s Mother, written and read by Clare Reddaway
Story Friday
Fools
Stories from Story Friday: Fools
Stories from Fools, first performed at Story Friday Fools, 1st April 2016, Burdall’s Yard, Bath.
Story Friday in April fell on the 1st, so we couldn’t resist. We had wonderful tales of fools and foolishness to celebrate. The writers were Stephanie Weston, Julie Green, Julie Hayman, John Barter, John Holland, Adrian Paul and Clare Reddaway.
Olly Langdon provided a Deep South accent for John Holland’s story Orly, and Kirsty Cox read Julie Hayman’s story Lacework beautifully.
We were really pleased that we were joined for the first time by the talented and glamorous Francesca K, a vintage events singer, who filled the bar with her beautiful voice.
The Stories:
1. The Fool Factor, written and read by Stephanie Weston
2. Lacework, written by Julie Hayman, read by Kirsty Cox
3. Juggernaut, written and read by Adrian Paul
4. Orly, written by John Holland, read by Oliver Langdon
5. The Interview, written and read by Clare Reddaway
6. Gooseberry Fool Kulfi, written and read by John Barter
7. Co-ordinated Cushions And Other Foolish Notions, written and read by Julie Green
Story Friday
Outsiders
Stories from Story Friday: Outsiders
Stories from Outsiders, first performed at Story Friday Outsiders, 23rd September 2016, Burdall’s Yard, Bath.
Story Friday in September took the theme of Outsiders. This proved to be a particularly inspiring and we had some wonderful submissions – we couldn’t hear all of them or we’d still be sitting at Burdall’s Yard. But we did have a fantastic selection.
We heard stories read by writers Stephanie Weston, Crysse Morrison, Clare Reddaway, Elaine Miles and Christine Roberts, all of whom have been on the Burdall’s stage before, and it was great to welcome Conor Houghton and Rosalind Minett, whose stories went down a storm. We had aliens and transvestites, demobbed soldiers and Irish protestants, racist teenagers and vegetarians, we were in Ireland, in Somerset and in the past. I’d really recommend having a listen.
We were very pleased to welcome back jazz-pop duo Tracey and Jason . We love Tracey’s ethereal vocals and Jason’s wonderful guitar playing, and the audience certainly loved them too.
Conor Houghton’s Tan was an hilarious triumph. A treat to listen to again.
The Stories:
1. Tan, written and read by Conor Houghton.
2. Christine Roberts’ stories are always punchy and relevant. This is no exception. Wonderfully read by Madelaine Ryan.
Uncorking the Genii, written by Christine Roberts, read by Madelaine Ryan.
3. Stephanie Weston’s short monologues are always popular at Story Fridays.
Report No 2, written and read by Stephanie Weston.
4. Rosalind Minett’s story of a demobbed soldier wrenched at our heartstrings. Beautifully read by Olly Langdon.
The Return, written by Rosalind Minett, read by Olly Langdon.
5. Crysse Morrison’s uplifting and positive story has some very memorable images. I won’t spoil it for you!
And the Bride Wore Silver Scales, written and read by Crysse Morrison.
5. Elaine Miles’ contributions to Story Fridays are always fantastic. This is a very funny addition to her repertoire .
Epiphany, written and read by Elaine Miles.
6. Clare Reddaway takes us back to Ireland in this story; A Visit to Arvagh, written and read by Clare Reddaway.
Story Friday
Solstice
Stories from Story Friday: Solstice
Stories from Solstice, first performed at Story Friday Solstice, 17th June 2016, Burdall’s Yard, Bath.
Story Friday in June fell on the 17th – which very close indeed to the Midsummer Solstice, so Solstice was our theme.
We were delighted to welcome writers Adrian Paul, Elaine Miles, Mark Rutterford and Clare Reddaway back to Story Fridays and to hear from newcomers Cherry Potts and Caroline Wookey. We had stories of blood, guts and pagan rituals, stories of neighbours and neighbourhood watches, stories that made the audience shiver and stories that made them laugh.
If you couldn’t come along on the evening, do have a listen to the recordings below – they are well worth it!
We had fun making our own mini-Stonehenge…
We were very pleased to welcome back Francesca K to sing for us. We were so delighted by her performance at Story Friday Fools that we thought the audience would like to hear her again. They did!
The Stories:
1. Invisible, written and read by Elaine Miles.
2. Inside Outside In, written and read by Adrian Paul.
3. Midsummer Morris Marathon, written and read by Cherry Potts.
4. Still and Always, written and read by Mark Rutterford.
5. New Horizon, written and read by Caroline Wookey.
6. The New Religion, written and read by Clare Reddaway.
Story Friday
War
Stories from Story Friday: War
Stories from War, first performed at Story Friday War, 11th November 2016, Burdall’s Yard, Bath
Our Story Friday in November fell on the 11th, and it seemed only right to spend Armistice Day thinking about War, now and then, here and elsewhere.
We had some wonderful stories for Story Friday War from: Richard Bond, Mark Hynes, Sally Gander, Diana Cambridge, Julie Hayman, Hedva Anbar and Doc Watson, ably helped by actors Adam Fuller and Madelaine Ryan. They read stories about wars near and far, recent and in the past, domestic and international.
Instead of live music for this Story Friday we made a contribution to Bath Welcomes Refugees. We also had a bucket on the bar and raised a fantastic £61.30 for the charity. Story Fridays topped this up to £111.30, which will go to help the charity’s work with Syrian refugees in Bath. Thank you all very much indeed!
Do have a listen to our stories – our writers took the theme of war in many different thought-provoking directions.
We’ve got two pieces of flash fiction written by Richard Bond, which focus on two wars, far apart in time.
The Stories:
1. Firstly, there’s Sky Blue, written by Richard Bond and read by Doc Watson.
2. Then there’s A Bigger Heavier Thing, written by Richard Bond and read by Adam Fuller.
3. We were taken to the Soviet Union in World War Two with Night Witches, written and read by Mark Hynes.
4. Two domestic war stories now. Sugar was written and read by Diana Cambridge, with inserts read by Andres Bolado.
5. Rules of Engagement was written and read by Sally Gander.
6. Hedva Anbar mixed games and war, past and present, in War Games, written by Hedva Anbar and read by Madelaine Ryan.
7. Julie Hayman used a fairytale as the basis for a very modern story of war in Tinderbox, written by Julie Hayman and read by Adam Fuller.
8. Finally, listen to Doc Watson’s wonderful psychological interrogation in The Glass of Water, written and read by Doc Watson.