Jon the Storyteller

Hello all! Sorry it’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything – but it’s certainly not because I’ve been idle. The Marriage of Njord and Skadi launch gig was WONDERFUL – thanks a million to Katy Rodda, Dryadic, Rachel Levy, the Jolly Brewer pub, and most of all my mucker Simon Russell for a great afternoon. Since then Simon and I have also had a great morning at the Annan School near Ringmer, giving a workshop for 6-11 year olds on making comics; and Simon has been to the Portsmouth Comic Con to meet other creators and share our work. And I’ve also I’ve been lucky to have LOADS of interesting gigs fall into my lap, and have been hard at work brewing all sorts of other things – so here’s a round-up of exciting things to come:

The TIME TRAVEL TREASURE HUNT returns THIS COMING WEEKEND! On Sat 25th May I’m delighted to be part of Brighton Festival’s Our Place programme at Hangleton Community Centre. But Brighton’s destiny is in danger – and I need YOUR HELP to save it! Follow the clues around the streets of Hangleton, and together we’ll venture through centuries past, with the future of the City at stake. Like last year, the hunt was put together with some amazing and dedicated students from the University of Sussex History Department, without whom it couldn’t be happening, so THANKS to all of them! It is a 60-90min gentle walk for ages 6 and up and accompanying grownups, starting at both 11:00am and 1:30pm. And it’s COMPLETELY FREE!

And ALSO this weekend, I’ll be storytelling at the amazing ELDERFLOWER FIELDS festival! It’s fantastic to be back there again, and I have loads of exciting stuff to share: local folk tales, Norse legends, and traces of prehistoric myth in the British landscape… I’m on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday night on the wonderful WowPow spoken word stage – if you’re going to be there, I look forward to seeing you!

AND if that wasn’t enough – on Sat 8th June at the International School of Storytelling, Emerson College, I’ll be taking part once more in The Serpent King’s Daughter, a glorious ensemble telling of an Indian-inspired tale with Guesthouse Storytellers. We did it last Thursday at the Printer’s Playhouse in Eastbourne which was fantastic (see pic below), and I’m really looking forward to doing it again.

AND…! Yet MORE for you! Rachel Levy and I will be bringing the drama and magic of THE SAGA OF HERVOR AND HEIDREK to the Westgate Chapel in Lewes on Sat 15th Jun. Following the success of our recreation at Lewes Girl Guides’ Viking Adventure Day (pictured!), and at the fantastic launch gig for the Marriage of Njord and Skadi, we couldn’t wait to do it again – so we’re putting on an even fuller and richer performance of the story. Doors 7:30pm, £5 (£3 conc), ages 10+

All this and more to come! And in among it all I’ve also somehow managed to have some wonderful days in the sun with my family, not to mention a glorious holiday in Brittany at Easter, enjoying beaches, countryside, prehistory – and picking up some folk tales while I was there…

Speaking of which: the holiday also unexpectedly allowed me to follow in the footsteps of The Pilgrimage of Piltdown Man by Mike O’Leary – a fantastic book which I bought before I went. It’s a profound and fascinating book, soaked in folklore and the passage of time in the landscapes of southern England (and over to Brittany) – earthy, visceral, irreverent, and heartmelting. I can heartily recommend it to all (although not for children, I should add).

And another recommendation I wanted to make: back in March Simon Russell took me to Cartoon County to hear Ricky Miller of Avery Hill Publishing speak. And so, as well as getting some interesting insights into the making of small press comics, I discovered his 4-part series Metroland: a fast-paced, funny, haunting and thrilling “mix of Twin Peaks and Dr Who” among the unsigned indie bands of London and the home counties. If you like music, comics, sci-fi or just great stories, do read it, the whole arc, it’s really good.

That’s me for now – but I’ll be back with more soon! Hope to see you at some of these gigs, and have fun whatever you’re doing!

The Serpent King’s Daughter lineup from Thurs 16th Mar at the Printer’s Playhouse – all except Rhonda Armitage who had to leave earlier. A great night for all!