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| Stories
for our time Feel the power of story as you've never known before |
Hear
the wisdom of mountains Thrill to the voices of dragons Find hope for today in ancient dreams |
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| Midnight Storytellers - Performance Review |  |
 January
2003 saw Chloë featured in Cotswold Life magazine.
The interview was great fun - and tested her performance skills to
the limit, as she struggled to tell a spooky Cotswold legend to the
journalist in the middle of a crowded Cirencester coffee shop (surrounded
by chocolate, sticky cakes, sumptuous savouries…)At the annual Enchanted Wood floodlit trail, Westonbirt Arboretum, damp but enthusiastic audiences of all ages filled all three 25-minute shows of all five Sunday evenings through November and December. Possibly the warmth and comfort of the Great Oak Hall or the Marquee helped lure walkers in - weather was unmitigatedly ghastly - but the magic of story worked anyway: adults towed in by children listened just as spellbound as their little ones. |
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| At Hallowe'en 2002 our Spooky
Story Supper was packed out. The Fosse Manor Hotel
at Stow-on-the-Wold did us proud, decking out the restaurant with
black table cloths, perfectly carved candlelit pumpkins and a menu
featuring Vampire Steak and Large Thumb on Black Bits with Green Stuff...! We started the show slowly tolling a bell. Tales ranged from Appalachian tragedy to classic horror - chosen for wit, depth and offbeat spookiness. Proceedings were further enlivened by the giant, sound-activated spider (imagine a black, furry football…) which trundled up and down its line from the dining-room chandelier whenever the audience applauded - or screamed… (Thank you, Bob J!) Were we spooky? Well, even in rehearsal, The Monkey's Paw left Karen-Eve pale and wide-eyed! And people did seem strangely reluctant to go out into the dank, misty night after the show… |
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| August 2002 | |
| Reunion Dinner, Chloë: just a little after-dinner something for an audience in delightfully mellow mood! (Gloucs) Cocktail Tales, Chloë: a warm August evening, a garden full of glamorous guests + Chloë spinning tales of sharp wit and steamy passion... (Gloucs) Birthday Stories, Chloë: A stylish 60th birthday revel plus magical and mysterious stories under the stars. (Gloucs) |
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| July 2002 | |
| Summertime Story Supper, Karen-Eve & Chloë: Seven Tuns, Chedworth. A perfect summer evening in an unspoilt Cotswold country pub. Scrumptious dinner, lively audience. Gentle jazz by Patrick on guitar. Stories full of laughter and romance. Wedding Night Tales, Chloë: after the feasting and dancing, as the evening cooled and the scent of flowers filled the lovely old barn, I told the most heartwarming, funny and romantic stories I could find. Dreamy! (Buckinghamshire) After Dinner Stories, Chloë: Bishops Court Hotel, Torquay. Evening entertainment for social group. |
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| June 2002 | |
| Anniversary Surprise, Chloë: fun and melting romance for a wedding anniversary party. (Dorset) Village Fete, Chloë: story sessions for children and adults. Continued under the tree when the rain came down! 'Summer Story Concert', Karen-Eve & Chloë: WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM. Probably our most magical performance in three years of shows, in the elegant comfort of the Great Oak Hall - packed out! Tales from all around the world, humour and heartbreak... What nobody knew on the night was that both Karen-Eve and I improvised tales on the spot - but that's the joy and freedom of performance storytelling! Our warmest thanks to the SPANtastic Choir, whose gorgeous a capella music lifted us all to another level... (Provided by the Single Parent Action Network, of Bristol.) |
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| May 2002 | |
| Lunchtime Tales, Chloë: The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington. Entertainment linked to lecture by local naturalist. March 2002 World Book Day, Chloë: Northleach Primary School. Story sessions for all age groups, plus launch of Story Baskets. Thanks to my guest teller Bryony! St David's Day Story Supper, Karen-Eve & Chloë: The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington. Welsh epic fable paralleled by Appalachian folklore. We travel the world in story! |
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| February 2002 | |
| Re-Seeders Farmers Supper, Newent, Chloë. Rural themes of course but deftly updated. Lots of fun. Lunchtime Tales, Chloë: The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington. Entertainment linked to lecture by local naturalist. Children' party, Chloë: ages 10-11 years. (Surrey). Ruskin Mill, Nailsworth, Karen-Eve & Chloë joined Gloucestershire storytellers for a show to celebrate National Storytelling Week. |
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| January 2002 | |
| Twelfth Night Tales, Chloë: after-dinner entertainment for private party. A surprised but receptive audience (!) and a real storytelling challenge: what do you perform for people jingle-jangled and jaded at the end of a festive season? Gentle humour, light spice and stories to inspire the heart for another year... |
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| December 2001: | |
| Hidcote Manor Garden NT (near Chipping Campden). Tel 01386 438333. Karen-Eve and Chloë performed festive family tales. 30-minute sessions. A 21st Century Christmas Carol - world premier! A 45-minute tale of Dickensian darkness and heartwarming humanity, created and told by Chloë for the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Performed at Cheltenham Film Studios. Thursday After School Stories: Karen-Eve in performance and workshop at Bristol Primary Schools, to Dec 2002. Part of New Opportunities Fund programme. For details please call Karen-Eve on 01454 261824. Chloë - Bourton Vale Horticultural Society, approx 50 minutes of festive tales with plenty of gardens (and pests!) Chloë - Upper Rissington WI |
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| November 2001: | |
| Series of 3 Story Concerts + Dinner, Fosse Manor Hotel, Stow-on-the-Wold (01451 830354). Two evenings of Chloë's outrageous humour and magical fables, then Karen-Eve and Chloë in full flight for intelligent entertainment to start the festive season. Plus the Fosse Manor's wonderful food! Chloë - Rotary Ladies Tuesday Club, Stow on the Wold: after dinner entertainment (approx 50 minutes) Story Supper show with Karen-Eve & Chloë for AVEGA charity fundraising dinner, near Chipping Norton. 90-minute set, before and after dinner. Theme: hope and survival. And as we were right next to the Rollright Stones, Chloë told the legend. Chloë - After Supper show (approx 50 minutes)for Little Rissington Village Hall. Story Supper show for St Brandon's School PTA Ladies dinner, at Restaurant 5 The Beach, Clevedon. Karen-Eve and Chloë performed 90 minutes of stories, before and after dinner, specially selected for a female audience. |
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| October 2001: | |
| Chloë - Tewkesbury Ladies Circle, 75 minutes of autumnal tales Debut at Cheltenham Festival of Literature - 'ENVY' was our theme! Part of the Voices Off fringe festival programme on the Seven Deadly Sins. A large audience enjoyed our green-eyed glance at the subject! BBC Radio Gloucestershire live interview and story, at Cheltenham Festival of Literature - Chloë Chloë - After Supper show (50 minutes) for Glevum WI hosting area rally (Gloucestershire). A vast church hall, more than 100 women in festive mood, and Chloë dispensing verbal frolics! |
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| September 2001: | |
| Coln St Aldwyns Fete - Chloë with special guest teller Tania Faulkner-Mackenzie from New Zealand. Children's sessions in the Storytelling Tent, then after supper and superb jazz duo, tales for grown-ups in a firelit Cotswold courtyard under the stars….. Bibury Harvest Supper - Chloë - 60 minutes of stories to celebrate all that mellow fruitfulness, at the heart of 'England's prettiest village'. |
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| August 2001: | |
| Mosaic Mysteries - Chloë performed 2 x 50 minute shows at Corinium Museum, Cirencester, as part of Arts Week. Included specially created version of 'Actaeon & Artemis'. Bleddfa Storytelling Week (Powys, Wales) - annual intensive training for Midnight Storytellers, soaking up expertise and inspiration from world class storytellers. Very enjoyable but not a holiday, how could you think such a thing?! |
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| July 2001: | |
| Chloë - Family Tales for Swindon Arts Centre/Shaw Farm. Approx 45 minutes. Westonbirt Arboretum Festival of Storytelling - Karen-Eve and Chloë joined other Gloucestershire tellers for a day of shows for all the family, including story walks and story rounds with several performers. Each session 55 minutes. Gorgeous setting, and strangely lots of tales about trees and wood! BBC Radio Gloucestershire - interview + stories with Karen-Eve and Chloë Chloë - 50 minutes of lively stories for senior citizens, Northleach Evergreens Club. |
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| June 2001: | |
| Midsummer Night Tales - Karen-Eve and Chloë's second story concert in the beautiful setting of Westonbirt Arboretum. The Oak Hall was packed out to hear tales of woodland, wilderness and ancient wisdom. Original music from Chris Davidson wove through the stories. BBC Radio Gloucestershire interview, live! (Chloë) |
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| May 2001: | |
| Story Supper for Farming in Crisis - Karen-Eve and Chloë rounded up the locals for an evening of fun tales and fundraising, in support of Gloucestershire's farmers during the worst of the Foot & Mouth crisis. 90 minutes before and after supper, Country Wine Merchant wine bar, Northleach. After Lunch Stories - Chloë - for Ladies Luncheon Club, Fosse Manor Hotel, Stow on the Wold; approx 50 minutes. |
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| April 2001: | |
| Chloë - 2 x 40 minute shows for disturbed children at the Cotswold Community Chloë - Northleach WI hosting area rally. After-supper entertainment, approx 60 minutes, for 100+ women. A cracking good evening - probably the best story was the one made up by the audience! Rant & Write - workshop in creative writing and storytelling, led by Chloë, for volunteer stewards at Lodge Park NT (near Burford). Explored and enjoyed the different freedoms and demands of both artforms. People who'd never penned or spoken an imaginative word before astonished and delighted themselves by writing and telling the most delightful short tales. |
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| March 2001: | |
| Chloë - WI Cricklade, approx 50 mins Storytime for 5-7 years and 8-9 years, St Brandon's School, Clevedon - Karen-Eve and Chloë, 40 minute sessions. Story Supper - The Fox Inn, Barrington (near Burford); 90 minute show before and after dinner, with Karen-Eve and Chloë |
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| February 2001: | |
| 'Love Bytes' Story Supper - The Elms Country House Restaurant, Stone near Berkeley; 90 minutes of romantic tales with a sharp twist… |
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| January 2001: | |
| Chloë - Stow Garden Club - 50 minutes of heartwarming winter tales |
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| 3 series of stories, also interviews, broadcast on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. 5 Sunday evenings for Westonbirt Arboretum (Forestry Commission, major concert venue in Gloucestershire) during Oct/Nov 'Enchanted Wood' season; 5 x 30 minute sets per evening; audience at 200+ each Sunday. Video recording for Arboretum promotion. Rollright Stones - Chloë - open-air telling of site legend for visitors' day |
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| Story Suppers: | |
| Leap Night at Northleach wine
bar |
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| Story concerts | |
| Summer Night's Dream Open-air story
concert and picnic, Westonbirt Arboretum, Karen-Eve + Chloë + music |
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| Shows: | |
| Jumping thro' Fire Show at
Brewery Arts Theatre, Cirencester |
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| Clubs, Societies, Special commissions: | |
| (USA) Asheville NC: Contemporary
Stories of Friendship, Karen-Eve |
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| Educational: | |
| Primary school, stories for infants
and juniors, Karen-Eve (x 3 at least!) |
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