PLEASE NOTE Chloë uses only her first name. It is her Equity registered name
Ten years, one passion
[press release issued 23 September 2009]
'If you thought storytellers were limited to genteel libraries and toddlers’ groups, Chloë of the Midnight Storytellers explodes the mould – she entertains audiences of adults, from 5 millionaires at an exclusive birthday dinner to near 5,000 at an outdoor arena.
'For 10 years Chloë has pioneered Story Cabaret throughout the UK. Probably everything you don't expect a storyteller to be, she appears in designer frocks and shedloads of bling. She mixes traditional storytelling (myths, legends, folktales) with stand-up comedy – she can’t help it!
'Her lively style and sparkling rapport with audiences have taken her to an extraordinary range of venues, from Cheltenham Literature Festival near her home in the Cotswolds, to posh hotels, private parties, restaurants, castles and conferences. She spellbinds fringe and arts festival audiences. Recently she’s developed performances for the cruise ship market, featuring myths and legends linked to every port of call.
'As it happens, Chloë is hugely popular with young audiences. And as always she does things differently – enchanting whole families with her mixed artform workshops and stunning school audiences into thrilled silence with the daunting persona of Ms Green the Draconics Expert from GCHQ (or possibly MI5) "from the department so secret that even GCHQ don’t know it exists…"
'Chloë also organises S-Factor Story Slam Galas for junior and secondary schools, in which student storytelling workshops lead to exciting competitions performed to audiences of family and friends.'
Background: 'Chloë of the Midnight Storytellers lives near Northleach (Gloucestershire, UK) where she is Town Crier - complete with tricorne hat, bell and "Oyez!" Her cottage on a Cotswold farm is full of story books, stage costumes and two slightly bewildered cats.
'Midnight Storytellers was co-founded November 1999 with Karen-Eve Bayne, now returned to her native North Carolina, USA.
'Chloë's repertoire is rooted in the traditional legends, myths and folktales of many cultures around the world - plus new, original stories. There are no scripts, and no reading from books. This is genuine, live performance art. Chloë's larger than life stage presence makes her shows a sizzling mix of storytelling with stand-up comedy.
It's defiinitely designed to entertain audiences of adults - nothing blue, just lightly spiced! - and the only proper description is Story Cabaret.
Background She was (and still is) a voracious reader, devouring entire books in a day. A family holiday when Chloë was aged 9, in the infamous wooden hut on Scolt Head Island nature reserve (north coast of Norfolk, UK) made an unforgettable impression: every evening after supper, a friend of the family read chapters of J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit aloud - wind howling outside, lamps hissing, fire crackling; it was at this early age that Chloë discovered the power of the spoken story. Her main school years passed in Berkshire. In addition to languages and writing, she loved dance, riding, squash, painting and amateur dramatics. She made jewellery, and even filmed a short animation with an old ciné camera. Despite all her creativity, she was almost completely stifled by a conventional and socially isolated 1970s upbringing. After university in London and 2 years trying to teach English in France she was essentially unfit for employment. She drifted through jobs, irritating bosses and colleagues with her naïve enthusiasm and tendancy to use her initiative, until redundancy in 1988 pushed her into self employment, where she finally found her professional feet. Oddest fact: Chloë still speaks fluent French 26 years after graduating, and almost no opportunity to use the language
Chloë's early years passed in the university town of Cambridge (UK) where her father was a research scientist. In 1966 she lived with her parents for half a year in Adelaide, Australia, where she learned to read and immediately started writing stories - aged 5.
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Press Release - general information
Story Cabaret - wit and
wisdom with a modern twist
Chloë of the Midnight Storytellers is boldly taking her raconteur talents where no storyteller has gone before.
Her unique Story Cabaret is a speciality act acclaimed for eclectic repertoire and astonishing versatility - she's performed everywhere from castles to cruise ships to conferences.
She's a true entertainer, inspired by myths and legends from around the world and lacing her shows with razor-sharp comedy. Nothing is scripted, no story ever sounds the same twice.
She gives a modern twist to the wit and wisdom of traditional tales, myths and legends. She interacts fearlessly with her audiences - sometimes improvising stories live on stage from invited suggestions. She conveys corporate messages with compelling charm. This is storytelling transformed into high energy entertainment for modern audiences.
Since 1999 Chloë has been in demand for after dinner speaking, literature and arts festivals, studio and village hall theatres, country hotels, museums and heritage sites. She is memorable on live radio and television.
In schools and at family events young listeners also warm to her fast paced, desert dry humour and her spinechilling talent with spooky tales.
She delivers business courses in public speaking and communications that refresh the brain cells other training cannot reach.
Chloë originally trained at Central School of Speech & Drama/London University. After 15 years as a copywriter and international speaker she discovered storytelling while battling writer's block.
She's lived in the Cotswolds (Gloucestershire, UK) for nearly 15 years and is Town Crier for Northleach. Of some 200 town criers in Britain, barely 20 are female.
Comment
"Tradtional storytelling must evolve to reach new audiences - adults as well as children - and to tell the stories of our time, not just of the past," says Chloë. "I'm an entertainer, a raconteur, a bit of a performance artist - offering intelligent entertainment and inspiring education. It's time for storytelling to grow up.
"People of all ages are enthralled by stories. Multi national corporations use story to support all kinds of communication skill. Traditional tales told to children teach values and critical thinking. Traditional tales told to adults can tackle tough subjects and fixed ideas in ways that daily life cannot do. For young and adult alike, the process of re-telling existing tales or creating new stories is creative, challenging - and very satisfying.
"Storytelling is emerging as a performance art, as well as cultural conservation. Performance storytellers pull good audiences at festivals and theatres. I'm part of the next generation of storytellers who - with great love and respect for the traditional heritage - are creating stories that hold up a mirror to the world as it is now; legends for the future. We're building extensions to the storytelling Castle of A Thousand Rooms."
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