Kamishibai | storyteller’s blog

And we’re off again! Today I cycled down the canal on a lovely – if breezy – afternoon to do a reccy of Wester Hailes library space where Maria and I will be delighted to do a performance of Dagba’s Forest tales postponed for 2 years, but still faithfully waiting his turn!

We have three bookings for the half-term holiday with the support of the Puppet Animation Festival

West Pilton Community Centre, 10.30 Tuesday 15th February

Portobello Library 3 pm Tuesday 15th February

Wester Hailes Library 3pm Wednesday 16th February

And then we go to Mintlaw all the way up North for an outdoor performance at Aden Country Park 11am on Monday 4th April for a spring trip away! Very exciting, though I dont think we’ll be able to go the whole way there by bike this time! I shall post again about this one, and the logistics of taking an A3 plywood box construction complete with new ‘proscenium’ shelf, bicycle, buckets, cushions, instruments, singing bowls and costumes by train and bus up to the tip of Aberdeenshire, nearer the time, I’m sure.

We are streamlining this show every time we do it though, and I’m hoping to borrow a second Brompton for Wester Hailes so we can both arrive together along the canal without any recourse to bus or trains this time. Just as we envisaged it when we first thought of it 4 years ago now. How time does fly!

Our draft leaflet is nearly ready to go to press and behind the scenes frenzied artistic talent being mined to get pictures for all our stories. It is an interesting balance between cartoon illustration of every point and more fluid images which allow the story hearer’s imagination full play. We are highlighting images for the songs because we hope that helps our audience to sing along. It is also interesting deciding which scene from each story would benefit from an image and working with emphasis and even misdirection as we draw the slides over. It will be a great test of the format if we can gather enough audience into the function room at Bar Revolution! I’m practicing my street patter to drag in the punters!