Storytelling: Mischief on the Marshes

Tonight, back with The Embers Collective - they took a while to reveal the venue for Mischief on the Marshes! despite initially saying they'd tell me when I booked. They did say, when I asked, that they'd tell me midweek. In the event, they told me on Friday morning. And then on Friday evening, they changed their minds. Anyway, final decision was we were meeting at 6.30 sharp (!) outside the Princess of Wales pub in Clapton, for a short walk to our destination. Heh, true for the man that said we'd be on Hackney marshes! Bus is the best transport option. We were told to bring whatever we wanted to eat and drink, and musicians were to bring instruments for a jamming session after. Again, glad they weren't starting early.

KFC again beforehand, which was basically as good as yesterday (with even faster service) - apart from not being offered a dip. And the aircon was freezing! but I enjoyed my meal. It turns out that the #48 goes straight from around the corner from me, to across the road from the pub - and gee, one was waiting as I crossed the road from KFC! So I ended up arriving 40 minutes early. FYI, there's a small off-licence and grocery, just down the road, where you can buy supplies if you're heading out into the marshes.

The pub itself - which I didn't spend any money in (I'd brought my own wine) - backs onto the river, and was thronged outside on this sunny, mild evening; to have a chance of a seat, you needed to go inside. Me, I mooched around on the river path - dodging any number of cyclists from both directions - and ate the chocolate I'd bought in the shop. About 10 minutes before the scheduled time, I heard a yell from further down the path - sure enough, there was Lonan Jenkins in a much-decorated top hat. After greeting lots of colourfully dressed people he knew (I felt positively dowdy in comparison!), he explained that there'd been some confusion about the location (huh!), that some people had only just been informed where it was, and that the other storytellers - Sarah Liisa Wilkinson and Carol Bevan, who turns out to be one of the duo that so entertained us last time - would lead us down, while he waited there for latecomers.

And so it transpired, with the ladies leading a large crowd into the marshes.. where we were headed for was, would you believe, a stone circle! It didn't look terribly ancient, but is still very atmospheric, and they'd thoughtfully put down a groundsheet. Which most of us fitted on. It turns out to be an art installation, called Nature's Throne - more details available here. Anyway, they'd covered the "throne" in the middle with a blanket, and it provided a wonderful stage for the storytellers, with musicians sat in front. Location roughly marked by the cross on this map:

So, comfortably ensconced (well, except my legs kept complaining), we settled down for some storytelling. Lonan and Sarah Liisa gave us two renditions each - his were all about the Norse trickster god, Loki:

..which seem to have been influenced, to an extent, by the recent Thor films. Which, given their jokey nature, is not at all a bad thing, I think!

Sarah Liisa, on the other hand, gave us two very different offerings - I have to say, I think her first was the winner of the night, the tale of a poor Finnish chap in love with a rich man's daughter (she's half-Finnish herself, it seems). Turned away from the man's door when he comes a-courting, on his desolate way home, he rescues a witch from trouble. In thanks, she gives him a magic stone with the power to.. make people fart. You wouldn't believe how useful such a thing can be..

Carol Bevan gave us a musical number, where she acted the part of a tree, complaining about the way we were treating it. A nice end to the first half.

As Lonan remarked, he'd forgotten how quickly the nights are drawing in now - plus, he had an idea they lock the gates at 9pm. So, there was a short interval. At the end of which, nobody could see much! Never mind, mobile phones are handy for that, and some were volunteered to provide lighting:

After the storytelling, they wanted to stay for a jam - but well, I hadn't brought anything, we wouldn't be able to stay long, I didn't know anyone - so I just left, my phone providing me with a handy torchlight. And wow, today I didn't drop it anywhere! well, until I got home..

Tomorrow, finally going to see Waitress, which I had to cancel earlier in the year. It's at the Adelphi.

On Tuesday, some comedy, with Shappi Khorsandi, at Soho Theatre.

On Wednesday, back with Civilised London (CL) for a Lebanese meal at Al Waha, meeting beforehand at the Prince Alfred. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

On the 23rd, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - again, it'll have been nearly three weeks since I was last with them! The occasion is a production of Giselle, by the English National Ballet, at Sadler's Wells.

On the 24th, back with North London Friends, to Donmar Warehouse, for Appropriate.

On the 25th, the Crick Crack Club is back! Tricksters & Fools is at Rich Mix - it's another in Crick Crack's Archetypes series, and stars Sarah Liisa Wilkinson (hello again!), Tim Ralphs, TUUP, and Nell Phoenix.

On the 26th, UITCS is back with Groan Ups, at the Vaudeville.

On the 27th, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is at Our Lady of Kibeho, at the Theatre Royal Stratford. Ahah, I knew I'd booked something else with them!

And on the 28th, I booked for the matinee of Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp. at the Royal Court. And then CL organised an outing to see London Concertante perform the Four Seasons at Southwark Cathedral. What the hey, I figure I can make both! It's ages since I heard it, in fact.. and it'll be a nostalgic trip for me, as my very first Meetup with the Man with the Hat was to listen to Concertante in Southwark Cathedral. He's much missed.