“Sutcliffe performs with boundless positive energy, poignancy and humour” The Stage
“Sheer passion” Joyce Mcmillan in The Scotsman
I’ve been telling stories for many years. I co wrote and performed in “The Tale That Wags The Dog”; a storytelling show for adults which played at The Purcell Rooms, South Bank Centre, The Lyric Hammersmith, The Plymouth Theatre Royal, around the UK and to international venues including The Skirball Centre in LA. I also co-wrote the feature film “The West Wittering Affair”. I develop storytelling shows for theatre, both for adults and children as well as telling stories in more informal settings – as part of cabaret nights, in storytelling venues, at private functions and at festivals. I work with both traditional and contemporary stories; I have told stories from The Mahabharata, A Thousand And One Nights, Native American stories, stories from The Talmud, traditional stories from many different cultures, stories that I have read in the newspaper, stories that I’ve heard on the radio, and from any other sources I come across. I also bring storytelling into a corporate and a therapeutic environment as a different way to explore questions of both a work and personal nature. The ancient wisdom found within stories creates a powerful and unusual way to problem solve. I bring a lot of physicality into my storytelling, and always work with a musician if possible. As well as performing live, I record stories for audio.
“Life Growing Up” is based on the true stories of young people growing up with HIV. Having interviewed 20 young people and heard their stories, we created a live performance piece and a short film. For more on this project click here.
“The Skin I’m In” is a spoken word/storytelling short film and live performance. Click here for more on this project.
Seal Woman. Having adapted this traditional nordic story for live performance, we decided to record this version. With haunting vocals from Nina Miranda, and hypnotic guitar from Alex Kingsbury. There are many different versions of this story – this one was taken from the seminal “Woman Who Run With the Wolves” by Clarrissa Pinkola Estes.
Some of the other stories I tell:
Sheheredzade from A Thousand And One Nights
The Birds – an ancient Jewish story
Savitri – from The Mahabharata
The Divorce – a Jewish story from The Talmud
Heaven and Hell – a Chinese story
Baobab Tree – a traditional African story
The king has a Horn – a Jewish story
Wicked Tiger – an Indian story
Jumping Mouse – a Native American story
Family Values – a story we heard on the radio, and have since heard in a Portuguese folk song
Creation Cycle – creation stories taken from a variety of cultures
Bosko and Admira – the story of two lovers in war torn Bosnia
The tale that wags the dog – a contemporary story from the newspaper
Blind Man Hunting – an African story
Rabbi on the Roof – a Jewish story
Sarah Sutcliffe 