The 'Grand Picnic' at Ham House!

Huge thanks to the whole team at Ham House for making us so welcome and for all their invaluable support throughout the weekend.  We couldn't have asked for a lovelier venue in which to perform - or for more enthusiastic audiences! :-)  We're already looking forward to returning next summer...

To read more of our audiences' wonderful feedback, please visit the REVIEWS page.

Some Changes Afoot!

In mid-June, Emma King-Farlow and Amy Floyd sat down to discuss the changes in cast and script that were being made to the Fireside Folktales scripts in advance of their upcoming bookings at St Osmund's Church (July), Ham House & Garden (August), and Strawberry Hill House & Garden (September).  Somehow, they also ended up talking about Australian vocabulary!

Meet the Cast #5 - Maia Gibbons

We are delighted to introduce you to our newest cast member! Maia Gibbons!! 🎭 🎪

Maia trained at Cygnet Training theatre, Exeter. Since graduating she has been involved in a number of stage productions around England at both indoor and outdoor venues. Credits include; Kate/Maria in a double bill of The Taming of the Shrew and The Tamer Tamed (Bournemouth Shakespeare Players), Agnus in She Kills Monsters (Arena Theatre), Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bournemouth Shakespeare Players), Elizabeth de Vries in Robin Hood (Shadow Road Productions), Celia in As You Like It (Mayhem Theatre Company) and Mistress Ford/ Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Creative Cow Productions)

Maia will be making her Fireside Folktales 🔥🍡 debut this Saturday, 6th July, performing as Fox in Aesop's Fables, Sergeant Cooper in A Tale of Robin Hood, and Demeter in Persephone & the Pomegranate Seeds.

🎫 You can buy your tickets to see her perform here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/shadowroad 🎫

Four Months On...

In the previous episode of the podcast, Emma King-Farlow and Amy Floyd were making plans for the next phase of their Fireside Folktales adventure. As they sat down for a chat on their four-month anniversary in late May, that second phase was already well under way, with several new bookings confirmed - including one for their first ever evening performances at St Osmund's Church, Barnes SW13 9RT (tickets available HERE)!
 

Feedback on Film!

As promised, here's a selection of the fantastic feedback we captured on film after our debut shows at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival 2019!

‘Fireside Folktales at BCLF 2019 - Audience Reaction' from Shadow Road on Vimeo.

What Next?

A few days after Fireside Folktales made their hugely exciting debut at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival 2019, Emma King-Farlow and Amy Floyd sat down to discuss their experiences - and to think about what comes next...

We Did It!

Well, we did it!  Our hugely exciting debut at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival saw us delivering no less than six incredibly well-received performances, each to a packed out audience, across the weekend of 11th-12th May 2019.  Many photos were taken and enthusiastic audience reaction recorded - both on paper and on film!
 

We'll be sharing some more of that feedback with you very soon.  In the meantime, however, we have now arranged some of the photos we took at the festival - and in rehearsals - on our beautiful new GALLERY page!  Do take a look and see what you missed if you were unable to make it this year.

If you did happen to come along to see us at the festival and you didn't get a chance to sign our Visitors Book or to record a vox pop on the way out, we'd still love to hear what you thought or to see any photos you might have taken.  Please drop us a line at firesidefolktales@gmail.com with any comments or pictures you'd like to share - we'd be delighted to hear from you!

One Week To Go!

On 2nd May 2019, with a little over a week to go until the Fireside Folktales company make their debut at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival, Amy Floyd and Emma King-Farlow take stock - and consider the dubious merits of releasing an unedited episode of the podcast!

Meet The Cast #4 - Alexa Bushell

Meet our final cast member! 🎪🏹🎭

We're delighted to announce Alexa Bushell, who will be playing the roles of Fox in Aesop's Fables; Demeter in Persephone & The Pomegranate Seeds; and Sergeant Cooper in A Tale of Robin Hood.

Alexa trained in dance, drama and singing at Elmhurst before touring her cabaret throughout the South West. A nominee for several Swan Awards, she has loved being part of the numerous Shadow Road productions she has previously performed in and cannot wait to share these latest ones with you!

Recent credits include Mr Tumnus & the Dwarf in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, Miss Pickhart in Cut The Rates, David & Sir Henry of the Lea in Robin Hood, and Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Meet The Cast #3 - Alice Wilson

Time to meet another cast member! 🎉👏🎭

We're excited to announce Alice Wilson, who will be playing the roles of Grasshopper in Aesop's Fables; Hermes in Persephone & The Pomegranate Seeds; and Alan a Dale & Matthew in A Tale of Robin Hood.

Alice is currently finishing an English and Drama degree at Queen Mary University of London, and greatly enjoying the chance to escape from essays into the world of folktales. After working with Emma in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this is the second time she has been involved in the fantastic Barnes theatre scene.

Recent theatre credits include: Edmund Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Biscuits, The Future is Now and Macbeth Studios with Queen Mary Theatre Company; Space Dogs at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in its London run; Noel Fielding in Bake Off the Musical; and Deadline at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Alice also recently wrote and directed the play Ashes, co-wrote the play Biscuits, and composed and directed the political rom-com musical Across the Commons.

Meet The Cast #2 - Clare McAndrew

Time to meet more of the cast! 🎭👏🎪

We're delighted to announce Clare McAndrew, who will be playing the roles of Hare and Ant 9 in Aesop's Fables; Persephone in Persephone & The Pomegranate Seeds; and Robin Hood, Dancer and Messenger in A Tale of Robin Hood.

Clare graduated with a degree in English and Drama from the University of Kent. Although she now spends most of her daytime working in event planning, she makes sure that she still finds time to tread the boards. This is her second time working with the fantastic Emma King-Farlow and she is excited to have the opportunity to bring these much loved literary characters to life with Fireside Folktales. (Performing in a bell tent is also great fun!)

Recent theatre credits include: Susan Pevensie in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, Alice in Dick Whittington, Margot in Legally Blonde, Iris in Fame, April in Company, Smitty in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Roxy in Chicago.

Three Months On...

Three months after their very first chat about Emma's mad idea of doing some 'theatre in a tent' - and two weeks before their opening performances at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival on May 11th & 12th 2019 - Amy Floyd and Emma King-Farlow reflected on the huge amount of progress they'd made over the previous 12 weeks...

Meet The Cast #1 - Sarah Robinson

It's time to meet the cast! 🎪🎭👏

We are excited to introduce you to the wonderful Sarah Robinson, who will be playing the roles of Ant and Narrator in Aesop's Fables, the Gardener and Lukas in Persephone & the Pomegranate Seeds, and Friar Tuck and Alice in A Tale of Robin Hood.

Sarah is delighted to be performing with Shadow Road Productions for the second time, having previously played Mrs Beaver in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. Since training at The Bridge Theatre Training Company, she has played roles such as Miss Merry in Misfits, Mrs Cratchit/Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol and Mug in The Empire Builders. She has also performed in pantomimes and musicals including 9 To 5, Cabaret and The Witches of Eastwick.

Two Plays Down, One to Go!

On the 12th April, Amy Floyd and Emma King-Farlow discussed their progress, following the previous weeks' Fireside Folktales rehearsals. Topics of conversation this time around included the weather, the tent, a lack of shoes and the continuing search for a meaningful ending!

The Flyers Are Here!

Our beautiful flyers for our upcoming debut at the Barnes Children's Literature Festival arrived today - hooray! 😍👏

The post is so exciting at the moment - always filled with exciting parcels and envelopes, containing everything from flyers, handmade wooden stools, animal ears, tails, antennae, shells and glasses, to eight-metre bell tents and metal trolleys on which to carry them! 😂

Every day brings new - and sometimes slightly weird - surprises...

The Third Rehearsal

In the third episode of the Fireside Folktales podcast, Amy Floyd and Emma King-Farlow share a progress report following their third rehearsal the night beforehand. Topics up for discussion include fighting, fox tails, music, dancing and the search for a meaningful ending!

Fireside Folktales - An Introduction!

The day after meeting Amanda Brettargh, director of the Barnes Children's Literature Festival, to confirm their participation in the the 2019 festival (May 11th-12th 2019), a delighted Emma and Amy sat down to record a quick introduction to Fireside Folktales and their plans for the festival weekend.

Happy listening! :-)