Dave Tonge Storyteller

Beguiling for Beginners

Being a celebration of cunning men, cunning women, coney catching, and all manner of counterfeit craftiness. A lone trickster wanders the road, from town to town, village to village, and house to house, wearing many different disguises. Sometimes a priest, sometimes a potter, and sometimes a pedlar of wares. From pots to pardons, potions to pins, he sells them all occasionally, but always he gifts lies. His trade is deceit, and he practices his craft upon the foolish, the greedy, and the gullible.

The thing that really struck me is the immense energy and spirit that you put into the performance. I think that’s what gave it the wow factor! It’s so obvious that you love the stories and you love the audience response. How can you go wrong with it? – Marion Leeper, Cambridge Storytelling Club

We are delighted to welcome Dave Tonge, otherwise known as the Yarnsmith of Norwich, who is a jobbing teller of tales. An itinerant journeyman who performs at festivals, museums, heritage sites, and schools, from Lindisfarne Holy Island in the north, to Arundel Castle in the south. He works regularly for English Heritage and national museums like the Ashmolean in Oxford. He has written three books: Tudor Folk Tales, Norfolk Folk tales for Children, and Medieval Folk tales for Children. Dave specialises in telling period rich and often irreverent tales shared by the poorer folk long ago on heritage sites, but he is happy to ditch his costume in favour of a fine trilby hat, and can be heard at storytelling events, including Taffy Thomas’s Tales in Trust and Festival at the Edge.

Tickets are limited to 25 only – intimate venue – booking required.