Tron Theatre, 3rd Feb
The Victorian bar, in the Tron theatre, is dimly glowing with candle light and the room is just about full. A perfect setting for a night of storytelling. Everyone seems very calm considering what was about to go down. Not only are we about to have a group of strangers tell us their extremely personal stories; they were also going to tell us the first experiences that had a powerful impact on their lives. It’s what I imagine speed dating might be like: interesting people communicating through anecdotes, only in a much more public forum.
The stories are all about people’s first times. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when all the stories were centred on that theme, but the personal stories turn out to be funny and touching. There’s a total of five stories told, each ranging in length but that has little bearing on the emotional impact. It turns out to be a thoroughly entertaining night with amazing and slightly sad stories. The storytellers put a lot of effort into their performances and the night is structured in a way that has you really thinking about all of the first times in your own life. The audience are encouraged to participate as well, with the host of the night, Michael O’Neill, reading out their anonymous one-line stories. I chicken out at the last minute but there are some very amusing stories read out. It’s an enjoyable night that has convinced me, and I am sure it will convince you, that storytelling is an art and when done well can make a good night, great.
[Lamorna Brown]
qmunicatemagazine.com 