A vibrant new play woven out of folktales from around the world
A girl is trapped. She calls on Scheherazade, the ancient storyteller, who keeps her hopes alive by sharing folk tales from Ukraine, North and Central Africa, the Middle East, and more.
Following sell-out Brighton Festival shows, BAKKHAI and Romeo & Juliet, this award-winning company presented strange and vibrant stories through comedy, movement, and live music from Best Foot Music.
For brave 8 year-olds to 108 year-old
“It’s been a busy and inspiring research process, delving into these rich cultures and finding these miraculous stories. As a company, we’ve researched stories from Haiti, Burma, many parts of the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Congo. We believe it’s important that these areas are not only known for the trauma they have lived through, but also for their rich history, folktales being part of this. So many young minds have come together to create the fabric of this piece, engaging with the power of storytelling and the importance of keeping culture alive through ancient tales which stand the test of time, and now we’re looking at how to bring it all together in a fun-packed celebration.” – Tanushka Marah, director
Written with its young ensemble cast and based on international folktales gathered over months of research, the script was a product of the unique process used by ThirdSpace Theatre. Many of its stories and songs were discovered through working with young people during the rehearsal period to create a play that is both spectacularly eclectic and heartfelt.
“It’s good because you get to make it brighter, better – an amazing, fantastic show when you’re including everyone’s talent and everyone’s ability is being shown. […] So many people, different people, different mindsets, different talents, which is insane.” – Taiwo, Let it Be a Tale cast member
Let it Be a Tale was partially funded by Arts Council England and Brighton & Hove City Council’s Prosperity Fund. It took place at Brighton Dome’s Studio Theatre from 20th-22nd December 2024, with community performances of the folktales on 9th-11th December in the Crew Club in Whitehawk, Hillcrest Centre in Newhaven, and at Hangleton Community Centre.
